We have a special guest with us today.Becca, do you want to introduce her?Yes, today we have Kennedy, one of my OG friends.Hi, guys.I'm so excited to have you.If you don't know Kennedy, she is the face behind Kennedy Kira Photography.
And we're going to dive in and pick your brain.Tell us a little bit about you.
Okay, my name's Kennedy like Becca previously mentioned.I have a photography business and I'm 28 years old.I have three dogs.I'm married to my high school sweetheart and I'm obsessed with reading and Marvel.I'm like a big geek at heart.
We love that. Tell us how you got started in photography, because that's your main business, right?Yes.
I think that I have the same basic how I started my photography journey as any other photographer.I always had an interest in taking photos.I would take photos of my friends in high school.My mom bought me my first digital camera when I was 14.
And back in the day, we would edit on PicMonkey and everything would be black and white.Oh my gosh, do you remember PicMonkey?
crazy filters and just the craziest type of edits and then I kind of stopped taking photos after I graduated high school because everybody told me you need to have a college education you need to have a degree and so I went to college and when I got married I saw my wedding photographer
And she told me that was her full-time job.And so I thought to myself, wait, this is a full-time job.I can do this for my job.And so I bought a nicer camera and I started doing photo shoots in college to put me through college.
And then when I graduated college, I decided I wasn't going to use the degree I spent so much money and time getting.And then I just did photography full-time.
So what do you specialize in in photography?
So I would call myself a wedding and commercial photographer.Those are my two main photography outlets.I do families and portraits here and there, but definitely weddings and commercial work are probably about 70% of what I do as a photographer.
And there's so many business owners in Utah, it's kind of crazy when you sit and think about how many boutiques or smaller brands or even larger companies are based out of Utah.So, there's a lot of opportunities for photographers in Utah for sure.
Do you do that in your house?
Yeah.Most of the time it's on site with models.I do a lot of product based photography, meaning I do women's clothing for a company named Ruli.And then I also shoot for a phone case company called Wally.Those are my two biggest commercial clients.
And then I shoot for smaller brands here and there.Some of them are more product based inside my house, but I would say 75% of the time it's with models.Cool.That's so fun.
And how did you get into the commercial part of photography?Because everyone does, especially starting out in Utah, everyone does families and weddings and all that.How did you get into the commercial side of it?
You know, I wish I could give advice for somebody listening that wants to get into the commercial world.I got so extremely lucky.The people who own Rudely, I went to high school with their sisters and I played basketball and softball with them.
So I knew of their family, but around 2017, I think it was, they were looking for a new photographer. and they just happened to reach out to me.I didn't even know commercial photography was a thing back then.
And so I got reached out to by them, they did a test shoot with me, and then I have been their full-time photographer ever since.
And so having that experience and getting my foot in the door with Ruli was such a huge jumping point for my commercial photography journey, because after that I had already had a portfolio that I could show to people.
And then after that, brands kind of would just reach out to me here and there. So I feel like for commercial work especially, it's a lot of networking.I got the job with Wall-E.
because one of their main models had shot with Rootly and she had recommended me to the owner of Wally.So that was just luck of the draw again.And then it's kind of spread since then.
But if anyone's listening and wants to get into commercial photography, what I would say is take the brands that you love and use in your day to day life, whether it's a clothing brand, skincare brand, whatever, do some shoots for yourself to build up that portfolio so that you can reach out to clients and say, Hey,
I'm a commercial photographer, here's some portfolio pieces that you can showcase your talent.Just like in any other world of photography, you kind of have to shoot for free, build a portfolio in order to gain clients.
It's no different than being a wedding photographer or family photographer, et cetera, so.
Right, you have to start at the bottom.Did you ever think that you would be shooting for large brands having your photos on websites for these companies?What is that like for you?
It's kind of surreal.I never would have thought that would have been something that I could do.There's been a few times where I've seen my photos blown up in malls.I have seen billboards before, but that wasn't for any commercial photography.
I shot for a hospital randomly one time and my photo was on a billboard.But no, I never would have thought that, but it's really cool.I think the opportunities that I've had in the last, year have been incredible.
I've worked with a lot of really cool influencers and I've been able to travel to really cool places.Wally does a lot of influencer collaborations and so I've had the opportunity to meet a lot of people.
They have some, I don't think I'm allowed to say, they have some really cool collabs coming up that I'm really excited for and it's kind of like a pinch me way I get to take photos of this person.
kind of a thing.You get to travel, right?
Yes, so originally they were having photographers based in the cities that they were traveling to for influencers to shoot their product but I was so lucky and they decided they wanted to hire me as their sole full-time photographer for the last year and they actually take me to every place that they travel to and I get to see all these places and shoot
all these influencers, but I've also traveled with Ruli for photography as well.When you're in Utah and you're shooting swimwear and it launches in February, you're probably not gonna wanna shoot it in the snow.
So we've gone to Mexico, Puerto Rico, Arizona to shoot their swimwear lines.Honestly, if I had to choose between commercial photography and wedding photography and what I like more, I probably would say commercial photography.
It seems less stressful.Well, I guess less stressful in a different way of not having to control so many components and kids and all that. because that gets crazy.
Yeah and I just think that working with a brand multiple times you establish a relationship with their team and you get to travel to these places with people who just feel like friends and it's just a lot more fun.
You experience a lot more of the place you go to and it's way less stress and it's just it's just way more fun I think.
How do you stay organized with your portfolio and all of that?What goes into helping you stay organized?
Luckily for me, I'm a very type A personality.I don't know if you guys, I don't really know that much about zodiac signs and stuff, but I'm an Aries and I'm a type A personality.
And so if anybody listening knows anything about that kind of stuff, just as an Aries, I'm very... organized in general.
But for me, the easiest way is I have, well, first of all, if you're a photographer, or honestly, if you have any client-based service, there's a client CRM called HoneyBook.And that keeps me so organized.It keeps a calendar for me.
It shows the deposits and inquiries and all of those things.So having a client CRM really helps with staying organized.And then I also have a
I wouldn't call it a planner, but I have a to-do list with just like all the shoots that I have to edit, what needs to be edited, what needs to be photoshopped, what needs to be cold, what needs to be imported.
And I just have a really good method of storing my photos and everything.It just keeps me really organized.I think just my personality in general is very organized. It's been a long journey for me to have a work-life balance.
There were years where I was shooting 55 weddings a year and that just is not feasible to have hobbies and a social life and a job.
It takes way more time than I think people realize.
Oh for sure.For every hour you're shooting, I would say it probably takes two to three hours to edit that one hour of photos.For me personally, how I've organized my time and created a work-life balance I set strict business hours for myself.
I only edit from about 9 a.m.until 5 p.m.Monday through Thursday and I'm very strict about that.
My husband only works Monday through Thursday and to have that weekend break, number one to spend time with friends and family, number two to have hobbies, and number three to to have a set cut off, like a break from work, is really important to me.
From the time that I started photography until about two years ago, I was working from 9 a.m.until three in the morning, editing, trying to get things done, on top of that, driving to shoots and shooting, and so I was working like 70 hours a week.
for the entire year and it just wasn't feasible to me.I started to get really burnt out and I didn't love photography as much as I used to.I wasn't creative.I wasn't having a good rapport with clients.
And so one, I obviously, like I said, set business hours.Two, having a set place to edit that was not my living room. was a game changer.
The fact that I had a physical room that I could shut the door on and just leave work in was really important to me.It was like a mental boundary that I had set for myself.
I didn't have to think of work outside of my office and then also I limit how many clients I take a year. That has also really helped.I stopped saying yes to everything.Something about me is I'm very money driven.
And so it's hard for me to say no because I felt like I was saying no to X amount of money every time I said no.But I switched my mindset and I said, OK, instead of thinking of you're saying no to money, you're saying yes to your family.
You're saying yes to your hobbies.You're saying yes to your mental health.And that was a huge game changer for me to be able to start saying no to people.
And I think that is super important because burnout is so real and I am a yes person.I feel like I have to say yes to everybody and unfortunately I'll say yes to everybody and then my family or my husband comes last.
It's detrimental because it should be opposite.You should be there for your family, your husband first. and yourself and then business comes next, which is a huge benefit for a job like yours because you can set your own hours.
And especially if you and your husband are on the same schedule, that's awesome.
Oh yeah.It was a game changer.And I was the same way.I would put everything clients work ahead of anything else.And that's obviously it's not good for your mental health.It's not good for your marriage.It's not good for your family.
And I started to resent my job, which I never wanted to have that happen.
What things did you implement when you realized, okay, something's got to change? I am not loving my job.I'm working till 3 a.m.and I'm not seeing my husband a ton.
What did you start to change specifically that helped you set those boundaries so that you could thrive in your career?
I would say setting that strict work timeline of I'm only working from this time to this time and also setting boundaries as far as when clients can contact me because
When you're self-employed clients have access to you all the time because they have your phone number They can reach out to you at any time and I had this Guilt of when someone would text me at 930 and if I didn't text them back, I was like, oh my gosh They're not gonna want to hire me.
And so having that set work time is truly has changed my life just knowing that, okay, at this time, Kennedy, you have to stop.Like you're done, you can't work anymore.I mean, when you go work a normal job, you're only working nine to five anyways.
Why as a self-employed person am I making myself work that much more?So honestly, I think that was probably the best thing I ever did because I have a lot of friends in the industry and some of them, yeah, they'll work till midnight or
They'll edit until three in the morning, and I'm not gonna lie, sometimes that still happens.You've got deadlines you have to meet, and you've been super busy, but I would say that's very rare that I do that.
That's probably my number one thing that really helped me with my work-life balance.
One of what's really hard, if you don't have your boundaries and your timelines, people take advantage of that because they know this isn't her nine to five clock in, clock out.She has her computer at home.She has her camera at home.
Why can't she just come do this for me really quick? And people take advantage of that.
Oh, 100% people will take any threat that they can get.And let me start by saying this.I love my clients so much.They are so incredible, so amazing.I rarely have anybody who doesn't respect boundaries or who takes advantage of me.
I've felt really, really thankful for my clients for the last five years.They've been a dream.
But if you are self-employed, I think another really good thing is setting expectations from the get-go, especially if you're a photographer, setting expectations, telling your clients exactly when they can expect their photos back, how many photos they can expect.
I think just really setting expectations for people in general, in your relationships, in your work, it just makes things a lot easier so that people know what they're going to get from you and they don't have to question.
I think it's hard for people to respect boundaries if you're not willing to set boundaries and let them know.I am not going to reply to you at 9 30 at night but first thing in the morning I will get to this message.
And I think too when I first started my job I kind of forgot that people can be extremely understanding.Obviously there's times where someone's texting me at 9 40 at night and I don't respond till the morning They understand.
They're not expecting me to respond.
And sometimes it's funny when I text my hairdresser or the girl that does my Botox or whatever it may be, if I know they're self-employed, if I text them at a time that's outside of normal work hours, I'll always say, Hey, you don't have to respond to this.
I'm just texting you right now because I'm forgetful.And if I don't text you right now, I'm going to forget to text you later on. After I kind of had that realization about myself, I found out that clients are the exact same way.
They're just texting you because it's on their mind.It doesn't mean they expect a response right then and there.
We all know like in today's day and age, social media and online presence is huge.What do you think has been the hardest for you about building your brand on social media?
I used to be so much better at this.About two years ago, I went hard in the paint on Instagram because I had a lot of goals and aspirations that I wanted to do for my photography business.
I really wanted to get into the space of workshops and courses and all of these things.And so I worked really hard to establish myself on my Instagram as an expert in my field.
There was a while there where I was posting so many Photoshop tutorials and just general a lot of education for photographers because that's where I saw my business going was geared towards education for photographers.
Also in that same realm you would post things for clients there was definitely a divide where I had this thought of okay well this reel is specifically for clients to educate them to get clients to see that oh she's an expert and then also there was this line of I'm going to post this reel so that
photographers are seeing this she knows her stuff that goes hand in hand because I think when you see a photographer that knows their stuff like how to photoshop it puts clients at ease so it worked hand in hand with each other but lately the last year and a half I found Instagram to be extremely exhausting and it wasn't good for my mental health.
I was so stuck on the numbers and how many followers I had and how many
views a reel would get or how many likes a photo would get and I have just taken a step back for the last year and a half to focus more on my client experience and giving my clients the best photos they can have.
Luckily I do have enough of a social media presence to kind of carry me through me being quote lazy on social media but I do think it's extremely important especially in the photography industry to have a social media presence and also
not just showing your work.
I had a client I think two weeks ago and this was a wake-up call for me she showed up to a shoot and she was like I didn't know if that was you or not because I didn't know what you looked like and I was like oh that is a fail on my part I need to show my face so much more on my social media because this sounds so cheesy
But if you're in a client-based industry, you're also selling yourself.It's not just the work that you're providing and the product you're providing, you're also selling who you are as a person, especially when it comes to a wedding photographer.
You are spending the most important day of your life with this random stranger that you met on the internet because a lot of the times you show up to a wedding, you've never met the couple before.
And if you post yourself and your hobbies and the things that you like on social media, one, it helps your clients know you so that you feel more like a friend when you show up to a photo shoot, they feel a little bit more comfortable.
But also, it helps you get a lot more of your ideal client because a lot of the times, if they like the same things that you like, it works out a lot better.
I've had people hire me because I have three dogs and they have dogs and they wanted to bring their dogs to a photo shoot.I literally had a bride hire me because I like Marvel.
and she was a marvel fan and that's straight up not the only reason she hired me but it was probably a selling point for her so my nerdy side got me money which is great but having a social media president in a client-based industry is so important and like i said it's important to show your face so that people know who you are
One of your goals was hosting workshops, doing education.Where did this lead you?Because you do host workshops, so tell us what that's like and who you do this with.
Workshops have been such a fun endeavor for me as well as one of my best friends, Reggie.She's a videographer and we host photo and video workshops, which I think we hosted our first one probably two years ago, I can't remember.
Nobody was doing photo and video workshops, which we felt like was something that we could provide to the industry because there's not a lot of education out there for videographers and Reggie is such a fantastic videographer that
Anybody would be lucky to learn from her.Both Reggie and I were getting to this point in our wedding careers where we were feeling a little bit burnt out and we didn't want to sacrifice income.
And we wanted to fill the space with photography and videography workshops and courses and things.And we decided about two years ago to host our first workshop, which it was so much fun.So much work.
Oh my gosh, there's so many little things that go into a workshop, but it was a lot of fun to go and meet a whole bunch of other creatives.
I think for me, the hardest part about hosting workshops and putting out courses was I had really, really bad imposter syndrome at the time, and I couldn't quite figure out why in the world someone would want to learn from me.
What knowledge did I have that every photographer didn't already know? and what's cool about my industry is that there's a million different ways to do this job.
There are so many different little hacks that you can share and I found out quickly that not everybody did the same things as I did and a lot of people found value in some of the things that I had to share but that was a really hard thing to overcome because people were paying a whole bunch of money to come and just learn from Reggie and I and we were like what can we tell people but
I think, if any of them are listening to this and they walked away with nothing, I'm so sorry, but I think everybody walked away from each of the workshops that we had done learning at least something new.
Imposter syndrome is so real, especially with anything you do that you're teaching something new.All of us feel like we fail on a daily basis.What helped you overcome that imposter syndrome?
Ironically, when I was posting a lot of photography reels, I was getting a lot of comments and messages of people asking me more questions.And two years ago, question boxes were a really big thing.
And just the amount of people that would ask things that I thought everybody knew surprised me.
And the fact that I had gained this social media following based off of teaching other photographers things that I just thought were completely normal helped me overcome that.
And having that first workshop and seeing people physically in front of me, writing things down that I was saying was, oh my gosh, moment, wait. I do have something of value to tell people and this can go along with anything in life.
Not everybody does things the same way you do it and someone out there is going to learn something.
Whether it's one person or whether it's a million people, I think it's worth it to share what you know on the off chance that one person can learn from what you have to say.Switching topics for a second.
Do you want kids?How often do you get this question?Because I know you get it a lot.You're young.You and your husband are so cute together.And I'm sure everyone, you live so close to Utah.People are like, when is she going to have kids?
You know, we used to get this question all the time when we first were married.I got married in 2015, so nine years.I was 19.Oh, yes. Teenage breads.Yes, we do want kids.
Not to get super deep, but both my husband and I, biological parents, got divorced.And for me, I, number one, I don't want to put my kids through that.And number two, we got married so young.19 is so young.
And it's funny to look back on who we were at 19 versus who we are now at 28.And we're literally not the same people at all. at all, not even the same hobbies.We don't even like the same hobbies.
And so for me, it was really important, one, to grow up a little, two, I really wanted to have an established career.
I was really lucky to have a mom who was this bad-a worker woman who set a really good example for me, and I wanted a career for myself before I had kids. And also, once again, didn't want to have my kids be a product of divorce.
And lastly, it's funny because about five years into our marriage, I finally had this mental awakening of getting over my childhood trauma.
So I just wanted to wait as long as possible so that we could really be set and secure with our marriage and in our lives.But yes, we do want kids.
Well, that's so hard because in our area, growing up, like, we're kind of, we're kind of told, like, you're going to be a mom.
You're going to be a mom.
That's what you're going to do.You're going to raise kids.You're going to be a mom.And I love being a mom, love being a mom.And obviously it took me a long time to get to that point.
And I know everyone's journey is different, but looking back now, I'm kind of like you, like it was, it was good to grow up.It was good to experience things.And yes, like we could have done those things with kids. Would it have been harder?
Probably, but you'll be a great mom when you get to that point.Having these tools, knowing how to set boundaries, and having your career established, do you feel confident mixing business and motherhood?
Yes, I've seen a few of my friends who have the exact same job do it.I know there's going to obviously be challenges and hardships along the way.
I've learned a lot through my friends becoming moms with this job and knowing what's realistic and what's not realistic.For me, part of the reason why I haven't became a mom yet is I have to kind of release this
hold that money has on me because the moment I become a mom, I'm going to step back in my career and make a lot less money, which I have to be okay with.
I'm getting to the point where I do feel like I'm ready to switch my priorities and switch from being a career driven woman to more of a motherhood driven woman, if that makes sense at all.Yeah.
I think that's so smart.I got married at 19.We did wait three years to have kids, but I
still almost feel like I would have waited longer because you're right you're so young you know who you are but from 19 to 28, 29 you're a completely different person.
I appreciated having kids but I don't feel like I appreciated it like I would now because everything mentally just changes so much in that amount of time and so
You were very, very smart and you just did what you felt was right and I think that you probably will enjoy motherhood a lot more waiting like you did.
I mean, I hope so.I'm the youngest.It's only me and my sister and I haven't been around babies.I tell people this all the time.If I could give birth to a two-year-old, a three-year-old walking, talking, I probably would already have kids.
It's the babies that freak me out.
Oh my gosh, the toddler stage is not for me.
I would take a newborn any day.
Yes, those newborn snuggles.You'll see when you get to this point also.But each stage, you have things that you love and you have things that you're like, oh, this is hard.This is hard.And I think for everyone, it's a little bit different.
But you'll find what you love.Each stage is good and hard in its own way.
Like, oh, this newborn stage is so hard because I don't sleep.And I'm like, oh, it'll be so much better when they're two.And then when they're two, you're like, oh,
I, you know, it'll be so much better when each stage is just good and hard in its own way.
I could totally see that.And the lack of sleep.That's, I'm really nervous about that.I like my eight hours of sleep.That's, yeah, I'm a gremlin without eight hours.So we'll see about that.Okay.
So outside of work, what do you enjoy doing?You said you have a lot of hobbies.So outside of photography, what other hobbies and stuff do you do that you enjoy?
I don't have a lot of hobbies.I have two main hobbies.And one of my hobbies is kind of turned into a job.First of all, I am a big like gym goer.I love staying active.So I would say that's one of my hobbies.
And then my other main hobbies is book talk early.
What type of books though?
Oh, don't give me any nonfiction.I'll throw it in the trash.Not really.I read a lot of fiction, mainly romance and fantasy and sci-fi. Yeah, I mean, smut's fine.I do like a little bit of plot.
I don't want just strictly smut, but I can get down with some smutty chapters.
You have a book Instagram and a book talk.
And a book podcast.My friend, Reggie, that I did the workshop with, she's a part of the book venture.I don't know what to call it.And then I have another really good friend named Mikayla, who is also a photographer.
It's called I'll Read What She's Reading.We have a book Instagram, we have a book TikTok, and we have a book podcast.And so we started that about a year and a half ago, and it's been a wild ride.It's been really, really, really fun.
I don't read a lot of smut, though. Like it has to have a plot.Right now I'm reading Throne of Glass series.
What book are you on? Okay, Throne of Glass is one of my favorite series of all time You got to finish the first book you did you read the second one It's okay, I mean yes, but no if you don't love it I like Throne of Glass better personally and
You do?Yes.It's more epic.You got to read it.It's less of a, the romance is a lot more of a subplot I feel like in Throne of Glass than it is in ACOTAR, but it's just a canon event.
Everybody in our age range is having this reading awakening right now and they start with Sarah J. Maas.That's the author of those books and it spreads like wildfire from there.
I hated reading growing up. But I actually listen to a lot of books because, hi, I have six kids.I don't have a lot of time to sit down and physically read a book, which I would rather do, but kids, totally.
If you could recommend one book, OK, we'll come back to this question because you're probably going to need a minute.That's extremely hard.
It'd be between Throne of Glass or Red Rising. Red Rising is my current Roman Empire.If you like Dune or Star Wars or Guardians of the Galaxy, Red Rising is for you.It's so good.It's not for everybody.
It's a sci-fi series and there's little to no romance.But oh my gosh, it's so good.I got my husband to read it.What are you currently reading right now?I am reading our book club book for our podcast.It's called Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak.
Oh my gosh!Okay, I'm like 75 pages in.Dude, that made me excited!
The one with the pictures in it?Yeah.Did you get spooked? It wasn't like spooky, but there were so many twists and turns.It's a good October-y, but it's not scary. Good choice, because that is one of my favorites.
OK, yay.It's rated really highly on Goodreads.
It's so good.Even to the very last page.
OK, perfect.You know, I'm not a big thriller mystery girly, because I can always guess what's happening.Or if I can't guess it, I'm like, this came out of left field.What are you talking about?What?No.But that made me excited.
I've heard really good things about it.With your book podcast, what do you want to see come of it? I mean, it's hard where there's three of us.I can't speak for the other two, but I do believe we're pretty aligned on our goals.
All three of us are getting into this stage where Reggie has two kids and Michaela and I were thinking, OK, we got to take a step back from photography. We're going to be moms and I think we would love to monetize the podcast a little bit more.
Obviously, it's not going to be our sole main focus of income because there's three of us, but we spend so much time on reading the books and
filming TikToks and doing content and making merch and recording the podcast, editing the podcast, emailing people to come on as guests.
It's a lot of work and so I think we're just getting to the point where we want it to make a little bit more sense with how much time we're putting into it too.Yeah we want it to be worth it but it's so much fun.
It's so much fun to have people message us and
be like you recommended this book to me and it's so amazing or it's funny on the off chance it hasn't happened a lot where people come up to us and they're like oh my gosh you're kennedy from all real she's reading and i'm like yeah and then i get awkward yeah or it's really fun when people it's crazy it's been crazy to watch how well our merch has done to see that people are actually buying this and wearing it that that has been really wild
Tell us your process on your designs.
We don't design it.Some of our designs that we have done, we have designed, but we have a girl.Her name is Anna.She has done all of our more intricate designs, but we do approach her with the concept.
So those of you who have read Sarah J Maas' books, we came out with a collection specifically for Sarah J Maas, and she designed all of it, but we came to her with, we want a
Castle with some trees and a stag and on the front it's gonna say fire heart and on the back It's gonna say to whatever end and so she's just actually crushed the designs.
They've been always really good last question This is a big one What is something you would change about your wedding now that you're a wedding photographer and knowing what you know about? What's something you would have changed or done different?
Don't have a wedding.No.Actually, if I were to get married right now, I would definitely elope.I would change everything about my wedding except for the person I married. Yeah, my style is completely different.
I had plaid and deer everywhere and my bridesmaids wore mismatching tights.I mean, at the time, we were really big into deer hunting.
If I was getting married now and I was actually planning a wedding and I wasn't eloping, I would spend, other than my photographer and videographer, I would probably spend the most money on florals.Really?
I think florals make or break your wedding, for sure.I definitely wouldn't get married in the winter.Who thought that was a good idea? I would go elope and do Ireland or the Oregon coast.I would say Hawaii, but everybody says Hawaii.
So I'd probably go with Ireland, honestly.
Chelsea, what's something you would change about your wedding?
I mean, my wedding was like pre-Pinterest era.
Same.My colors were turquoise and white.I mean, it was okay.Everything was fine, but nothing was Pinterest worthy now.I'd probably change everything. Everything was just so cliche and cheesy and you look back and you're like, oh, why did we do that?
I would have done everything different.
I had red and black.Caden wore white tux, which I loved.I would do that again.I would change my wedding cake, though.I hated my wedding cake. which is so dumb.And then also my photographer.
I had my best friend, which no shade to her, but she was growing her portfolio.And I wish I would have had a professional photographer and then also give her the opportunity to still come, still build her portfolio and do all that.
But I wish I would have had two people shooting.If I could, if I could change, I would do that.
Yeah, I 100% agree because I had my cousin do it, which I didn't know any photographers.And at the time I was working within my parents' budget, right? And that was kind of the last thing on the list.My dress was more important, my venue.
And so the photographer kind of got pushed to the end.And my cousin is not a professional photographer.She had a camera and it was great, but it's nothing compared.You know how you go and take pictures of the bride and groom before their wedding day.
That's all you have.100% I would have invested way more money in my photographer than anything else.
what's crazy even because i loved my wedding photographer she was amazing but even photography in general compared to i don't know what years you guys got married but compared to 2015 to now photography has just completely changed it's so much better cameras are so much better it's a completely different ballpark and just the trends are different it's wild and i mean i bet you if you asked most anybody who has been married for a decent amount of time
they would probably say they would change everything but the person they married because trends change so much over time and also you're just not the same especially if you get married young you're not the same person you were when you first got married when it comes down to it the weddings that i shoot where
they're less concerned about the tiny little things of their wedding and they're really truly only concerned about marrying the person that they love, those are always my favorite weddings.
It could be a wedding that is on the side of the road or it could be the most quote low budget and I don't mean that in like a snooty way.
It could be an extremely low budget wedding but if they're truly there to get married and be together and you can just feel the love on that day, those are my favorite wedding days because you can see that in their photos.
If you could give advice to anybody, whether that's starting in photography, online presence, what is the biggest piece of advice you would give anybody?
I would tell any photographer that wants to start shooting, learn to shoot in every type of lighting situation.You will save yourself so much anxiety if you'll just go out and shoot in the middle of the day.Go out, shoot with a flash.
If you learn to shoot in every lighting situation, you can show up to any location at any time.You can show up to any wedding and feel confident and be able to shoot and not feel anxious.
It took me way too long to learn to shoot in every lighting situation.Do that first and you'll be such an incredible photographer.
I would say just in general if okay we circling back to what we had said before learn to say no learn to say no to things that maybe don't matter as much say no to others and say yes to yourself because at the end of the day your mental health and your relationships and your life are what count and if there's relationships or your job or whatever within means if you can
say no so that you can thrive because in an environment that you thrive in and when you're feeling positive and happy, good things just come that way.
If you're miserable and you're sad and you're anxious, you focus on the negative, but if you can say no to anything that you can and say yes to yourself.
I love that.Thanks for coming on.And if you don't go follow her, we will put up your Instagram, your photography Instagram and your book Instagram so people can go get some book recs because we all love to read.
Guys, thanks so much for having me come.This has been really fun.
Thanks for coming.We've enjoyed it.Alright guys, that's it for us.We'll see you next time.
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