We recently connected with Aubrey Dykeman and have shared our conversation below.

Aubrey, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Do you manage your own social media?

Social media – the necessary evil for businesses! I dream of a world free of social media and great mental health, but also understand that this necessary evil is what brings your brand to the most people! I have tried several different methods of posting to social media (monthly posting plans, batch posts, constantly researching trends) and have done it all myself up to this point. I hired someone very recently and learned lots of little tips and tricks in order to be the most effective on my socials. I’ve always loved working with other people in the industry to see what they’re doing, and have learned so much that way as well! I alway recommend just asking the questions to those that you respect in your industry. People are generally really eager to help; I know I am always excited to share with others things that could help and firmly believe in the community mentality.

Aubrey, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Hi. I’m Aubrey! I’m a wedding/portrait photographer and I’ve loved taking photos since middle school. I went to college for photography and that’s where I found my love for photographing people. I love posing people to look their best, and thoroughly enjoy getting people to open up and be themselves in front of the camera. Working with couples are my JAM! I absolutely thrive on capturing the love between two people!

Whenever I book a wedding client, I take charge of making sure they have a solid timeline we can follow for the day, and then keep the couple on track on their big day. I have a complimentary engagement session included in all of my wedding packages because I want to get to know my couple one on one before the wedding so we can all be super comfortable with one other and the couple has a good idea of how I work before one of the biggest days of their lives.

My whole goal is making sure my clients are comfortable, confident, and trust me to capture fantastic work for them.

I also just recently started a position at Mclain’s in Kansas City, a locally owned bakery/market, as their Events Coordinator! This was SUCH an easy transition for me as all of the planning and interpersonal skills from my photography business translate directly to this role! So if you’re looking to hold a private event at a Mclain’s location, I’m your girl! They have incredibly darling spaces, all unique, and are such a low key, low stress option for bridal showers, baby showers, rehearsal dinners, birthday parties, corporate events – you name it!

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

A time I had to pivot in my business is when my dad passed away in late 2021. I LOVE photography, but it’s such a high functioning job and I was not ready to jump back into it for a long time, so I had to pivot and adjust through this very extensive time of grieving. I’m sure I was a walking zombie for a long time, so when Mclain’s asked me if I wanted to take a brand new role of Event Coordinator, I was hesitant. However, they were so flexible with me and allowed me to work from home (beyond meetings at the stores and being at certain events), which was incredibly helpful to my healing process, especially while planning a funeral and taking care of my family.

The burden of grief has become easier to wade through and I’ve been able to slowly get back into shooting weddings again. Though the pain never really goes away, I have experienced a lift and finally am able get back into the things that I am passionate about!

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Word of mouth 100%! I have made it a point to have incredible customer service through being personable, flexible, extending kindness, and being a huge cheerleader for my couples and clients! “I am here to help you along the way” is probably the phrase I use the most. I feel like my reviews speak for themselves! :)

Contact Info:

• Website: aubreyerinphoto.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/aubreyerinphoto
• Facebook: Facebook.com/aubreyerinphoto

Image Credits
Kymberly Janelle Photography