We recently connected with Debby Ledet and have shared our conversation below.

Debby, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

When I was in college I started working at a studio in North Star Mall and my manager was a freelance photographer on the side. She kind of took me under her wing and started teaching me about the camera, composition and those types to things. The funny thing is, when I think back on it, when I first started photography looked a lot different. everything was very stiff and posed, especially in the studio setting. While I was there, rule of thirds and a more candid approach to photography became more common. As much as I would have loved to sped things up in the learning process, I don’t think I would. Learning photography was very much a challenge to me and it was a journey and I don’t think I would be the person I am today had I learned any faster. I struggle with dyslexia and it wasn’t something I knew much about till I was in my college years. I struggled a lot with understanding and remembering things that I learned or read from books. For me learning the craft came from truly studying the light and working with a very much hands on approach.

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.

I’m a photographer and the daughter of a watercolor artist. My mother lived in a totally different world than most and say life through a totally different perspective. I learned to see life through colors, shadows and interesting angles. I was raised in South Louisiana and spent most of my early life there both in business and in life. We eventually moved to the Texas Hill Country where I relaunched my business in 2020 under the name HillsCreativeCo. Over the last 3 years things have really taken off and I strive to create a unique experience or my clients and other photographer who are wanting to be mentored or grow in the field. I’ve become known to embrace the crazy and love telling peoples story through it all. I’m most proud of my creative work. I LOVE telling people’s story don’t get me wrong, but I really love when clients or models trust me and let me get creative with a shoot. I love to feel challenged and I feel like I produce some of my best work in those moments.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

Yes! The Narrative Select program is a resource I wish I knew about earlier. It is so amazing and helps with culling in such a quick and easy way.

I would also say that I love the community of photographers that has developed in my area. When I first started I remember feeling so alone and like I had no one to go to for questions or anything. Now I have a group of photographers that meet up and we just chat, share new locations we’ve found or we get creative and put a session together. It’s really refreshing and just a great resource to be surrounded by other creatives.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My goal is for people to remember the importance of memories. I think photography shouldn’t just be filled with beautiful images of happy moments. Photography should tell the stories of the life we once lived and where we have come from, regardless of if the journey has been rough or smooth. I think social media has done a great job showcasing everyone’s highlight reels and we’ve forgotten that art reflects life and that’s not always perfect. I want people to look at my work and see the emotions they felt in that moment in life for years to come and it spark a memory that played a role in who they are today.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.hillscreativeco.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hillscreativecotx/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hillscreativecoTX
• Other: email: hello@hillscreativeco.com

Image Credits
Debby at HillsCreativeCo for all photos