We recently connected with Elizabeth Johnson and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Elizabeth thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

I think success as a wedding photographer takes four things:

1. Community

There are so many wedding photographers out there and it’s easy to compare yourself with them. But instead of seeing your fellow photographers as competition, it’s so important to build community. I have photographer friends who I go on coffee dates with and it’s so nice to be able to talk through pain points in my business, share the victories, get advice & learn from each other. If I’m booked, I recommend my friends for the job. If they’re booked, they do the same for me. Put the comparison to the side, be confident in what sets you apart, learn together & grow together. There are enough clients out there for everyone!

2. Putting Ego Aside

Everyone has a way of running their business. I’m pretty Type A, so I like things done in a specific way to stay organized. I remember a wedding planner from a magazine emailed me and said they had a client that was interested in hiring me. Because my whole business is built on connection and friendship with my couples, I told the wedding planner I was so happy they reached out but asked if the couple could fill out my contact form on my website so I can get to know their story a little more and get a bit more info about them. The wedding planner never responded and I remember feeling instant regret. Here’s the thing I learned, there are exceptions to every rule. And although I have a system in place there should also be room to pivot, adjust and draw outside the lines. My ego got in the way of booking that client! My teacher used to tell me “Champions adjust” and that’s something I constantly have to remind myself of.

3. Be Comfortable With Change

The industry is constantly evolving. So should you. I see so many photographers say, “I’ll never do IG reels or TikTok” and they miss out on all the potential clients looking for their wedding photographers on those platforms. I get it, change is uncomfortable and maybe you feel like certain marketing strategies are “beneath you”. But while you sulk and complain about how the industry is changing you are missing out on opportunities. Continue to evolve, grow & learn about new ways to get your business out there.

4. Practice Makes Progress

I remember I told a 7 year old boy who I was babysitting at the time, “practice makes perfect!” and he said, “No Ellie! Practice makes progress. There’s no such thing as perfect” It was one of the wisest things I had ever heard and it came from a 7 year old. I’m constantly thinking of ways to progress in my craft, whether it be learning film photography so I can add it to my wedding packages, trying different compositions or reworking my posing techniques. I will constantly ask friends to model for me for free so I can continue to practice. When you book a client, there is natural pressure involved because money is involved. And although I deliver beautiful photographs to every client, it’s also nice to shoot just for fun and fill my “creative cup”. This allows me to present my best self to my clients and continue to deliver the experience I promise to them. Just because you’re a business owner doesn’t mean everything in your life has to be about business!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Ellie & I’m a wedding photographer serving couples in NYC, Brooklyn, Hudson Valley and beyond! My mom always loved taking photos of my immediate and extended family for fun. My whole childhood was documented. Growing up and getting a chance to relive my childhood through photographs has been the biggest joy. In 2015, I went on a roadtrip to Florida and told my mom how fun it would be to document that roadtrip. She bought me a beginner Canon Rebel camera and that’s when my love for documenting memories flourished. When I got back from Florida, one of my friends asked if I could take pictures of her and her boyfriend. I hesitantly said, “Yes” even though I had never photographed a couple before. After that session, I knew I had found my calling.

The first wedding I shot, I think I photographed for less than $100. It was my cousin’s wedding and I remember just learning as I went. I researched on Google and Youtube and scoured the internet on tips for how to be a wedding photographer. After being a photographer for a year, I decided to take a photography class for a semester at a prestigious school in the city. I think I felt like this was a step I had to do to be seen as a “professional”. As crazy as it sounds, I learned nothing from that course. I actually learned more on Youtube than I did at that school which helped me to be a bit more confident in myself and my creative eye.

I’m constantly thinking of ways to upgrade my client experience. My main goal is for clients to feel seen, heard & special. Something I pride myself in is communication. In my experience, there’s no downfall in over communicating! So I have 3 touch points with my clients leading up to the wedding. I have a video call to get to know them, a 6 month video call to check in and say hello and my last video call is 2 months before the wedding where we go through every detail of the wedding. On top of that, something different that I offer to every client is a link to an Editing Queue. I’m an Amazon girlie, I love ordering things on Amazon that I don’t need and checking in to see when my expected delivery date is. If I’m excited about when my egg holder is going to be delivered, imagine how anxious and eager clients are to see how their gallery is progressing. It’s important to me that, that need be met. So my editing queue goes over the editing process and is updated regularly so my clients can see what stage of editing I’m in and can see their gallery ETA.

Many of my couples are friends with me way past their wedding days & it’s something that I don’t take for granted. Young Ellie, who watched rom coms for fun growing up would be proud of who I am today. I’ve made a career out of being a hopeless romantic & am forever grateful.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

Google Ads! I used to use Instagram to get clients. However, the algorithm keeps changing & it’s very unpredictable. 2 years ago, one post would bring me 4 inquiries easily. Now-a-days, it’s hard to get over 100 likes or any engagement at all on Instagram. I started thinking of new ways I can get my business out there and realized how often I use Google to find things. That’s when I started running Google ads and it’s been amazing seeing the inquiries roll in. I’m still fairly new at Google Ads and am still learning about keywords & having to re-work them but I feel confident and more secure than I did with just relying on Instagram.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I started my photography business when I was in college. Before that, I had been working at restaurants as a server for years. I’m a second generation immigrant. My dad moved here from Peru. Spanish was his primary language and he worked his butt off when he got to the States. He now has his PhD in computer information systems. He engrained in me the importance of working hard and how if you work hard enough, it will always pay off. Because of that mind-set I had been in the workforce since the age of 16. I made sure I always had some form of income. Financial independence was very important to me. I was always drawn to the arts, acting is a passion of mine and I went to school to get my BFA in acting for film, television, voice over and commercials. Actors are used to being “starving artists” but this idea was never something I wanted for myself. I wanted security while also being able to pursue an acting career. At the time, in college, I had been working at Fridays as a server. Servers get great tips in NYC and I was making good money. I remember my Sophomore year of college, right before I went on the life-changing roadtrip, I felt God tell me to quit my serving job. It was so strange and immediately I felt uneasy. I continued to ask, BUT WHY?! Quitting that job would leave me without any income or security. Something I hadn’t experienced before. But I trusted in God and quit my job. Now, jobless, I went on my roadtrip to Florida. This was the trip I fell in love with photography. Because I was in acting school, there was a need for actor headshots and so I charged $45 for my first headshot client and continued to grow my business as a headshot photographer. As my business continued to grow, I had my friend ask me to take her couple pictures & that’s when I transitioned to be a couples & wedding photographer. And because of that life pivot and trust in God, I was able to graduate acting school as a business owner and was able to go full-time in 2021.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.elliemaephoto.com
• Instagram: @elliemae.photo

Image Credits
Ellie Mae Photo