We were lucky to catch up with Peyton Hamby recently and have shared our conversation below.

Peyton , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you share a customer success story with us?

One of the biggest stories of success came out of a friendship from college. I met Kristin while in our undergraduate program. We were studying communication sciences and disorders and I was doing photography as a hobby. She had seen some of my work and trusted me so much that she asked me to shoot her wedding even though I had no prior experience lead shooting a wedding. After her wedding I went on to shoot 3 of her bridesmaid’s engagement and wedding photos. As well as capturing Kristin’s graduate and maternity sessions. It was from this experience that I knew I could take my passion for photography and turn it into a career.

Peyton , 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 am a wedding and lifestyle photographer. I started photography after my husband and I eloped. Since we had a true elopement with just he and I, it was really important that I had these memories to share with family and friends of the happiest day of my life. My photographer, who is now a really good friend, showed up on our elopement day and played the role of not only the photographer, but of my best friend, and coordinator. It made me realize that I wanted to be there on special days of people’s lives and freeze the moments in time for them. One of the most important parts of my brand is being intentional, slowing down and really taking in the moments. I feel like wedding days, and life in general, can get super rushed. I like to help my clients to be mindful and as fully in the moment as they can be. It’s important to capture authentic emotions and not just a forceful smile. I use prompts and poses to help my couples and/or families to reflect on meaningful parts of their journeys. I might ask a couple what the best part of each day is with their spouse? Or I may ask a family, who sings the loudest in car rides. Asking these sorts of questions often produces sincere and really genuine reactions that I am able to capture in a really natural way.

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

I turned my hobby into a career. I originally started photography as a way to capture important moments. At first, I was just photographing my friends and events happening in college. My friend, who was a fashion major, needed someone to photograph her spring collection. I had so much fun at that event that I started asking friends and their partners to model for me for couples portrait sessions. Things took off and before I knew it, I was being paid to capture graduation sessions, prom photos, engagement sessions and weddings. I got most of my experience by second shooting, or assisting, other photographers. At first, I was tagging along as a third shooter and just observing the flow of a wedding day from the photographer’s perspective. When I got enough experience I started second shooting and shooting the groom and groomsmen events while the lead photographer captured the brides and bridesmaids. I definitely couldn’t have pursued photography as a career without the support of so many friends. Friends from all different stages of my life have hired me to shoot their weddings and it is truly the greatest honor. One of the most beautiful parts about being a photographer is even if clients aren’t friends of mine before the shoot, I always leave feeling like I’ve made new friends.

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

For me, growing a clientele in an industry that is saturated was incredibly hard at first. To be truthful, I felt overwhelmed building a clientele in San Diego since I had only recently moved here. One of the most effective strategies for growing clientele is actually focusing on existing clientele. I strive to make sure that my clients have an experience worth sharing about with others.The physical photos that clients receive are only one part of the process. How they feel during the session and their emotions captured matter just as much. Another tip for growing clientele is serving communities you are actively involved in. I have started shooting branding photos for yoga teachers, since I am also a yoga teacher. Lastly, it’s important to become a vendor whom other vendors respect and recommend. If a potential client asks their wedding planner or florist for recommendations, I would want to be one of the first photographers to come to mind. It’s important to be impactful in every situation involving vendors and clients.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.peytonhambyphotography.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peytonhambyphotography/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/peytonhambysphotography

Image Credits
Peyton Hamby Photography