We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Bree Ali Mary a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Bree Ali Mary , appreciate you joining us today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

Some people may start from the beginning, the very beginning! I am a 90’s baby but I won’t go that far back. Although, I was born in the 90’s I don’t think I truly started living until the pandemic hit! You see I had just graduated with my communications marketing degree, landed a well paying job for a company in Riverside and even moved in with one of my best friends to be closer to my new job; everything looked promising! Well then the virus hit and companies either tanked or had to let go of employees because they couldn’t support payroll with the shut down. I happened to be one of the many who lost their jobs during 2020.

I won’t lie I was pretty scared. I had just moved for this job and after three months was let go due to the virus. I had bills to pay with no clue idea of how I was now going to pay for those bills and rent amongst what seemed like the end of the world. All I had was my camera that I had fondly used during high school and parts of college but never ever thought I could pursue photography as a career. I was wrong. And that is the funny thing about life. You may have a map drawn of your life in 5 years and when you reach those 5 years it looks nothing like what you drew out. And isn’t that the beauty of it?

I had always wanted to be a Photographer but never really believed in myself. It took a pandemic to hit to literally force me to take the risk of trying. If anything COVID taught me that life is fragile and fleeting. We are not guaranteed tomorrow so why not capture life’s beautiful moments? I started by just taking photos of my friends and asking to share people’s stories. I’ve always been a hopeful romantic! I say hopeful because I don’t think love is hopeless, it’s literally what keeps the world spinning. From there my photography began to take off and strangers I didn’t know quickly became friends by seeing my work and asking me to be part of capturing their most precious moments.

My mission with my photography is -and you’re going to think I’m nuts- being a time traveler. Imagine preserving joy and a memory forever for someone where they can look at that photo and be transported back to that memory in time! People may try to explain all the science of the workings of a camera but to me it will always be magic that brought its existence to life. Pure blissful magic to make people feel things when seeing a photo and to capture a chapter in someone’s love story or life story.

Bree Ali Mary , 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?

Hi I’m Bree, not quite like the cheese but my personality is just as cheesy! I am a Southern California natural light wedding, elopement and lifestyle photographer! I love a good dad joke and usually keep a handful of them in my handy dandy fanny pack that I wear to all my sessions.

I’ve loved photography for as long as I can remember. It was actually my dad that fed my early obsession – he would spoil me with disposable cameras that I would go through by the pack.I still have old film of landscape shots where my fingers were, of course, completely covering half the scene in every photo. Don’t worry though, I’ve evolved since then!

If you are adventurous, love the great outdoors and want to feel like you made a best friend by the end of your session; I am your gall! I am here to capture your authentic self and to hype you up along the way!

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

Put yourself out there! It can be nerve wracking to talk to people or show your face on social platforms and I definitely struggle with it because as a photographer I would rather be behind the camera than in front but the best way to grow your clientele is to show yourself on your business! The beauty of your business is that you represent it! Don’t be afraid to be yourself and share your passion, hobbies and things that make you vulnerable! We live in a day and age where people crave authenticity and the best way to grow clientele and earn their trust is being unapologetically you!

Another tip is don’t be afraid to start your business by reaching out to family and friends for referrals! When I first started I did photoshoots for friends and family and from there I was able to build my portfolio and got some amazing referrals out of it! Most of my bookings come from referrals! People don’t just want your product but how you make them feel with your product is truly the way you get great referrals! It’s about the full experience!

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is two fold for me! One is the beauty of waking up and being able to create and to capture the beauty of human moments! The second is the amount of wonderful humans I have met in the creative community who have really helped me hone in on my craft and fill my creative cup!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.breealimaryphotography.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/breealimaryphotography/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/photograh.bree/
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/bree-ali-mary-photography-loma-linda