Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Chris Humphrey. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Chris, appreciate you joining 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?

One of the most challenging parts of being a creative person is taking that passion of yours (photography, music, art) and turning it into profit and ultimately a profession.

The way I took my hobby of photography and turned it into a wedding photography career that lasted over two decades comes down to one simple thing – I wasn’t going to quit.

I surveyed the competition and the market and needs, wants and desires of my future clients and I saw myself as a part of this big, sometimes messy and always attractive industry of wedding professionals. I never let my lack of anything deter my desire to be a part it.

I wasn’t best photographer. I didn’t have the latest gear or the most of it, but I knew deep down, this didn’t matter. I could succeed as a wedding professional because I wasn’t going to quit until I did.

This may sound ultra-motivational, but I know people quit too soon. They allow self-doubt take over and they bail out before something great happens.

Now a huge caveat to this is that I did NOT quit my day job while I struggled. I don’t know who said it but the someone told me that the time to quit your day job for your dream job is when the day job is getting in the way of your ultimate success. When that happens, you know it’s time to go all in.

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

I’m a television creator turned wedding photographer. I got my first SLR camera as a wedding gift and after that first click of the shutter, I was hooked.

I tried all sorts of photography outlets. From shooting families and friends to fashion and food, I tried it all. It was when someone at church asked me to shoot their (very, very small) wedding that I found my calling. 500+ weddings later, I still love weddings and the industry.

I’ve turned my focus mainly to teaching photographers the possibilities of owning their own photography business by shooting weddings. It’s not for everyone, but for people like me who wanted a business of their own and loved the excitement and spontaneity of weddings and love events, this is a wonderful career.

The thing I’m most proud of is the relationships that I built as a wedding professional. I see brides, parents and fellow wedding pros every week and it’s like seeing beloved family members.

That’s the part I try to teach – the “inside game of weddings.” Everyone teaches photography but the hardest part to learn is how to navigate everything else. Weddings are awesome, often chaotic, but awesome. I just teach what I wish I knew when I was starting out.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Starting out, I was always hungry to learn more about the more nuanced parts of being a professional creative. Finding this information wasn’t easy in the pre and early internet days. Today, the challenge is just the opposite – there’s too much information and not enough VALUABLE information.

Being a creative is hard at times because we never stop looking for new ways to express that creativity.

When you’re running a business, you take on a lot of things that are not creative, but necessary to your business’s success. T

Helping photographers find this balance and keep that fire for their creation burning is what moves me.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

I started small with one camera, two used lenses and a flash. I assisted a few local pros to build my confidence and my portfolio.

Since I still had my day job, I worked every weekend and shot as much as I could. I built up my gear slowly and only as necessary and the rest I saved. I called this saving my If Everything Goes South fund and by the time I quit my 9-5, I had about six-months worth of income…just in case.

I probably could’ve gone full-time with my wedding photography sooner but building this backstop made me feel confident and it certainly helped my wife’s peach of mind.

I recommend, bootstrapping as much as you can and staying lean on your gear. No one cares what you shoot, they only care how good the photos look.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.insideweddingphotography.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chphotowriter/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/insideweddingphotography
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrishumphreycreative/
• Twitter: https://x.com/chphotowriter
• Youtube: Coming Soon

Image Credits

Copyright Chris Humphrey Creative