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

Alexis, appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

For me, there is no creative project more intimate or important than being trusted to capture a couples’ wedding day. The amount of times I’ve had to fight back tears on a wedding day is numerous, and I believe that my work reflects that. I have always been an emotional sponge, so when I am capturing all of the big moments throughout a wedding or elopement, I experience every emotion (laughter, happy tears, butterflies) in the same way the people around me are. I think it’s so important to take the time to get to know my couples before their wedding day so that I can anticipate the moments and type of photos that will make them feel like they are reliving their day when looking back at their wedding gallery. A lot of my couples tell me that they cry when they look back at the photos I’ve captured, even for engagement shoots, and to me that is the biggest sign that I am intuitively capturing their story how they see it, and not in a traditional cookie-cutter that way feels generic. Other than a rough timeline, I never go into any wedding day or session with planned poses. I allow the couple and environment to dictate how each day is captured, so every single wedding or photo session feels like a passion project.

Alexis, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

As someone who has always been self-conscious in how I look in photos, it is always my top priority to make sure that anyone who steps foot in front of my camera feels comfortable and in control. Most people feel like they are “awkward” in front of the camera, but I want everyone to know that this feeling is very normal. It’s so important to hire a photographer who is gifted at making others feel comfortable, because this is a common burden most people have to overcome during a photoshoot. Because this is one of my strengths, I find that people who are worried about how they will appear in their photos are always pleasantly surprised. I understand how to direct people in a way allows their true personalities to shine through their images. I’m also plus-sized, so I understand how angles and lighting can be the difference between someone being blown away at how beautiful they look in a photo, or feeling like they’re incapable of taking a flattering photo. Photographers hold a ton of responsibility for being aware of insecurities, working through them with their subjects, and capturing their true beauty in a way that will allow them to see themselves the way that everyone else around them does. I genuinely believe each person and every couple is beautiful in their own unique way, and I love working with people who doubt that they’ll ever love a photo of themselves, because I’ve been there and know that working with the right artist can completely change the way you see yourself.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

For me, this is a two-part answer. The first being that it is incredibly emotionally fulfilling to deliver a product that is so meaningful to the recipients. Capturing life milestones and providing photos that people LOVE of themselves has a profound impact on me personally and is what always keeps me going during times where I might be feeling burnt out. It never gets old to receive messages from my clients expressing how happy they are that I captured them in a way that makes them feel beautiful and seen, and I know photography in general is something that will be cherished for years to come by multiple generations.

The second is my selfish answer, because I truly feel blessed beyond words that I am able to travel to beautiful locations across the country to do what I love, AND I can pay my bills?! 5 years ago, I never would’ve believed that that would be possible for someone like me. If I can make that a reality, anyone can.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I am by no means a social media guru. I don’t have a ton of followers by most peoples’ standards and I honestly rarely post, but being very intentional about the content I do post has been very helpful for my business. I don’t recommend posting on socials just to show up on someone’s feed daily. I think there is a lot of pressure on creatives and business owners to have a never-ending online presence and if that is sustainable for your lifestyle, hats off to you!! But I think it’s more common to have a lot of guilt for not wanting to post, feeling uninspired, being distracted by the engagement we receive when we do post, and it’s just another way a lot of us let the internet make us feel bad about ourselves. I am sitting on soooo many completed projects and galleries that I have yet to share, and I don’t let myself feel bad about that anymore. I also think a lot of creatives, wedding photographers especially, get very overwhelmed at the amount of competition out there. I hear a lot of people in the industry complain that commenting on Facebook posts where people are asking for available photographers feels pointless because there will be 100+ responses within hours. And I get it, trust me I do. But I have landed so many dream jobs by going for it anyways. I have a couple flying me all the way out to Mount Ranier, WA for their wedding because I stopped feeling like putting myself out there was a waste of time. You never know who out there is looking for exactly what you’re offering, so don’t hold yourself back, and don’t beat yourself up. I really do think there is space and work for everyone.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://bronsimagery.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bronsimagery/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bronsimagery
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrMlhs7x8Br_diIZ5xtuFGg

Image Credits
Brons Imagery