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

Carissa, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

Going full-time with my business was a major risk. I’ve been both a professional and hobbyist photographer for about 10 years, but was always afraid to commit to running my business full-time. I was fortunate to spend a few years in Europe working as a Creative Media Director and honed my craft of everything visual arts (photography, videography, graphic design, web design, etc.) but like many young professionals, I hit a wall and found myself horribly burned out. I decided it was best to come back to the States and build my life while working a typical 9-5. Although the income was steady and I was a high achiever in my job, it didn’t feel like I was walking in my calling. Over the next few years, I toyed with the idea of diving into photography, but I was terrified that the DFW market was over-saturated with photographers and that I’d never be good enough to make it my full-time vocation. For some reason, this fear of not being good enough crippled me and stopped me from picking up my camera for over 3 years.

September 2022 was a huge turning point for me. At the beginning of the month, I unexpectedly lost my steady job and all the income that came with it. This was terrifying! I reached my lowest low and had no idea where to turn next. A few weeks later brought the birth of my newest nephew. I knew ahead of time that I was going to witness his big sisters meeting him for the first time, and I realized it was a once-in-a-lifetime moment that their parents would love to have captured. I made a casual decision to grab my camera so the photos would be a little higher quality than just from my phone. I was wildly unprepared and even had to stop on my way to the hospital and buy an SD card. I didn’t think it was a big deal, and I hadn’t really processed how many years it had been since I held my camera, but when I started taking pictures it was like something in me was resurrected. I didn’t have any editing software anymore, but the photos were beautiful because they were authentic and truly once-in-a-lifetime. At that moment, I knew photography was what I was meant to do.

I took a major risk and purchased everything I would need to get started (my lack of income made this especially nerve-wracking). For a while, I tried running my business part-time while also working for a photography company because I was still afraid that I wouldn’t be able to make ends meet on my own. I was shockingly proven wrong as my business took off and I struggled to keep up! I took another risk by quitting my part-time job and diving head-first into running my business as my only source of income. It’s been the best decision of my life!

It’s still scary sometimes. When running your own business, the income isn’t guaranteed. There are always questions and risks, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I take things day by day and I’m thankful for each and every client that allows me to document part of their story. The risks can be scary, but in my life, they have always been worth it!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’m a photographer serving the entire DFW metroplex! My main goal is to capture YOUR story of love as it is today and as each chapter unfolds. I dream of following you through life as I capture you from your season of engagement through your wedding, into your years as your family grows with maternity and newborn photos, documenting each year that follows with annual family pictures and sessions for your seniors as they graduate and leave the nest, and handling all your branding when you launch that business you’ve been dreaming of! Your story is important and changes are always coming (the good, bad, and ugly). It’s so important to capture your love as it is now. I’m here to tell your story, chapter by chapter.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

Social media and personal communication! I made a commitment to post weekly in a few Facebook groups and that’s where most of my clients come from. However, I’ve found that it is CRUCIAL that you personally respond to every single comment and message. Potential clients respond best when they feel like you are giving them personally tailored attention. I won’t lie, this is a LOT of work, but it is worth it! Often times in Facebook groups people will reach out asking for photographers, and a sea of them will comment a generic response and link their website. This is a great start, but letting the poster know that you are messaging them (and doing it) is far more productive! I’ve landed several clients this way and they have shared with me that I was the only one to actually reach out to them. The ocean of comments is overwhelming and it’s important to help your client navigate through the chaos. There’s a good chance they will be so overwhelmed that they may not even do a session at all which is the worst-case scenario! Their memories deserve to be documented and I’m quick to recommend them to someone else if I don’t think I’m the best fit.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

Yes! I highly recommend Atomic Habits by James Clear and Grit by Angela Duckworth!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://carissamoorephotography.com/
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/carissamoorephotography?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100088810320951&mibextid=nW3QTL

Image Credits
Carissa Moore Photography