22/03/2024
Hi everyone! Thanks so much for following along and supporting my business.
I thought it may interest some to share my background in photography with you and an update on my business! I am sharing this in long form so grab a coffee and come down memory lane with me.
My photography journey started when I was 16 years old and decided to take photography in school and learn how to use my dad's Canon Ae-1 film SLR camera. I learned to develop photos in a darkroom and also worked hard at my job at A&W to purchase my first digital camera for around $600 that accompanied me literally everywhere. The macro setting was my best friend because it allowed me to add depth of field to photos, when most digital photos at that time fell pretty flat. My friends became my models and everyone knew that I had a camera on me for every single event moving forward. I learned all I could on that camera - even shot my very first wedding with it at the age of 17. For my 19th birthday, my boyfriend saved all his money working at McDonalds to buy me my first DSLR camera: the Nikon D80. I was in complete shock because we had only been dating for a couple months. I vividly remember him saying this isn't some grand gesture to win you over or anything, I just really believe in you and your talents and dreams and I want to help you get there because you need to. Not surprisingly, I married that guy.
At the age of 19, with my shiny new DSLR, I shot a handful of weddings as friends and friends-of-friends started to get married.
After considering options for education as a teacher, I decided that photography had my heart and went to college the following fall for digital photography. I was beyond lucky to be presented with an interesting problem: I was having to turn down clients because I was so busy with homework. The homework was aimed at eventually being able to run a successful business as a career, and yet here I was, turning away business. I made the difficult decision to leave the program after completing year 1 and take the leap into my business because the work was pouring in. At the age of 21, I was busy enough that I could leave my part-time job in retail and do photography full-time. I began working for a local magazine my wonderful aunt connected me to, curating and shooting my own magazine spreads featuring local products and fashion, as well as shooting luxury homes and fundraising galas. I also built up a really strong client base for weddings, shooting 20-30 a year on top of many family portraits. In short, I kept very busy in Simcoe, Muskoka, and the GTA. I also got to travel for destination weddings to PEI, Long Island, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Jamaica, Dominican, Cuba, and Mexico. I look back at this time in my life so fondly. My 20ās were years spent working constantly but it never even felt like that. I loved my job, I loved my clients, and I just felt so lucky to be able to make art for a living. I was extremely busy, no doubt, but I was full of purpose.
In 2013, I applied for a short-term internship with a celebrity photographer I admired and headed to Nashville to experience an incredible opportunity and meet other photographers from across North America. That experience shaped my work and also my drive to push myself harder into experiences that I was so nervous about but knew I needed to do in order to grow not only as a photographer but also as a person. I had accomplished all I had really set out to do when I started my business and was trying to dream new dreams. I considered trying to get my foot into the door of the music and fashion industries while still staying very busy with portraits, weddings, and commerical shoots.
In 2016, I was approached to guest speak at the college I had previously attended and despite being so nervous to speak publicly, I accepted. I remember asking what I should speak on and ended up writing ā10 tips for running a successful photography businessā, gleaning from my 7 years of experience at that time - all of which was learned first hand by throwing myself into the ring.
I had never worked for another photographer or studio. My stubbornness/determination forced me to do things myself and learn the hard way but thankfully I also saw the value in networking and building community. I always had mentors and industry friends to lean on when I felt stuck or the going got tough. Thereās so many but I think back to Michael, Ingrid, Ellie, Erika, Cole, David-Daniel, Chad, Tyler in the earlier days (and all the tech support I received therein)ā¦and then of course the team I built with my business: Katherine, Aisling, and Magna. I am forever indebted to all of their support of me (and many others!) I was a very young person navigating a pretty high stress industry and I really see my success then as something that was a team effort. Of course, Scott (my husband) was there by my side and on my team as well. For many reasons, my dreams came true a lot faster and a lot easier because of his support of them. Iāll never forget any of that or any of you!
The other community of support that I had in my business were my Georgian College connections. First my previous instructors and peers from when I attended, and then, years later, my students and colleagues. After guest speaking, I received a call one day that Iāll never forget. The program co-ordinator called to ask if I would be interested in applying and interviewing for a part-time instructor position at the college. I was 27 years old and the impostor syndrome was so real. Despite being like āā¦me?ā I was so honoured, that I had to say yes and go for it. On my list of future goals was exactly this, except I assumed I would do it when I was much older and semi-retired. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would be offered such an opportunity, but in the fall of 2015, I started my first teaching position teaching photographic entrepreneurship to my very own class. The support and encouragement from the staff made me believe I was strong enough to do it - especially from Terry, Tony, Peter, and Jason. I took a break to have my babies and then returned to the program until itās closure in 2021/2022 after pandemic struggles. The positive experience I had there and the feedback from my students have really meant the world to me and helped me believe in my capabilities, even if the anxiety and fear of messing up was so strong. I learned having anxiety and fear are in no way indictators of whether or not I will be capable or have success. I learned itās okay to be afraid - go do the thing anyway.
Over the years, I have had such amazing clients. You've watched me learn and grow (quite literally while growing two babies) and Iāve been honoured to witness your growth too ā¦through engagements, weddings, babies, graduations, birthdays, reunions, anniversaries, business ventures, and more. Many of you have let me into the most special moments of your lives and I donāt take that lightly. It has been a privilege and an honour to be chosen as your photographer.
As one can imagine, 17 years in business has meant life has had many ups and downs that I worked through personally alongside making my business work. When I reflect on exactly how I managed to do that, I know itās all in thanks to my amazing return clients and your support of me. The comments, the likes, the shares, the reviews, the emails back to me gushing over galleriesā¦every positive piece of feedback has fed me in times that were challenging. I began blogging at some point more personally about my health and fertility issues and began to connect more personally and deeply with my clients online. I began writing a lot more from the heart and sharing more of who I really am and I did that because of the responses I received of people saying āme tooā and āthank you for being brave.ā Social media has many pros and cons - Iāve really enjoyed the community I have built here, especially in the pandemic when virtual connection was really all we had. The lines between "client" and "friend" have grown real blurry and I love it this way!
I took on a lot less work and posted a lot less of my work once I had my kids. As much as being a photographer has always been a big dream for me, being a mom has always been my greatest dream. The other night while tucking my 6 year old daughter in, I asked her if she had any ideas of what she would like to do for work when she's an adult and she told me "well...I really am not thinking much about work but I do know I really want to be a mom." She knows that being a mom is my favourite thing in the world so I just said "That's beautiful! I completely get it my girl." I had no qualms about putting down the camera and picking up my babies. This may not be for everyone and that's a-okay to me, but that's where my heart was. Once again, what a privilege to be able to choose and I really wish every parent had that choice. Thereās certain things I could be bitter about about how this or that didnāt go my way or work out, but I would much rather reflect with gratitude that I even had the choice to go slow and put my all into my dream of motherhood. I did continue to work the entire time, never taking a maternity leave - just taking on a very reduced workload that made it all possible. I remember my friend Alesha pushing 4 week-old Isla in a stroller for an hour while I shot an event (still not fully healed from postpartum) and then rushing out to nurse her. I remember pumping milk at the YMCA changerooms during my days of documenting their programming and having to get everyone to pause so I could take those breaks. I remember shooting a full-day wedding a few days after I miscarried my first baby. Trying to find that work/life balance wasn't always easy. I remember the chaos of my toddlers and puppy running into camera view while I taught my course online through the pandemic. When I think of the ways everyone was always willing to accommodate my life changes so I could keep my work going, gosh, am I ever grateful.
Iāve always known that my clients moments are just as important as my own moments. Iāve always shown up for them because I know how much it matters to them. I've treated every wedding like it was my own. Itās never been just a job for me. This has always been about connection and what really matters to people.
Photography has been a significant way that I connect to this world and to others. Itās an outlet that has allowed me to live so many adventures, meet many incredible people, and document countless special moments and memories. It feels somewhat like I took a break because of the reduced schedule and workload that I created while raising my babies and that now I am returning. This āreturningā has put me in a very reflective state.
I believe reflection to be so important for all of us - to see where we have been and to think about where we are going to next - and thatās what this post is. Reflecting on the past, all the goals, all the memories, all the kilometres travelled, is cathartic for me. My business has taught me many lessons in life like there is a time to lead/take charge and there is a time to silently and carefully take it all in as a fly on the wall and observe. Knowing the difference is so crucial to using your energy wisely and being effective. Probably the most important lesson Iāve learned is that if you stay focused on the people you serve, and serving them well, I think success is most likely inevitable.
As I enter a new era, with both of my children in school, I know that new goals and dreams are on the horizon for me. Thereās a new freedom for me to pursue whatever business ventures I want to for the first time in 7 years. This is both exciting and slightly terrifyingā¦so bear with me as I figure it all out. I am very excited to be launching my new website very soon and hope you will all check it out. If youāve ever referred me to anyone for any shoot, thank you! You have no idea (or maybe you do) how much it means to small businessees when you support them. You have supported not only my work, but me as a human and held me up over the years through the good and hard times. Youāve made it possible for me to buy a home, a car, stay home with my babies, travel, meet so many wonderful people, and continue dreaming of what comes next. One way I thought of to show my appreciation to my clients is to create a VIP group here on Facebook to give my community of amazing clients first access to limited minis, discounts, and model calls. If you would like in on that group, please let me know!
I couldnāt have ever done this without all of you, and looking to the future, I know how much your support will get me to where Iām headingā¦so thank you, thank you, thank you! There have been rumours over the years that I was hanging up my camera and no longer doing photography. I want to ensure you, as long as the lights and shadows keep dancing, Iāll be there. My need to document the beauty around me is just that - a need. As long as I have eyes to witness it all, I will be reaching for my camera. In the words of Maggie Rogers āif you keep reaching out, Iāll keep coming back.ā
Thanks for reading, supporting, encouraging, commenting, sharing, and booking! I am sooo excited for whatās to come. I am a sentimental sap and that fuels basically everything I do, so thanks for loving and embracing that! If you need a photographer for anything, please reach out! I tend to photograph a little bit of everything because I have so many interests and my main focus is simply connecting with great people which you can find anywhere.
I can't ramble on for this long without sharing some photos... and please watch for my website portfolio launch very, very soon!
Much love,
Sam
