When I first started, I thought building a photography business meant doing what everyone else was doing: polished portraits, perfect poses, lots of color. But the truth is, that never felt like me.
What came naturally was honesty — letting an image tell a story, hint at something deeper, capture the quiet details that say more than words. I’ve always loved portraits because they reveal so much about a person. Not the “perfect” version, but the timeless one.
The hardest part? Realizing that not everyone is looking for that. Some people expect glossy, posed, magazine-ready pictures — and I had to learn to say, that’s not what I do. I don’t want to create images that only look good for a moment. I want to create photographs that hold up years later, where you can still feel the truth in them.
One of my biggest aha moments came with black and white photography. For a while, I held back because it didn’t seem popular. I gave more colored shots, thinking that’s what people wanted. But then clients started telling me they booked me because of my black and white images. That’s when it clicked: people love my work when I do what I love the most. I didn’t need to adjust my style to fit them. My style is what brought them to me in the first place.
So if you’re building a photography business, here’s what I’ve learned:
- Lead with your values. For me, that’s honesty and story. They guide how I shoot, how I edit, and even how I talk about my work.
- Don’t be afraid to say no. The sessions that don’t align with your vision aren’t a missed opportunity — they make space for the ones that do.
- Trust your quirks. The things you second-guess (like me with black and white photography) might be the exact reason someone chooses you.
- Make it feel like you. Your business isn’t just a service — it’s an extension of your eye, your voice, your way of seeing people.
At the end of the day, the best business you can build isn’t the one that looks the most polished on Instagram. It’s the one that feels like home to you — and attracts the people who feel at home in it, too.