Natural Escape Photography: 10 years in business!
2022 is a big year for me: my photography business is officially TEN years old! I am truly beyond blessed to have been a part of the Black Hills community for this long, and we love living in Spearfish with Spearfish Canyon at our fingertips. The hills have a way of calling to us. It’s so crazy it’s been 10 years already! And it feels near impossible to sum up a decade in business, but I’ll try…
In May 2011 I graduated from undergrad with degrees in biology, chemistry, and photography and began my master’s degree in genetics. We weren’t supposed to keep a real job due to being in the lab so much, so I started taking photos for a little extra income. In January 2012, I met a wildlife photographer in Yellowstone while I was studying wolves and she was SO inspiring, but I saw how much work she put in for very little reward. I decided portraits were a more sustainable avenue until I could be a full-time researcher. I reached out to friends to pose for me and tried to connect with as many people as possible. I never saw myself as a portrait photographer, but something finally clicked. It felt “right”. Sessions were slow and scattered at first, so income was minimal, and I started working with Game, Fish, and Parks.
Tom’s uncle Dave and his wife Mychelle took a chance on us and hired us as our 1st official wedding in December 2012 – it was SO scary and so exciting all at the same time. Then I decided that if I wanted to pursue this, I needed to go full time. So I got my LLC, my business license, ended my GFP job, and dove headfirst into entrepreneurship. These last 10 years have taken me on quite the journey… I’ve had the opportunity to travel all over the country (and even internationally) to photograph weddings. I’ve had the opportunity to document literally thousands of families as they grow, seniors as they prepare to graduate, milestones, and countless special occasions. It is truly a great honor to get a front row seat to witness these moments.
But while it’s been wonderful, we’ve certainly had our ups and downs and learned things the hard way. This business has moved from having no studio, to a studio in an extra conference room at my dad’s office, to a tiny spare room at our house, all the way to our gorgeous 1500+ square foot studio now. It’s survived financial uncertainty, growing pains, unhappy clients, super happy clients, a global pandemic, and now the strains of having a full-time business on top of being parents to our darling daughter. But to get to this milestone of a decade in business – when so many people told us most photographers don’t survive the first 2 years, and most businesses fail within the first 5 – it all feels so worth it!
I’m proud of the business I’ve created, but mostly I feel SO incredibly grateful to all of my clients over the years who have trusted me, many of who I now consider to be friends. I’ve met the BEST people along the way, clients, vendors, and family members alike, and I don’t take that for granted. I never saw my business thriving for this long, and as my clients, followers, and friends, you have my promise that I’ll continue to improve, to learn, and to grow as a photographer so I can best serve you all. Thanks from the bottom of my heart for being here! Means the world to me!
(And be on the lookout for specials, promotions, and giveaways this year to honor 10-years in business, as well as an AMAZING summer celebration you won’t want to miss! Think food trucks, live music, and a diamond necklace giveaway!)
About the photos & video: When I was talking to Tom about a possible promo shoot of me (and I honestly hate having photos of myself, so ironic, right?) he jokingly said “well I should be in them, too! If you’ve been in business 10 years, so have I!” and he’s not wrong. I’m biased, but I am truly so lucky to have a wonderful husband who not only stands by my side, supports my dreams, follows me to the ocean, and swims with hundreds of sharks without question, but he also encourages me, pushes me, and assists with every aspect of building this business. He is truly a huge part of this, behind the scenes and behind the camera, and I definitely wouldn’t have made it 10 years without him!