We recently connected with Cindy Feraro and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Cindy thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about how you got your first non-friend, non-family client. Paint the picture for us so we can feel the same excitement you felt on that day.

Once I decided that I wanted to be a wedding photographer I went to a place that was very popular back in 2007.. craigslist. I can laugh about this now, but that is how I gained my first clients. I would post my services on craiglist, along with a link to a photography portfolio, and I got many responses from engaged couples. I charged barely anything but I was fresh out of college and needed to build my wedding portfolio. My first ever wedding that I photographed on my own was at Chaumette Vineyards, a really beautiful winery about an hour away from home. The bride had tattoos and wore a black wedding dress and I was really inspired by her style. I remember that halfway through the day I had to step away for a moment because I was on the verge of a panic attack. Some people can’t handle the stress of wedding photography and I completely understand that. But for me, I found it energizing. I booked more weddings after that and was able to build a pretty solid portfolio. Some of my wedding clients from my first 2 years of business continue to work with me, only this time for family photography.

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’ve been interested in photography for as long as I can remember. When I love something I latch on and I don’t let go. That is exactly what I did with photography. In high school I took any available photography class. During my summer breaks I took photography/darkroom classes at a nearby community college. I could have lived in the darkroom, I loved it so much. I ended up attending Webster University because of their film program – I wanted to be a cinematographer. About halfway into my first year, after taking a college photo class, I decided to switch my major to Photography because it just made sense. I treasure the time I spent in college. I got to take tons of courses that fueled my passion and creativity. I spent a semester at their campus in Thailand and during that time I took a photojournalism course. On the weekends, while in Thailand, I would travel to different areas and attend events so I could photograph them for assignments. I am still so proud of the images I created while in Thailand. During my final year at Webster I completed some internships and one of them was with a local wedding photographer. He incorporated a journalistic style into his wedding work and I thought it was the coolest thing. I’d always thought of wedding photography as boring, traditional, and posed but his work really opened my eyes. That internship is what ultimately guided me to making my own company. I would describe myself as a documentary style photographer specializing in weddings and families. My images are very colorful, emotional, and honest. I enter each wedding or session with the goal to make the client happy, to capture images that I myself would want. This has worked out very well for me so far. I’ve been in business for 17 years now. My life outside of work revolves around my 2 boys – Jack (15) and Nico (11). I am a single mom and I work very hard to provide for them.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

Amazing customer service – keeping in touch with clients through social media, being friendly and responsive – All of these things combined lead to my clients telling other people about me. Word of mouth referrals are the absolute best way to grow clientele but you really have to make a great impression.

Setting expectations with clients – letting them know exactly what they are going to receive so there are no surprises. Providing info guides and other pieces of advice prior to weddings/sessions to help them plan.

Posting on social media regularly – I notice that the more I post on facebook and instagram, the more inquiries I get.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding part is that I am ALWAYS creating something new and I never run out of things to work on. I love to stay busy! Also, my photographs make people happy. When my clients are happy, I am happy. My job is not JUST a job – it is my passion – and I get paid to fuel it.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.cindyleephotography.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/cindyleephotography
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/cindyleephotography