We were lucky to catch up with Brittany McBrayer recently and have shared our conversation below.

Brittany, appreciate you joining us today. Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?

I absolutely love being a business owner. I have had “regular” jobs in the past, and while the companies I worked for were great and I was successful, freedom of time and (especially since having two babies) work life balance have always been at the top of my priority list. My husband and I both have worked for bosses: me in corporate finance and insurance, and he in law enforcement, and we have both SO thoroughly enjoyed entrepreneurship and business ownership we would never go back if we can absolutely help it. The security of a salary position and the ability to leave the job at the office door IS a plus, don’t get me wrong, but the flexibility and satisfaction of creating something and making it successful by a combination of our own hard work, dedication, and LOT of faith/prayer, is one of the greatest achievements of my lifetime. I’d say the only time I’ve remotely wavered in my resolve and dedication to working for myself has been when I’ve dealt with less than kind clients (VERY rare for me, fortunately). Since I’m an artist and there is a difference in opinion when it comes to image preferences, it creates strong feelings of self-doubt, stress, and sometimes hurt feelings, because like any art, it is SO personal. With my corporate finance job, it was completely impersonal there was always someone else that was in control of an outcome – I was just a cog in a wheel of MANY people. With photography, I am where the results (good and bad) land. There is no one else to blame or to look to when it comes to the finished product or a customer’s satisfaction with me and my art, and very rarely that will have me side-eyeing the peace of my cubicle, only dealing with my team of coworkers instead of the public. Ultimately my job has allowed me to make an income doing something I love and that brings me joy and satisfaction, and allows me the freedom to work from wherever I want, to travel, to make as much money as I want, and to be solely in control of my career. It’s definitely not for everyone, but it is the BEST life for me and my family.

Brittany, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m from East Texas, behind the Pine Curtain, living on a six-generation working cattle ranch. I’ve lived in larger metro areas, but this beautiful spot on the map is where my heart and heritage resides. My husband owns a hunting dog training facility that is also on our ranch, so it is the best place for us to live, work, and raise our family. I have two children: Everlee (8) and Bridger (4). I have always been a photographer at heart. I have taken pictures my entire life – always feeling a sense of almost desperation to capture images so they can last forever – even since I was a young kid. I was always the family photographer at family functions and on vacations – it was always understood that was my role, and I loved doing it. My first intentional photo session was my sister’s senior pictures in Brenham, TX, in the bluebonnets and in an old ruin of a church. I got a lot of compliments on them, and for some reason it made me sort of sit up and pay attention to the fact that I really loved it. I graduated college in December 2007 with a degree in Finance (ironically), and purchased my first DLSR camera. We started traveling a lot as a family to Jackson, WY, so I started becoming really inspired to intentionally shoot more and more landscape and wildlife pictures for my own enjoyment (because who wouldn’t up there!?). A close friend got married in 2011, and asked if I would shoot her wedding as a favor, and I nervously said yes. Once I posted those images on social media, I started getting inquiries about shooting weddings and lifestyle sessions of all types from then on. I always looked at it as a good side hustle to my “real job”, and enjoyed it. I always stayed busy, but never considered I would do it full time. I especially never considered my landscape and wildlife images worthy of someone purchasing, because the market was and is SO saturated, and because I was self taught – due to a severe case of Imposter Syndrome. It took me years to decide what I wanted my style to be, and to learn everything I needed to learn to become a successful wedding photographer, but I figured it out and had a successful albeit part time side gig. Then I had my first baby, and after almost two years of trying to do it all, my husband’s business had grown enough to allow me to quit my “real job” and stay home with her and start leaning more into my photography business. It grew until I was as busy as I wanted to be, and then COVID hit. Since there was a dip in income from photographing people for a bit, I started shooting and posting more and more of my landscape and wildlife images. Pretty quickly on, I was on my way to shoot a few moose I’d heard were hanging around the Jackson Hole airport, and on the way, there was a herd of bison hanging out by the road so I stopped to photograph them as well. I later posted that set of images on facebook, and people went crazy over them. After that, it was as if people were seeing my fine art work for the first time ever, and I have been selling my fine art prints ever since! So now, I still shoot lifestyle sessions and elopements/weddings frequently, but have been steadily working toward expanding my exposure and offerings of fine art prints, because it’s where my heart and true love of photography lies. I’m so thankful the Lord has allowed for this additional revenue stream, because it is part of the reason why I’m able to do a hybrid school model with our kids where they’re home with me five days per week, and allows me to travel all over, working and making an income at all times. It’s been a wild journey, but a beautiful one!

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most regarding aspect of being an artist/creative is the lifestyle it’s afforded me. Not materialistically, but experientially. It has allowed me to travel as far as Alaska and Italy/Switzerland for work, and beautiful places in between. It has allowed for my husband and myself to get to both work “from home” the majority of the time. It’s enabled us to be able to do a University School Model of education for our kids, where we get to come alongside their teachers and partner in their education 5 days per week vs only having them home two days per week, and take them with us traveling as well. One of the most unexpected and rewarding aspects of being a creative and shooting specifically fine art images is it allowing for me to share beautiful and wild places with people who may never get to see them. I get regular comments from people who for whatever reason may never be able to see some of these places I’ve humbly tried to capture in my images, and it urges me on to keep on capturing and sharing them with the world.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

The best source of new clients for me is word of mouth and social media. They kind of go hand-in-hand. I’ve sold so many fine art prints who have seen them on social media and either shared them directly, or tagged friends in the art that I share. In regards to my lifestyle photography business – it’s all word of mouth or referrals via in-person discussions or sharing on social media. When I photograph clients or sell prints, I always try to make the experience as easy, comfortable, and customized to getting my clients exactly what they are looking for so they’re completely satisfied. I believe because of that, they are very loyal – and are quick to refer me whenever they get the chance! I believe this is a key element of getting new clients in any service-based industry.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.brittmcbphoto.com
• Instagram: @brittanymcbrayercollection; @sagepinestudio
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SageAndPineStudio ; https://www.facebook.com/BrittanyMcBrayerCollection

Image Credits
Image of me by Anne Brookshire