Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Niki Jones. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Niki, appreciate you joining us today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

I started my journey as a creative business owner nearly 15 years ago. At the time, I was working full time and in grad school, on track to become a certified special educator—what I thought would be my forever career. Then one Christmas, I got a DSLR, and everything changed. I quickly fell in love with photography, and from that point on, the trajectory of my life started to shift.

For years, photography was something I squeezed in on the side—usually late at night or on weekends—wedged between lesson plans and research papers. I didn’t have much free time, but what I did have, I poured into learning both the art of photography and, eventually, the business side of things too. I still remember the electric excitement I felt whenever I carved out time to focus on it. That feeling is what kept pulling me back.

It wasn’t until I became a mom and made the decision not to return to the classroom after maternity leave that I finally took my business full time. I won’t pretend it wasn’t terrifying. It absolutely was. But five years later, I’ve matched my teaching income, and I now have the freedom to build a business that fits around my life as a mom and a wife—not the other way around.

Niki, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m a family and lifestyle newborn photographer based in Baltimore, MD, but my most cherished role will always be wife and mom to three sweet girls. Before photography, I spent 10 years as a pre-k teacher, which means I’ve always had a soft spot for childhood, especially those fleeting early years.

Becoming a mom myself completely reshaped the way I approach my photography work. You know the phrase “the days are long but the years are short?” I didn’t fully get it until I lived it. Now, I see photography as a way to help other mushy-gushy sentimental moms like me slow down and soak in the season they’re in, because it changes heartbreakingly fast.

My sessions are about more than just pictures. They’re about pausing real life for an hour or so and creating images that bring you right back to what it felt like—the sweet, milky breath of a last baby, the chubby cheeks that squeal in delight, and tiny, slightly sticky hands reaching out. I put a lot of intention into the pre-planning process to help put clients at ease and to allow me to approach our time together not as strangers but as friends reconnecting (and sometimes we are!).

We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.

I started my photography business during a season when time was scarce. I was working full time and in grad school, chasing a career in special education. There wasn’t much margin, but there was this insatiable pull to create, to learn, and to figure out how to turn a passion into something more. For nearly a decade, photography was a part-time pursuit. It had to be. I was committed to my students and to school, and photography fit in wherever it could.

There were definitely moments when it felt hard to be content with that. I wanted to be doing more. But looking back, I see that season as one of quiet growth and deep groundwork.

After grad school, I taught special education for 10 years while still running my photography business on the side. It wasn’t until I made the big, scary decision to step away from teaching that I finally went all in. Since then, my business has grown every single year, and honestly, I still have to pinch myself sometimes.

What helped me scale over time?

Saying yes to everything at first so I could discover what I truly loved (turns out, it’s families and kids—go figure!)

Letting go of what didn’t light me up so I could focus on the sessions that did

Investing in education when I could—workshops, conferences, anything that helped me grow both creatively and professionally

And above all, patience. Trusting the process even when it felt slow.

This path wasn’t quick or easy, but it was steady, and it’s led me here, doing work I genuinely love with families I adore.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

This is the most unsexy answer—and honestly, it was the answer I hated hearing when I was just starting out—but hands down, the most effective strategy for growing my photography business has been SEO.

Getting serious about my website and blog content instead of relying on social media and chasing the algorithm actually made a difference. Learning how people search for photographers in my area. Writing helpful, keyword-rich posts that answered real questions my ideal clients were asking. It’s not flashy. It’s not fast. But it works.

SEO is a slow burn, but it builds something solid.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.nikijonesphoto.com
• Instagram: @nikijonesphotography
• Facebook: @nikijonesphotography