We recently connected with Adam Trevillian and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Adam thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. So, folks often look at a successful business and think it became a success overnight – but that often obscures all the nitty, gritty details of everything that went into the growth phase of your business. We’d love to hear about your scaling story and how you scaled up?

The growth I’ve seen in my business in 2022 has been unexpected. What started in 2021 as doing work for a couple of families a quarter quickly ballooned into 20+ families in a season. The most important part about getting this business is putting my name out there. People can’t book me unless they know I exist. So I make sure people know that I exist. In addition, making it easy for customers to book you. What I mean is, don’t wait for a family to reach out and tell you they want photos. Create the sign up sheet and blast it all over social media. “I’ll be at X location on Y date, sign up for time slots below, payment due upon booking.” Making these decisions for the customer makes it very easy for them to book with you. While I still have a lot of scaling up to do, this strategy was what got me the majority of my clients this year.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Photography became part of my life in my teenage years, and helped me understand myself during a time when I felt like I knew very little. My college-aged years were spent at SCAD, where I earned a degree in Photography, and the Outstanding Academic Achievement Award. Since then I took a bit of a hiatus and started a new career in 3D printing, which has given me invaluable experiences and lessons that I can apply anywhere.

I picked the camera back up in 2020. I was feeling the itch to create again, so I got myself a Fuji X100F. A perfect camera for snapshots, capturing family moments, etc. I captured my proposal to my now-wife on that little camera. I have it with me at all family functions, and it allows me to capture real and genuine moments that otherwise go unseen. This is my goal in photography and what I strive to deliver to my clients in a more professional setting.

As a traditional family photographer, there is a bit of a formula to each shoot, or a series of poses that I run through with each group. The moments in between poses are what is important. I keep shooting through the transitions as that is when the subjects have let their guard down and can show their true selves. These are the shots that capture the essence of the family, which is really what we are after, right? Anyone can put an iPhone on a timer and take a group photo, but what makes it special? The people in it and the relationship that they have with each other. That is what we should aim to capture.

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

I lost my mom in March of 2022. She was always the biggest fan of my photography and always thought (knew) that I would be a great photographer one day. She always loved seeing my pictures and I feel that to this day, I am doing this for her.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

After graduating from SCAD in 2012, I went on the road as a professional sports photographer with a concentration on swimming. I was in and out of hotels, airports and rental cars for the better part of 2 years. The work was long and arduous, but was also seasonal, so I would go a month or so without working. However, when I got home from a long trip, I was so burnt out from shooting that I wanted nothing to do with it. I started a part-time job at ProtoLabs to help fill in the gaps, and that was just what I needed to change things up. I never imagined it would grow into what it is today: 8 years under my belt and a management position with close to 50 reports. This was a very meaningful and impactful career pivot, but I feel it is time for another one, back into the world of photography. My life at ProtoLabs has been extremely fulfilling, but I am afraid that if I don’t intentionally do something to change, I will be here for the rest of my life. I’ll never know what it’s like to be a full-time photographer again until I make the leap.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://adamtrevillian.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100071143461911
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-trevillian-33a08343/

Image Credits
Adam Trevillian