We recently connected with Candance Campbell and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Candance, thanks for joining us 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?

I have absolultey been able to make a full time living from my creative work! My journey was a long 10 year road to get to where I am now with my business, however, I would do it all over again any day! I got into photography when I was only 15 years old. My dad gave me this Nikon point and shoot camera and I just started to take photos of birds and wildlife. I really loved taking pictures of animals. Fast forward to my early 20s, and I had gotten my first interchangeable lens camera, a fuji, and I use to volunteer to take photos of horses on rescue ranches to help re-home them. I did this from 2012 until 2015. It was in 2015 someone I was mutually connected with asked me if I would ever be interested in capturing weddings and I was honestly taken aback. I never thought about what it would be like to take pictures of people! From 2015 until 2019, I continued to work my full time job and on the weekends I would work capturing weddings under other very experienced photographers. This taught me a lot about my style, what I loved capturing and who I was. I also took a few Digital Photography classes from my local college to understand the more technical side. By the time we hit 2019, I had enough experience and clients booking me that I decided it was time to quit the full time job I had worked for 10 years and pursue my own passions. So in November, 2019, (right before the pandemic), I quit my full time job and I set out to make my own full time income from photography. Of course, 4 months later the entire world shut down and I had major doubts about what I had just done. About 2 weeks into the Pandemic, I decided that instead of having doubts, I would take the time at home to continue being creative. I learned a lot about myself during that time. I also created a logo that was authentic to me and I launched my first website. In that time, I was really productive with the back end of my business and when it was time to emerge from our homes again, that set me forward more successfully. Some of the major steps and milestones I had to overcome were leaving my full time job, knowing I was solely responsible for my own income now, and imposters syndrome (where I compare myself to other artist work). Looking back, I don’t think there is anything I could have done to speed up my process. I think my journey was slow and gradual and I also think it was very authentic to me.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Hi!

I am Candance! Adventure Wedding and Elopement Photographer and I reside in the gorgeous Washington State, however, I get the incredible opportunity to travel everywhere to capture others epic moments!

I got into this industry through connections I had with others. Specifically in 2015 when someone saw my rescue animal work and asked me to shoot weddings with them! The types of products and services I offer are photos at a different level. I am extremely adventurous with my couples. I love creating magic on epic landscapes and having my couples print those and hang them up in their homes. Moments in time in magical places they can look back on forever. Problems I tend to solve for my clients a lot is time, date, and what happens during the course of your day. It is an incredibly rewarding job to be able to sit down and help someone navigate a day they have never done before and see the smile on their faces and the day of when we get all of the logistics done!

I am most proud of my growth in my work and within myself. It took a long time for me to find what set a fire in my soul when working with others and when I did, my work changed and even I could see it. I want others to know how much goes into each couple I get the opportunity to work with. I spend time with each of them learning about where they like to go, what kind of landscapes they envision. We create photo timelines for their wedding day so that things run smoothly, I have client portals for them to access their documents when they need. Then, when we reach the big day, I am fun, candid, adventurous, and I do minimal posing. I aim for the real, authentic, joyful, smiles. That is what makes me happy and puts the magic into what others see when they look at my work.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

In my view, the best thing society can do is to respect us and see us for our real value. We get inquires all the time with comments to us like “Id love to hire you but you cost an arm and a leg” or ” It’s just the click of a button, it should not cost that much”.

When creatives read this, it can be very insulting and we spend as much time educating people on the cost of doing business as we do working with our own couples. Creatives have to make a living wage and we set our prices to reflect our cost of running a business and making a livable wage to also support ourselves. On an 8 hour wedding, we do not just work 8 hours. We work a minimum 15 hours before the day, 8 hours the day of the wedding, and then 30 hours working on their photos after the wedding. A minimum of at least 53 hours from the time we are hired. That does not include our business cost, gas, cost of equipment, food, internet etc..

A creatives prices also reflect their knowledge, skill, and education. We invest a lot into ourselves personally and professionally to give society the memories they are after. So if there was one wish I had for society, it is to be more educated on why luxury services come with a luxury price.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist to me is the freedom that comes with it. I am free to express myself. My couples hire me for my work and when we go out, I have the freedom to use what I see and put all the elements, colors, tones, etc.. together to create photos they love. When I see couples who love what I have created for them, I genuinely melt inside. It is also so very rewarding to know that when you deliver a wedding gallery, or you are with a couple on their wedding or elopement day, you are getting to capture, witness, and preserve memories they will pass down through their families for generations to come. There really is no more rewarding feeling.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.candancemariephotography.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/cmphotography08
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/candancemariephotography

Image Credits
All images capture by me, Candance Marie