We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Aimee Williams. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Aimee below.

Aimee, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s start big picture – what are some of biggest trends you are seeing in your industry?

The biggest trend that I see within photography right now is the implementation of film photography in digital-based photography and videography businesses. I personally love the practice of film photography and I am really excited about its rise in popularity. I took a few film photography classes in college and fell in love with not only the beauty of antique film cameras but the process of shooting, developing, and printing. It’s relatively easy to edit a digital photo or video to look like it was shot on film, but it’s the age-old process that makes the meaning.

Film is a more intimate, nostalgic, and intentional practice for photographers as opposed to modern digital photography. The idea of being even more intentional with posing, orientation, location, and lighting through a fully manual film camera can be a fun challenge for creatives to expand on their photography skills, while also providing their clients with a unique way to create memories.

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?

My name is Aimee, and I am a Portrait and Love Photographer, and freelance Graphic Designer based on the Central Oregon Coast. I mainly do session photography work, like family photos, maternity photos, engagement photos, etc. And I focus my freelance graphic design work on brand and identity systems, packaging design, and providing my creative skills to aid in marketing strategies. I love being able to see people utilizing and wearing my work out in the world.

In 2020, I graduated Oregon State University with my BFA in Graphic Design and minors in Business/Entrepreneurship and Photography, and like most recent college grads, I was struggling to find a job in my field right out of school. So I conjured up my creative skills and began freelancing brand graphic design services for small businesses and photographing friends and family to get my name out there. Thus, Aimee Williams Creative was born!

I ended up getting a full-time position as a Graphic Designer on the Oregon Coast, and my photography side business quickly expanded to coastal sessions and photographing memories for many Oregon Coast tourist families. I’ve always loved capturing precious moments and memories for people, and it’s even better when I get to explore the coast with my clients. I also have a new-found love for film photography and Super 8 film for weddings within my business!

How did you build your audience on social media?

Starting out a creative business on social media can be daunting, as there are hundreds of accounts in the same field out there. I began marketing my services by advertising a photography session giveaway on my new social media pages, in which I shared through my personal pages. I quickly had some of my closest friends and family sharing my posts, helping me get my new business out in front of new people.

After those giveaway sessions took place, I had the chance to find my editing style and post the new content on my social media pages, where they then were shared again! It’s all about getting your clients excited about their final photo gallery, in which they want to post on their own social media pages while tagging the business pages. If you create a great experience and provide a genuine, quality product to your clients, there is a high chance that they will recommend those services to their friends and family. I’m still building my social media following, but I am very thankful for the loyal followers that support my work.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

Yelp! Being in a fairly popular vacation location, I get a lot of inquiries from vacationers about extended family photographs, engagement sessions, and even surprise proposals. After I have completed services for a client, I always ask them to leave a review of their experience in working with me and what they think of their final photos/designs. I have been lucky enough to get some great reviews written about me and my work from some even greater clients.

When people look for a creative service, I believe it is a good practice to not only look at the person’s work but their reviews and reputation. Especially if the clients aren’t from the area, or are out-of-state. Having good reviews with high ratings within your area can go a long way in bringing in brand-new clients and driving them to your linked website and social channels.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.aimeewilliamscreative.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aimeewilliams.creative/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aimeewilliamscreative/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aimeewilliamscreative
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/aimee-williams-creative-lincoln-city

Image Credits
Photo credit goes to Dillon Goforth and the behind-the-scenes shots go to Julia Kenyon & Lizzie Wright.