We were lucky to catch up with Candice Merritt recently and have shared our conversation below.
Candice, appreciate you joining us today. Alright – so having the idea is one thing, but going from idea to execution is where countless people drop the ball. Can you talk to us about your journey from idea to execution?
Since middle school I have always loved taking photos. Any events from middle, high school and college games, dances, proms, slumber parties, graduations, college parties, weddings including bridal showers or rehearsal dinners, trips and get a way. Then once I had my son it was pictures for everything. I would always develop the photos and create photo albums or create collages and calendars with the photos. I would share with my friends as gifts from capturing moments at their weddings and so forth. As well as use the pictures as holiday gifts and cards. I even created my son’s senior announcements and invitations. One of My favorite things to do is create photo collages for all my friends or family birthdays, anniversaries, holidays or from events we gathered and share them on social media – Facebook or Instagram as I give them shout outs. During the earlier years I was using a simple film camera nothing fancy back in the day and my phone camera; not even a true DSLR camera. So once my son left for college fall of 2020, I realized it was time for me to re-discover who I am and what do I want to do. A couple of things happened at the same time. I had connected with my Life Coach Tarnissha (“Moe”) Sass and she was taking me through some sessions to help me rediscover myself. I shared with her some of my goals and aspirations and through her life coaching sessions she helped encourage, motivate, and equip me on a different level how to bring my visions and purpose to fruition. So I was doing life coaching and then I also transitioned into The Ignite Program and Vision and Impact Program with https://www.nextleveltrainings.com/about. In the Vision and Impact program allowed me to put a plan together on what and how I was going to make this Photography Business come to existence.
So I was blessed before the trainings and during life coaching that my brother blessed me with my first DSLR for Christmas 2020. So, I realized it was time to really learn how to use a real camera.
During VIP I started researching the entire process of starting a business and putting a plan in place of what things I need to do. I researched classes and found out that Northampton community college offered a series of photography classes. It was the Rover Photography group and I immediately signed up for ALL 10 or so classes. Based on the timing I would be wrapping up VIP in September 2021 with plan in place and could roll right into my classes at NHCC. The thing was they only offered half of them in the fall and half in Spring at the campus close to me but if I opted to go to the Monroe location as well so I could finish the spring sessions up there and not have to wait. So, I figured my son is off to college, I’m single I don’t have anything else responsible for, I did the hour nightly commute up and back the couple of evenings a week to complete the classes. I was loving the classes to the fullest. Our professor Wendy Jamison was phenomenal; I gained so much knowledge and developed a level of comfort with the camera from attending her classes. And Orlando Quintero was my great instructor at the Monroe location. I was learning so much, purchasing all kinds of equipment and tools and lenses I needed. Lot of hands-on practice and sessions with the classes we did street photography and lighting sessions and then they critiqued our work to help us see the different angles and viewpoints of photography. I became and an avid shopper at Dan’s Camera Shop in Allentown PA. One of the sales Rep Scott Brenner has been tremendous at helping me learn the lenses, other equipment pieces. I have also taken some of their in person one on one sessions to learn how to use my cameras with new lenses or some of their online classes to help with better techniques in lighting, action, and depth of aperture.
Although I enjoy my Nikon DSLR camera and became more familiar with how to use it, I invested into a Nikon Z-series Mirrorless camera. I usually use both at a shoot because I have different lenses that help me capture different views, lighting and aperture.
Now that I have the equipment and classes are completed; how are we going to put this in motion and start practicing or getting experience under my belt to start my business. One of the great things with the Rover Photography group, is they have meet ups you can join but also every 3rd Saturday of the Month, we had the opportunity to come up to David Frei’s Photography Studio where we were allowed to come in during the reserved time take pictures with models and work with professional lighting in a real studio. At that same time, it was perfect timing my girlfriend Sequavia “Suki” Anderson needed a photographer. She is an entrepreneur, fitness trainer but also ambassador for Designer Hats, so she is always looking to create new material. I let her know when I was going to the studio, she let me know the vision she had in mind and off to the races we went creating beautiful photos with different backgrounds and lighting. Even today when she gets a new hat, we get to creating but we have expanded to outdoor natural lighting photography. But the studio experience was major; everyone at the Studio was great with helping me learn what lights to use when, how to set them up, camera settings in studio vs out of studio. Or just watching some of the work they would do and learning from their experience. I even took some lighting classes they offered. They have made me a true lover of studio photography. The more comfortable I became with my camera the more comfortable I felt putting myself out there for diff jobs. Even to the point I and my girlfriend Tisha Braxton who also took the classes rented the studio out with another student and we did Christmas Family photos in 2021 and I did a couple’s photoshoot. Then I rallied together some of my HWOB (housewives of Bethlehem) and rented the studio another weekend and we made it a great day of doing photoshoot together as a group and I took solo pictures of them, we did outfit changes. So, the more I shared by word of mouth that I was doing photography I would then get recruited to do shoots or bring my camera. The more I share my work the more confident people feel reaching out to me to do their photoshoots.
To help me get started in doing events, my friend Kendall Hall invited me to be the junior photographer at Rutgers Alumni Association event in 2021 I was still really knew at this, and I was nervous, but I pressed through and did it to get practice and exposure; needless it was definitely a different experience. My brother recruited me and flew me out to Raleigh NC to do my nephews 13th birthday party. Moe Sass hired me for one of her speaking events. Additional shoots I have begun doing Prom, High school, or College Graduation (cap and gown), Senior Photos, Family Photos, Teenage milestone B-Day photo shoots, Major Milestone birthdays couple of girlfriends 50th. Vacation photos, ambassador photoshoots, profile pictures, headshots for books or professional media.
Along with Photography I help create ways you can use your photos, Calendars, senior announcements, Senior Invitations, Business Cards, and Flyers. So, part of the reason for my name Candid Creations by Candice, LLC, is I want to diversify what I do. My first love is capturing candid shots of people in different situations or events. But also, with photography I want to get into creative ways to use the photos or even in being able to share them. I love to do Collages.
I will say through the different experiences I have started narrowing down what type of photography will become my major preference of services that I will provide. During the training and practice I launched my full business name I established my business cards and Instagram. I am currently working on my website I hope to have up soon. Then at that time I will do a full launching of the business. I have been doing a lot of shooting but not as much sharing of my work. So, I think that will help me really kick things off, but I have been grateful that just through word of mouth I have managed to stay extremely busy. Currently I work full time, so this is something I do on the side. But I am looking forward to turning it into full time work within the next couple of years, lord willing.
I do continue to take courses to better my skillset. I took a great Photoshop class on this year, and I plan to continue looking into different opportunities and ways to grow in my gift. Looking forward to seeing where the journey takes me.
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 Candice Merritt, I was born and raised in Louisville KY, where I come from a strong spiritual family. I have always been a person of faith my entire life. Once I left for college and graduated from the University of KY, I never returned home, which was VA at the time. Instead, I headed off to become the strong independent individual that I have been my adult life. I moved to NJ in 98 and PA in 09. My core occupation is in Information Technology, and I have set a goal to make Photography the opportunity I pursue when I leave the world of IT. I am the mother of a 21+ year old son, Isaiah Joyner, who is successfully pursuing his college education currently. Raising him my life was extremely full and exciting with adventure. Isaiah created a major sports mom as his love and active involvement for sports kept our lives tremendously busy and full. Once he left for college and I became an official empty nester I began my journey to discovering who I am and pursuing my newfound passion and purpose. That would be my journey into Photography and starting Candid Creations by Candice, LLC.
As I grew up in Louisville KY, I have always been very organized and very talented at multi-tasking. I noticed at an early age that I loved photography. I have photos as early as first grade of my life events and have captured images and memories of events and friendships throughout my life. People are attracted to me because of my friendliness comradery and love for life. I am an outgoing individual who easily navigates friendships and enjoys meeting and getting to know new people.
As a bi product of my love for capturing memories of friends and family I have an unusually large catalog of pictures, images, videos, and events. Many of my friends look forward to my celebration of their birthday in their posting of those memories. Facebook and Instagram have been a wonderful tool in my ability to express and display those memories. The picture taking and collages that I create is how I got into the desire to expand my skill in photography. Then I pursued photography by taking classes, buying equipment, and learning how to capture my photos in a more professional way.
My core strength is my connectivity and my connections with others. Its evidence in the very large network of friends I have created in all the places I have lived, worked, and traveled. Evidence of the breath of my network, is in the assignments I have executed as a photographer while I have been able to take it to many of the other states in the areas as I have traveled.
What I hope my friends and customers get from my work is the memory that they want to preserve of special events in their lives. I got into creative ways to use the photos by doing things like creating my own senior announcements, invitations, Calendars, and cards for the holiday with the photos I captured.
My products and services are evolving. My initial experimentation with photography included collages, photo sessions with friends and acquaintances which help them promote their business or family. Then I moved from that to events and occasions that friends wanted to capture; then continued moving from that to same type of services referred to others by my friends and from sharing it on my social media. I have been able to build my current clientele from my friends and current network of acquaintances.
As my products are continuing to expand, my goal is to become a full-time photographer with the ability to do work in a studio or on site at any event, along with travel and do shoots on trips and vacations. My current passion are those projects that allow me to show my clients how truly beautiful they really are. In essence also to capture their spirit and joy in my photographs. My joy comes from capturing the inner beauty of my clients.
I am most proud of the progress I have made up to this point. My growth as a person and my success expanding my knowledge in something other than IT. I hope to be able to use my technical knowledge to expand my pursuit of this passion. I see myself with a very popular website, easy to use for new and existing customers. I want my client experience to be seamless from start to finish. I want them to also be able to come back for more.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
For my journey I am exercising my strength at multi-tasking. Overall, with my lifestyle I have a full-time job, a house to manage, a son to mentor, actively engaged in church worship, an active fitness lifestyle. As well as I am a President of a new golf chapter in PANJ for Diamonds on the green, LLC and just continuing to expand my network of friends. Ideally when you love what you do it becomes not as difficult to put in the work that you must to pursue your passion. I gave up things like TV and or hanging out on weekends to make time for my classes and or my photo shoots for customers. I may work nights after work to edit photos from a weekend shoot if I Couldn’t get to them right away, but I pry myself on making sure my clients get their photos back within a few days a week at the most.
The bottom line is I work for a Global Company and work with people in different countries on different time zones and yet I am growing my own personal small business. That small business will be the third leg to my retirement. Through prayer, focus and faith it’s possible if you continue to pray and press and not give up. It’s not always easy but it is always possible. I like to say you can have unlimited possibilities if you trust and believe in God.
What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?
My New Client growth has come without having to spend a lot of money on advertising my business. I don’t have a budget currently for advertising my business. I have been blessed that my new clients have come from using the tools such as sharing on social media and by the recommendation of friends and family. As friends and customers have been pleased with their experience, they are sharing their experience which is helping me develop new clients. Having a healthy network is important. Not being scared to meet new people to help build your network. Also reaching out to learn from those that are more experienced than you who share recommendations and tips from their experience.
Contact Info:
- Website: Currently in Design
- Instagram: @candidcreationsbycandice
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/candice-merritt-8848716/
Image Credits
@candidcreationsbycandice Candid Creations by Candice, LLC @brunocapeloheadear @getfitwithsuki12