We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ansley Griffin a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Ansley, thanks for joining us today. Alright, let’s jump into one of the most exciting parts of starting a new venture – how did you get your first client who was not a friend or family?

I’ve loved taking pictures for as long as I could remember, but genuinely never thought it would be something I’d turn into a business. I started out doing photography as a hobby and in 2019 I made an Instagram page dedicated to the pictures I was taking! Any time I had an idea for a photoshoot, I would reach out to my friends and they would graciously be my models! I was doing all of my work for free, solely because it was fun for me. In doing this, I was slowly building up a portfolio, and eventually had someone reach out through DM’s and asked how much I was charging. It was really exciting that someone found worth in my work. In 2020, during Covid, I invested in mentorship programs, upgraded my camera gear, and dedicated a lot of my time during quarantine to better my skills. When things started getting back to normal, I started marketing mini session photoshoots on my stories and that’s how I started gaining more and more clientele! It was a very slow process, but my biggest piece of advice to anyone trying to gain clients, is build a strong portfolio that represents you and your unique style and your ideal clients will find you! Don’t give up and know your worth!

Ansley, 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 23 year old portrait photographer based in the Middle GA area! I have always been fascinated with cameras and looking through my friends and families old photo albums. As cheesy as this sounds, I love the idea that pictures are a way to capture memories that last a lifetime and more! I also love that photoshoots can be a way of self love. People always seem to think there has to be a reason to get professional pictures done such as graduations, engagements, etc., but I think it can just be for a confidence booster or whatever you want! I like to think about how special and fun it will be to pull out the photos in 20+ years to show your children, or even grandchildren what you looked like 20+ years ago! I love seeing pictures of my mom when she was young because it’s just cool to see! Don’t you want to be like, “See kids? your mom (or dad) was hot!!” Haha! In all seriousness, I love being able to make people feel beautiful and have an overall fun experience. I’m most proud of how many clients I’ve helped feel more confident. I love being my clients biggest hype girl!

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

That there is correct way to edit your photos. When I was first starting out, I really thought that my editing style needed to match what everyone else was doing. I never felt like I was truly satisfied in my work and had major impostor syndrome. I remember when I decided I really wanted to post a photo I felt no one would like, and it ended up getting the most likes and comments out of anything I had posted trying to completely just please others. It made me realize that when I was focused on editing with my own unique style, I was feeling way more satisfied and was gaining my ideal clients.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I have found that the best way to build an audience is to be consistent and engage with your audience. Making connections is another great way! I found an amazing photography support group and we build each other up and help each other stay motivated and it really helps a lot!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ansleygphotography.mypixieset.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ansleygphoto/ (@ansleygphoto)
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ansleygphoto