We were lucky to catch up with Chelsea Liefer recently and have shared our conversation below.

Chelsea, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

When choosing my career path, I promised myself that I would love my work. Despite the time it took, the money I’d make, what was popular, or what other people were telling me–I had to love it. I entered college with a love for art in general, but was taking a variety of courses to figure out how that might fit into my career. Photography was a hobby at the time that was growing in the background without me fully imagining that path would be “it” for me. Two years into college, I made the decision to fully focus on pursuing it with a major in photography and a minor in photojournalism. I didn’t know where that would land me specifically, but I knew that I’d land with a camera in my hands. When I graduated from college in 2015, I moved back home and decided to pursue wedding and portrait photography full-time. My business had still been slowly growing in the background, and I felt that if I didn’t take the risk of pouring all of my time into it, then I never would. I worked from my childhood bedroom at the tiny kitchen table from my college apartment, and made another promise to myself that if I didn’t quit then I couldn’t fail. I’ve always been a very calculated risk taker, with a need for each decision to feel both terrifying and safe at the same time. It’s in these decisions that I’ve found both growth and security. Like taking a very traditional path in education for a career that I didn’t necessarily need a degree for. Jumping into full-time wedding photography while living back home for 6 months. And, countless other steps that felt like they would make or break me at the time.
Almost a decade later, I can proudly look back and tell that girl who promised herself that she would love her work that we made it. We make a full-time living from a creative career that we absolutely love. But, it’s also been so much more than that. The freedom to build my life in a way that works best for me has probably been the most rewarding aspect that I didn’t always see coming. A major shift was my transition into motherhood in 2022. It definitely rocked my business, and merging motherhood with work looks different every single day, but it also taught me to work much more intentionally. My focus has become even more specialized in only photographing weddings for a limited number of couples each year. This has allowed me to give those couples an elevated and personalized experience like I never have before, while also being the mom that I want to be. Being at home with my daughter–and soon to be two daughters!–while also providing for my family with a fulfilling career has become my definition of full-time living.
I don’t think there’s anything that I could have done to speed up the process of getting to where I am today because one of the major things I’ve learned on this journey is that longterm growth takes a really long time. And, while in some ways I’ve made it, I still have so much further to go.

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?

I am a wedding photographer serving the St. Louis area with romantic, light-filled imagery, and an elevated, personalized experience. One of the key things that sets me apart is that I’m accustomed to working under pressure and taking the lead, while also being able to blend into the background of wedding days as real moments unfold. This balance leads to meaningful images that authentically capture my couples’ love and legacy. With limited bookings each year, I’m also able to make each couple my priority in a very personalized way. I value the relationship and trust I get to build with each couple that ultimately leads to a thoughtful experience that not only meets their needs, but exceeds their expectations. I also prioritize being a team player alongside of the trusted vendor partners that I have the privilege of collaborating with. It always lights me up to be apart of a solid team of industry pros that bring beautiful events to life for incredible couples.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

An unexpected resource that has truly become the most valuable to me is my friends in the wedding industry, and in most cases, my “competition” specifically. I spent the first five years of my business feeling extremely isolated. When you’re the only one doing the work and making the decisions, it can be heavy and lonely. It was around 2020 (partially because we all needed it a little extra that year!) that I really started putting myself out there to make connections and build relationships that are still thriving today. Having trusted friends to lean on, bounce ideas off of, ask for insight, and offer to help knowing the favor will always be returned has by far the most valuable resource for me. And, one that I wish I would have put myself out there for sooner instead of hiding behind the fear of not being welcomed.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

For my creative business, the line between business and personal is extremely blurred. The service that I provide and product that I’m delivering is vulnerable and subjective. Couples are inviting me into their personal moments, on a day that they can’t do over, and trusting my vision to capture it for them. Constantly pouring your heart into what you’re delivering to your clients can make it difficult to enforce boundaries, if a more business-minded conversation needs to be had.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://chelsealieferphotography.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chelsealieferphoto/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chelsealieferphoto/