We recently connected with Aileen Smith and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Aileen thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?
I come from a big family. I’m one of five kids, which couldn’t have been easy for my parents. But they always made sure we were happy, healthy and taken care of. It wasn’t until I became an adult myself that I really began to appreciate and understand more about all the sacrifices they made to make that happen. They led with love and hard work. They taught us that through believing in ourselves, working hard and having faith, we could do or be anything in this life. Without their guidance and encouragement, I wouldn’t be where I am today. They have been my biggest cheerleaders and have been there any time I’ve needed them. While they are my parents, I really consider them to be two of my closest friends. They’ve had such a huge impact on my life and I am very grateful.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I’ve always loved photography- but it wasn’t until after college that I considered it as a career. I was working full time in an office and doing photography on the side. I’m so grateful with how many people put their trust in me to capture their memories at the beginning of my career. Due to all the referrals, business picked up extremely quickly and I found myself struggling to keep up with the demand. I’d go home from my full time job and stay awake late into the night editing photos, answering inquiries, and working on my website. I started to do more research on what I should know about running a full time business. It wasn’t long after that I felt ready to take the jump. It was such a risk to leave my safe, secure job. But I knew I loved photography and wanted to give it everything I had. Here I am seven years later, full time, supporting myself on my passion. It’s hard work, and I’m still always learning, but I am so happy I took that bet on myself. I’ve made a name for myself in my community, have captured countless memories for thousands of people, and have really grown into my craft. 7 years in and it only feels like I’m just getting started.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?
“Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.” I disagree with this statement. I love what I do, but it is a lot of work. It is a constant hustle. There is no guarantee that we’re going to book clients. We don’t get vacation days or PTO. Our prices can be high because we are paying for our own health insurance, camera gear, editing programs, etc. Our time goes into editing, communication, creating resource guides, updating websites, etc. There’s so much that goes on behind the scenes. And speaking for myself, I am one person doing this alone. And yes, I love what I do, but I’ve made a lot of sacrifices emotionally and financially to get to where I am. Just because we are our own bosses doesn’t mean it’s easy.
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
Social media is such a huge platform for photographers. We are able to share and connect with clients and potential clients. When people are our photos that we take and we aren’t credited, that could be a missed opportunity for someone to hire us. If sharing photos taken by a professional photographer, please credit them in your posts. But also consider leaving a review, or telling a friend about our services and your experience. It’s such a small gesture but goes such a long way. Like our posts, tag us, leave a review. It’s all free and means so much to us as creatives to feel like our work is appreciated.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.aileenelizabeth.com
- Instagram: AileenElizabethPhoto
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/LeenPics
Image Credits
Aileen Elizabeth Photography