My inbox made its distinctive ‘ding’. The noise it makes every time an email comes in. The subject line read “FAB Friday”…the name of this here post and EVERY post presented EVERY Friday featuring photographers from every level and from all over the world.
The email was detailed, honest, candid and captivating. It told a story of a girl who bought, what at the time was a very expensive camera, embarked uppn an industry she had zero intention of once joining, and creating not only a name for herself…but an entire business. This story of hers struck an all too familiar cord with me. This was my email to other photographers not too long ago. Her words, her struggles, her emotions, her excitement and passion…they are the same traits I had and still continue to have on a
different level. I knew, that like many others just starting their career, she would speak to them….show them everyone starts somewhere…and just maybe, she herself with this feature, could help just one person know there is a way and a reason to follow your dreams!
Without further ado, I present you with Kelly Wilson of Silver Lining Photography. Enjoy meeting her, viewing her work, and hearing her story!
An Interview with Kelly Wilson:
1. Whats your name, where are you from, and what kind of photography do you do?
I’m Kelly ::: waves hands ::: from Lumberton, NJ. I love to photograph a lot of things, but, by far my obsessions are children & families.
2. How did you come up with the name for your business?
One day as I was watching my son, Matthew, then a little over two years old, play on the floor with his toys, I realized that he was the silver lining of the tumultuous and emotional last few years I had spent with his birth father. Matthew was the reason I realized I needed to make a go of it, so out of that was born, Silver Lining Photography.
3. How long have you been in business?
I picked up my camera in March of 2011. I pretty much did portfolio building up until January 2012, when I became an official business.
4. What has been the hardest part about starting a business in this field?
The hardest part for me has been learning everything from the ground up. I honestly did not know how much time & effort went in to each and every session.
5. What advice would you give to others just starting out or to those whom are in your shoes right now?
My first piece of advice would be to price yourself for profit right off the bat! Understand that someone else’s pricing will not necessarily work for you, everyone has different costs associated with their business. Pricing yourself and your work too low will burn you out and make it much harder to raise your prices when you feel like you’re putting so much work in and not getting paid for it. You should be paid accordingly for your time! Second, do not compare yourself to other photographers. The only photographer you should compare yourself to is the one you used to be. Third, never give up. Keep pushing forward and know that with a lot of hard work and dedication, you can make this happen. One of my favorite quotes is “If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door”. You have to make things happen. This is one of the hardest things for me, but I repeat that to myself every…single…day.
6. What photographers inspire you and why?
I actually have a few – first, I would have to say Mirka Psak of Mirka Photography was the very first photographer that got my undivided attention. She photographed my maternity session in 2008 and she just made me feel so beautiful. I think it was at that point that I started to think about photography. I just loved the experience and I wanted to give that feeling to others as well! I guess you could say that she was my first photographer crush J
Second would be Spanki Mills of Spanki Mills Photography & Julie Paisley of Julie Paisley Photography. Julie & Spanki started the Be Nice Campaign on Facebook which encourages other photographers to build each other up, rather than tear each other down. As a new comer in this industry, I’ve had witnessed some less than desirable behavior in some and that campaign was such a breath of fresh air. It gave me the hope that there are photographers out there (like you, Kaitlin!) that are willing to encourage new photographers to better their craft and keep pushing forward to improve the industry.
7. What are you struggling with the most? What are succeeding at the most?
At this point, I have a hard time with marketing and networking with other small businesses. I have always been a reserved girl, and I usually don’t like to hound people or worse yet – think that I’m bothering people. A goal of mine this year is to form relationships with other business owners and network with each other. On the flip side, I really feel like I am coming into my own as a photographer. I am building a strong brand, I have a very specific style, and I do my best to go above and beyond for my clients.
8. Where do you see yourself in 5 years, 10 years?
This is so funny that you ask this because I revisit this question to give myself a kick in the pants. I reevaluate my goals quite often. J In 5 years, I would like to have a studio space, whether that’s in my home or a rented store front somewhere. I would like to have photography as my full time career (which at this point, it’s not).
In 10 years, I would like to be able to have such a strong brand and client base that I am able to support my entire family on it. Family is everything to me and I just want to have them around me all the time. I would love for my husband and I to become a team to work and grow the business together.
9. When you feel like you are in a rut, where do you turn for inspiration?
Music. Music has always been very therapeutic for me. It doesn’t even matter what kind. Sometimes it’s country, sometimes it’s classical, and sometimes, it’s even hip hop. It just all depends on what kind of mood I’m in.
10. When did you know that being a photographer is what you wanted to do or were MEANT to do?
I did a shoot for a client (that’s turned into a fantastic friend!) in the fall, it was her, her new baby, and her husband. I put a sneak peek up on Facebook for her and not more than 20-30 minutes passed and my phone rang. She said to me in tears “I just had to call you and thank you for what you’ve done. I looked at that picture of us, and it hit me that I’m really a mama now. You have no idea what that means to me. It’s just beautiful”. The feeling that I got from her knowing that I was able to make her feel so wonderful made me realize that I want to do that all the time. It’s such a rush, and I never want it to stop.
Kelly- Thank you for your remarkable interview…we all wish you the best of luck and see great potential in you! Thank you for your honesty, candidness and over all passion for all things photography!
XOXO,
Kaitlin Noel
add a comment
+ COMMENTS