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

Alright, Alyssa thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?

I began my business in San Diego, California, nestled in just the right crevice for access to all different types of scenery; if I wanted the beach, I was two miles away, the forest, dessert, and open fields were also within close proximity to me and were a resource I utilized as I found my footing with photography. Looking back on my beginning in this profession, I see my passion begin to develop at around age 12, when the middle school I attended handed me a camera and said, “go at it” so they could fill up empty pages of their yearbook. From age 12 into my adult years, the love I had for the arts only grew, allowing me to expand on my creative endeavors. I was able to learn about emotions, posing, lighting, set design, and graphic design through mentors I had in my youth. I had always had access to a camera but it wasn’t until 2019 that I was gifted one of my very own and was able to establish my business, Moon Haven Studios.

Through my lens I was able to see what I was passionate about capturing for my local community. My sights were set on highlighting the beauty in all that is being a woman. Moving forward I have chosen to specialize in Maternity, Birth, and Boudoir portraits so that I can show other women the strength, integrity, and divine nature that follows them. Being a mom of three, I recognized the disassociation that comes along with the body changes in pregnancy and postpartum periods as something that caused me a large level of grief. My hope for those who choose to work alongside me is that I am able to show them just how much power they hold within their womb and let them see themselves through the view I now have on motherhood. My Facebook spin-off group, Moon Haven Studios Boudoir, is focused on the sensuality of our being and aims to empower people so that they see themselves as more than just a parent, employee, or spouse, and frame them in a position that shows off the divine energy they stand in because sometimes, we just need a reminder on who we are.

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?

As we know by this point, I’ve been behind the camera for 14 years but what makes me so passionate about profession now is that I come from a place of true empathy when I capture those raw emotions women experience just for existing. I struggled with my body image throughout my teenage year; those issues became more prevalent as I began having children and my body grew larger. It took a long time and a lot of inner work to heal how I thought about food and my body but I have arrived at a mental point where I do love the skin I am in. My hope is that I can show every woman how beautiful they are and help them to love who they are too. I move through my business with my three daughters in mind, hoping that they will see the beauty in size diversity and grow to always be happy with who they are too. My goal for raising my girls and growing my business are the same: that they will be an outward reflection of kindness, be authentic in how they present themselves, and to be a light for others to find themselves in.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

Authenticity- truly, it is about finding a way to connect with your market and attract the type of clients you vibe well with. The best way to do this is to be as centered in who you are as you possibly can. I also learned that it’s okay to say no to a gig if you don’t connect well with the prospective client- it may actually save you a few head aches to think out what qualities you want in a client and search for those things in your consultations.

We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.

I started my business out of boredom. I was a lonely stay at home mom of three small kids in a town 2,000 miles away from everything I had known in my life. I started right at the peak season for Christmas pictures and charged very little just so I could get out of the house. I began collaborating with other photographers to arrange styled shoots and get content for my portfolio so that I could get more clients. It was during this time that I discovered what I was passionate about capturing and began focusing on maternity. I slowly discovered how to price my services so that I could make a living wage and provide for my family doing what I loved.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.moonhavenstudios.org
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/moon_haven_studios?igshid=Zjc2ZTc4Nzk=
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100088460290058&mibextid=LQQJ4d

Image Credits
Models: Yashiria Perez Vazquez Tori Sullivan