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

April, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

It wasn’t an overnight success, but a journey filled with learning, growth, and perseverance.

When I first started, I balanced my passion for photography as my part-time job. It allowed me to gain experience, build a portfolio, and establish a network. Along the way, I took online photography courses, invested in equipment, and constantly explored new techniques. The key was to never stop learning and improving my craft.

Building my client base was crucial. I utilized social media platforms and my email list to showcase my work plus connect with potential clients. I consistently shared my journey, behind-the-scenes, and stories that resonated with my target audience. Building trust and relationships was important in attracting clients who valued my unique style and vision.

As I started booking more clients, I gradually transitioned into a full-time photographer. As I transitioned into weddings I was able to support my entire family as my husband joined me in the wedding photo business. We even became debt free as we were able to slowly pay off everything even our school loans! It took time and dedication, but I believe that staying passionate, setting realistic goals, and embracing challenges helped me reach this point. Every milestone, big or small, was a cause for celebration and a reminder of the progress I had made.

Looking back, I realize that having a mentor or joining a supportive photography community was vital and heavily accelerated my growth. Surrounding yourself with like-minded individuals who share knowledge and experiences can make a huge difference. This is why we launched our own photography course this year and mastermind for wedding photographers. We have a shadow and mentoring program so they don’t have to feel alone in the journey!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

We take pride in our ability to blend professionalism with warmth and ensure that every photoshoot is not just a transaction, but a journey filled with laughter, joy, and unforgettable moments What sets us apart from others in the industry is our commitment to building genuine connections. We firmly believe that by understanding the unique stories and personalities of our clients, we can create photographs that truly reflect who they are.

Our mission is to not just take stunning photographs, but to weave emotions, love, and memories into each frame. We want to ensure that every client feels seen, heard, and valued throughout their entire photography experience with us. At April and Jason Photography, we specialize in capturing authentic, heartfelt moments, whether it’s weddings, engagements, family portraits, or any special occasion that needs to be documented for eternity.

Our passion for capturing life’s most cherished moments started long ago when we first picked up a camera. The art of freezing time and creating beautiful stories through photographs simply took our breath away. And that’s when we knew our calling was to turn our love for photography into a business.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

When my husband got laid off back on 2019 I was only shooting families. We were at a loss on what to do but I proposed the idea to him to come work with me full time doing weddings. We had not shot but 1-2 at the time but with our work ethic we were able to go from 3 weddings that same year to 20 weddings the next and 40 weddings the next. In just 2 years we were able to support our entire family on weddings alone.

Alright – let’s talk about marketing or sales – do you have any fun stories about a risk you’ve taken or something else exciting on the sales and marketing side?

When times got slow we didn’t let that stop us. We reached out to people on FB, we took out ads and we made sure we were out shooting as much as possible. Even if we didn’t have any clients we were blogging about the behind the scenes of the business, we were taking our family to scout new locations and doing FB lives about it. We worked really hard to keep looking busy and being busy so we kept our minds feeling like we were already in motion doing what we were supposed to be doing eventually, running a six figure wedding photography business which it is today.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.aprilandjason.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/april.sapp
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/aprilandjasonphotography
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCW_oM-q0dca8REGaNF_eFEw

Image Credits
Our Photo – Hope Taylor Photography