It is so crazy to look back on ten years! I feel like I have come so far in certain parts of my life, and in other parts of my life, I haven’t changed at all. My business has slowly grown over the last 15 years, I have always had a steady stream of clients, but not until the last 5 years did my income start to increase. For the first ten years, I was content with where I was at, I didn’t realize that there could be more. I discovered workshops, podcasts, and education courses in 2015, and was able to dream of something bigger for myself and for my business. I will always have things to work on with my photography, I want to improve every year. One thing that has stayed the same is my love for photography, I feel like that is one of my greatest strengths and reasons that I have been successful for so long. I love what I do, and I love working with new clients and connecting with clients that I have photographed for the last 15 years.
Here is a little highlight real for the past 10 years!
2010
Photographed my first international wedding in Cabo, Mexico.
2011
Got married to Cole Parker!
Traveled to England, Ireland, and Costa Rica.
2012
Started using film again in my work. Cole loves cameras, and he is always researching what cameras I should try. I have used film for lots of personal projects and travel. Working on my own projects has improved my client’s work.
2013
Cole got sick with meningitis, this set us back a lot, and we are still being affected by it today. He is almost back to normal, but he still struggles with frequent migraines.
I photographed my first couple at Amangiri and then became one of their preferred photographers. Amangiri is one of the biggest resorts that I work at, I work with so many amazing clients there every year since.
Took a cooking class in Italy, I have always loved making pasta, and cooking in an old flour mill in Tuscany changed everything! I love teaching others how to make pasta and photographing it along the way.
Traveled to England, France, and Italy.
2014
Photographed a wedding in London, England.
Traveled to Spain and England.
2015
Last year of doing Bridal Shows, this was such a huge step, my website was finally being found with my SEO, and social media began to be an excellent tool for marketing.
I celebrated 10 years in business, I co-hosted a party with The Riter Mansion to celebrate our businesses turning 10, and it was a huge success! We were able to turn it into a fundraiser to help those affected by the earthquake in Nepal, we raised several thousand dollars to send back to Nepal. I was able to send the money to those that I had just worked with before the earthquake hit.
I started investing in education. I attended my first big workshop in Nepal, I was able to learn from some of the most amazing people in the wedding industry, and I was able to recognize where my business could go. I started learning from podcasts and books, I know that as I increased in my business knowledge, my revenue increased dramatically every year.
My Nepal images were published in Cottage Hill Magazine.
Traveled to Nepal and Costa Rica.
2016
I hosted my first dinner party, which has become a part of my business since then. Instead of doing styled shoots that you take down after it is photographed, I set up styled dinners to photograph, and then enjoyed a beautiful setting with friends eating a lovely meal. I love entertaining other creatives, and vendors, it has been fun creating relationships with others over the years through dinner parties.
Photographed an engagement shoot in Tulum, Mexico.
Traveled to Mexico, Dominican Republic, The Netherlands, Hungary, and Austria.
2017
I started my printshop website and had a booth at Swiss Days selling my double exposure temple photos. It has been so fun adding this part to my business.
I started photographing in Jackson Hole. I have always been so inspired by the Tetons, we would always travel there growing up, and I always knew I wanted to do photoshoots there. I did eight shoots there the first summer, and in 2019, I did 24 sessions in Jackson Hole, and I met some of the most amazing clients from all over.
Traveled to France, Monaco, Italy, Cuba, France, and Denmark.
2018
I hosted my first Creative Workshop, where I taught attendees how to make a leather passport, and how to make fresh pasta. We ended the day with a beautifully styled dinner and talked about creativity. I have always been a creative person, I love making things with my hands, and trying a new art or hobby. As an artist being creative in other outlets has helped me to avoid burnout in photography. In 15 years, I have never wanted to quit or not go to a shoot, I get excited about every shoot. I wanted to help others find their creativity and avoid burnout, it was such a fun workshop.
In 2017 I made the goal to reach six figures, and I finally achieved it in 2018. I had never compared myself to others, and I have no idea what other photographers make. All that mattered to me was that I was working hard, paying my bills, and traveling a few times a year. I was very proud of myself for getting to that point. It gave me the confidence to keep reaching for other financial goals.
Traveled to Iceland and The Faroe Islands.
2019
I increased my prices 5 times in 2019, which lead to a 50% increase in one year. At the beginning of my business, I was afraid to raise my rates, and I held off for too long to make changes. I get several inquiries a day, and I couldn’t keep up with the demand, I was turning so many people away because I can’t shoot everything, so I started raising my prices every few months, and I kept booking clients. Right now, I am booking family photoshoots for what I use to book weddings for in 2010. I am working with my dream clients, they value my work and the experience that I am creating for them. I have loved all of my clients along the way, and they have all contributed to my success.
I invested in the Knowledge Business Blueprint, it is helping me become a better business owner, and I am in the process of creating a course to help others achieve success in their photography business.
I had 34 out of state shoots in 6 different states. I was on the road a lot this year, I always look forward to listening to inspiring books and podcasts while driving and flying.
Traveled to Canada.
Total Shoots in 10 years:
Weddings: 200
Family/Senior Sessions: 656
Number of total shoots: 1381
When I started photography, I envisioned my income being the fun money, our extra money. But when I married a student who got sick 2 years into our marriage, I had to reenvision what my photography would be. I had to figure out how to be the primary income and sustain a household. As I have been persistent and patient, I have built the dream life that I had before I got married. Through our challenges and trials comes our greatest joy. I had to dive deep into photography to provide, and it has made me a better photographer. I wouldn’t be where I am at today without having to push through and survive. I am so grateful to be able to see the growth that I have made, and I can’t wait to see the life that I will create in 2030!
