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

Brenda, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s talk about innovation. What’s the most innovative thing you’ve done in your career?

Being creative actually takes practice. So that is why I love doing styled photo shoots. They are a chance to really think big! From collaborating with a makeup artist and model to some really unique wardrobe pieces – it is a chance to hone the craft. Drawing inspiration from fashion is my favorite. In the last couple of years, it has been really fun to be more involved in creating headpieces too.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

How did you get into photography?

What if you could stop time and hold it in your hand? I heard that I could have superpowers when I was very young and that is when I knew I would become a photographer. Using an old girl scout camera found at a garage sale, my father taught me the rules of photography and composition. On weekends we would go for photo adventures. From old cemeteries to Civil War reenactments to horse racing at Churchill Downs, we always had fun practicing photography. In high school, I took a newspaper class and learned how to develop photos in the darkroom. At Emory and Henry College, I fell in love with art graphic design and decided to exchange my minor in photography for a major in art and I double majored in Mass Communications. Throughout my life, photography has always been there. After graduation, I started taking photos at friends’ weddings and often heard that my photos were better than their hired photographers. The major difference was that I knew what they liked. If they were into the theater – they loved dramatic images. If the family was the most important part of the wedding day, they preferred candid photos of them enjoying their guests. After photographing a few smaller weddings I was hooked. I loved that wedding photography was something that our brides were proud to hang on their walls.

What is your favorite part of the wedding day to capture?

I have two favorite parts! One is when the music is playing and doors open and the bride walks down the aisle. Even after more than 100 weddings I still get choked up! It is an emotional moment and you can just feel the excitement in the air. Another favorite is right after the ceremony when the couple has a minute to themselves. It is such a beautiful moment when they know they are officially married. They have the – we did this- smile!

Tell us a bit about your company.

This business began with a love of photography. It is a creative art form that means so much to so many people. I love the end of the night when the bride and groom give us a hug and say they couldn’t have done it without us! We also love hearing that we were their favorite vendor. We try to make our job look easy but there is a lot that goes on behind the scenes. From preparing a custom photo timeline to helping out on the day of the wedding in any way that we can. We do everything we can to make our couples have a wonderful wedding day. We love that our couples have invited us to document their celebration! And when the time comes, we love photographing their newborns for their very first family photos!

What big news do you have?
I am thrilled to share that I have received my Master of Wedding Photography Degree from the Professional Photographers of America! A big thank you to all of my couples who invited us to document their beautiful weddings. They truly helped make this possible! This recognition has been achieved by 31 people in the world and PPA has over 34,000 members.

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

The biggest thing that helped me build my brand was to truly care about other people and to be a cheerleader for their small businesses. So many people get into a competitive mindset that just doesn’t serve them. Helping others grow and succeed is the best feeling in the world.

We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.

It is more about building relationships with our couples than about sales. Getting to know them before their wedding and learning about them as a couple plays a big role. From the engagement session to the final meeting – it is a great way to learn what matters most to them!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.pottingerphoto.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pottingerphoto/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PottingerPhotography