Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to ANNIE RAY. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

ANNIE, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

What I’ve learned (and am still learning) is to always make sure what you do adds up to a one-of-a-kind experience for every customer or client. For example, I make sure the people I photograph, and the companies I work with feel heard and part of the creative journey at every step. I feel like people want to work with you when you make it unique for them. All the little things add up!

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 background and context?

Hi, I’m Annie Ray and I’m a photographer! After graduating from the University of North Texas with a BFA in photography, I knew I was passionate about being a commercial photographer. Before anything, I needed to find an internship that would show me how everything works. Luckily, I found a photographer in Round Rock, Texas named G Russ Photography. This was my how I got my start in Austin, TX.

I started photographing for Austinist.com and had an idea of setting up backdrops and professional lighting at events. This led to my photobooth, which started in 2008 and became the reason for setting up my business. I was shooting at all kinds of events that allowed me to meet so many unique, amazing clients and guests, most of whom I still work with today (even though I have fully transitioned from photobooth to commercial photography).

The thing that I am most proud of is meeting so many inspiring people and other business leaders, and helping bring their vision of themselves to life. This is a special thing about my job that is why I truly love what I do. Nothing is more rewarding than hearing feedback about how I was able to create something that defines their personal brand and their real personality in an authentic way.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I started with a niche service at the right time that allowed me to talk and connect with people. With photobooth, I was able to get myself out there, yes, but most importantly, I was able to show my work ethic. This included showing up early, responding to emails quickly, and making guests feel like they’re part of something special. Outside of just clients, I always made a point to keep an open discussion with other photographers and ask the unglamorous questions about rates, scoping projects, and the hard stuff. I’m grateful for all the photographers who have helped me and shared their stories, and I try to do the same for them.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

I really like the Creative Live classes; that’s where I found Mel Robbins, a great business coach. As we all grow and learn, sometimes we can get in our own way, but Mel is great at coaching you along. Wonderful Machine’s blog also has excellent resources for photographers. They get down to the scary details about quoting projects and budgets. It’s the things that nobody wants to talk about but everyone needs to share so we can all be better photographers in our careers.

Contact Info:

• Website: AnnieRayCreative.com and AnnieRay.net
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annieraydotnet/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annieraycreativephotography/

Image Credits
All images taken by Annie Ray