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

Hi Brittney, thanks for joining us today. Are you 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?

I started my business at the end of 2020. I was working in the medical field, and just like everyone else had experienced changes in their jobs, we experienced so much change in the hospital. I was so miserable and I would wake up everyday thinking “If I died today was that it? Can I go out of this world knowing I did what I love?” That’s literally when I knew I needed to go full-time.

I had done mentorships for years.  I finally felt like I had made enough connections in the photo community, and finally felt comfortable with how many clients I had and knew I could get more.

I made it my goal that by the end of the year 2020 I would go full-time. Because of COVID, couples were having to reschedule their weddings and were not able to book the same vendors. A lot of couples were not able to book their original photographers for their new wedding date. I had the benefit of having an open schedule and I started booking more and more. I hustled the whole year of 2020. I would go to work at 5:30 am, get out at 2:00 pm, schedule photoshoots after work, edit until about 11:00 pm and then do the whole thing over the next day. The fall of 2020 was my tipping point. I had 15-20 shoots a month and I was still working full-time. I was completely overwhelmed and didn’t know how I was going to make it possible to get everyone their photos back in time for the holidays. And I felt the shift. I felt a shift of “Hey Brittney, something has got to give. Let go of the day job and do photography full-time.”

I put my two weeks in and never looked back.

Brittney, 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?

My name is Brittney Davila, owner of Davila Photography LLC and I’m a local wedding photographer. I’ve literally had a camera in my hand ever since I was 11 years old. My dad bought me my first film camera, a Minolta 35mm. I was on the newspaper staff in high school and in college when I attended UTSA. I also had the opportunity to study darkroom and film developing at UTSA. I was always in photojournalism and always did photography as a side hustle, but I never truly believed I could do it on my own full-time. It was way too scary to think about .

As a wedding photographer, my job is to make my client’s day run as smoothly as possible, while simultaneously documenting probably one of the most important days of their lives in an authentic way. It truly is a skill.

I think what sets me apart from others is that I make my clients feel comfortable about themselves in front of the camera and I’m able to connect with people. Being a photographer isn’t just sticking my camera in people’s faces and saying ‘smile’. When you’re a photographer you’re not just an artist, you’re also a journalist. You are documenting a moment in time, and, yeah, you might click a button and know how to work the camera, but can you get your subject to bring down their walls and be vulnerable? Are you able to express feelings and emotions in your work?

I think that’s what I’m most proud of. Making people feel comfortable in their own skin and see themselves the way I see them. I got a message the other day from a client saying “Just want to tell you that you are so talented. I have never seen myself the way these photos show me. Thank you.’

When you book with me you book with a friend. A session with me will feel like we are just hanging out and I just so happen to have my camera with me to document our time together. I also incorporate film photos into my galleries. Film provides an authenticity to the moment that I don’t believe digital ever can. That authenticity, real moments and having my clients feel comfortable with me aligns with myself and my brand. This is why continue to integrate film in my galleries along with digital.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I was raised to be strong and independent and learn to do everything on my own, so I wouldn’t have to depend on anyone else. Because of this I tend to want to do everything myself and not seek help. I thought if I asked for help I would be considered weak or incompetent. This couldn’t be further from the truth. I’m stronger when I have a support system around me. I’ve gotten further in my business because I sought out others who were the best in their craft. I hired an artist to create my logo, I used a local print shop to print my marketing products, I got help with my website and social media and I learned from other photographers whose work and work ethic I admired.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I think what has helped with my reputation in this industry is that I paired up with local vendors and built a positive rapport with them. Fostering those relationships has made my business grow tremendously. Making myself available to potential clients, and returning clients has brought me a long way. In the photography industry, unfortunately, you have some unreliable photographers. This means they don’t respond quickly to messages, they are not on time for sessions or are not aware of session dates and overbooking, ‘ghosting’ on clients after they take their deposit, and the list goes on.

I maintain my credibility by being totally transparent with my clients in terms of what they will gain from hiring me as a photographer and what they get out of each photo session. I like to schedule phone calls, FaceTime calls or in-person meet ups for their initial consultation.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.brittneydavila.com
• Instagram: @davila_photography
• Facebook: /brittneydavilaphotography