Guest Profile:

Caitlin Lisa, Photographer

Previous experience in non-profit

Studied Economics in undergrad, then Masters in Public Administration from Arizona State/University of Illinois-Chicago, Degree in Photography from New York Institute of Photography

Things to keep in mind for people who want to work in photography:

Getting started and finding customers is very hard. Caitlin started her career in photography early in Instagram’s life, so that wasn’t a massive channel

You have to start out via word of mouth, proving yourself with each client

In running your own business, you should reach out to people who have already done it to understand their perspective and help you throughout your journey

Wedding photography is a cyclical business - the wedding season in the summer is very busy, the winter season is much slower

The largest portion of the job is spent on photo editing. Caitlin averaged 30-40 hours of editing per wedding

Your website and social media sites are your brand, and ensuring all content is “on brand” is critically important for connecting with the right customers

Insights:

If you’re going to jump into starting a business and quitting your job, you have to go 100% in on it

You don’t always know where to start or who to go to when starting a business on your own - you have to be resourceful

If you love what you’re doing, you’ll be driven to succeed

It took a negative experience for Caitlin to learn and enhance her business on behalf of her customers

Respect other people’s careers and roles and appreciate what they have done and accomplished

Ask people in your field if you can help them out - even for free!

Rapid Fire-Round:

What Caitlin wanted to be when she was a kid: Cowgirl

Best resource for career-related information: Any other photographer’s blog

What helps Caitlin when she has a bad day at work: Wine

Caitlin’s favorite experience from her job: Winning “Best of The Knot”

Best part of Caitlin’s work day today: Sitting on her deck and enjoying the sunshine

Advice:

Don’t worry too much about what you are going to do for your career when you are young. You will learn more about yourself as your life and career progress

Work hard, play hard

Why someone should want to be in photography

You get to freeze moments in time, through your perspective, and share them with others. For weddings, it means a ton to the people closely involved and the photos can be passed along from generation to generation. And you get to be your own boss!

Get in touch with Caitlin Lisa here or here.