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

Hi Corinne, thanks for joining us today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.

I have wanted to be a photographer for a long time, like since I could want to be something. Even more than that, I wanted to be an entrepreneur. I have been taking photos on my digital devices (my iPod touch at the time I first started) and found a love for creating the art that I wanted others to see. One of my favorite slogans or phrases is “you should see how bright you shine” because I really with everyone could! It’s scary becoming a full time photographer but I knew this was the life I wanted to live. I’ve been very fortunate to have people that have supported me along the way. It’s truly a blessing that I’ve been able to build my brand and create this life that I wanted to live, because life is too short to be unhappy. I left my first ‘big girl’ job in January and it has been nothing short of one of the better decisions I’ve made for me and my business.

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

Oh my goodness this might be very long! When I was younger, my parents would carry around this massive video camera that recorded on a VHS tape. They literally looked like a news crew just to take videos of my playing with my childhood dog. At the time I didn’t think anything of it, but after a while I realized how special those moments were. Our entire cabinet is filled with these VHS tapes with all of the smaller tapes of my brothers, who are just 6 years older than me.

My grandmother gave me a little point and shoot as soon as I had the ability to take photos on her point and shoot camera. I couldn’t have been more than 8 years old. I remember when they came out with one that had a screen on the front so you could take a selfie, she gave me that one too! I received an iPod touch for my birthday when I was around 1o, that I absolutely begged for. I took photos of anything and everything outside of our camper on our trip to Biloxi, Mississippi to visit my grandparents. I took photos of my grandparents, their Harley’s, the flowers, ducks in puddles, and everything else, on my little iPod touch. It was a different experience knowing that I could post them directly to social media, send them to my friends, and so on.

When I was younger I didn’t realize how pivotal those gifts were and how they changed me as a person. Being able to freeze moments in time and look back on them in print is so surreal. I’ve always been a ‘photo hoarder’ and keep every single written card, picture, etc. because they’re so wonderful to look back on.

I received my first DSLR camera with a zoom lens in a kit when I turned 16 and I carried it everywhere. I remember taking some of my best friends senior photos, taking it to my brothers sporting events and to dirt bike races. Their friends were so stoked that I took photos of them and they would post them on social media. It was such a big deal to have gratification that someone loved my photos enough to post them on social media.

It seems so surreal that it has led me to authentic wedding photography and couples in love. I absolutely love love and get so mushy and my heart feels like it could explode. My slogan is “you should see how bright you shine” because I just feel so honored to capture such special moments in life and I wish you could see yourself through my eyes. I also believe that my sole purpose on this earth is to love as He loved us. Loving your neighbor and lending a helping hand doesn’t cost a single penny. We’re always so hypocritical of ourselves and wish we had this item or could loose a few pounds, but I get to remind people that you can be happy right where you are and to be present where your feet are.

I specialize in weddings, couples, and portraits (seniors/ branding) and am located in Omaha, NE but serve the midwest + beyond. I have experience and a portfolio from California, Colorado, Kansas City, Iowa, Nebraska, and more! I will always be a midwest girly at heart and couldn’t imagine not living here. There’s something about the quiet midwest that you can’t get on the coast, and how special a farmhouse or townhome can feel when you value your everyday work and fill it with love.

I absolutely love my fur babies, Clarabelle and Dexter, and my cat Pippy. Kellen, my boyfriend, and I sure have a full house. I couldn’t do anything without his support and help through all of these recent and crazy life events, including encouraging me to go full time since it has been my dream for so long. He reminds me that there is good in the world and how God really puts you where you’re supposed to be with the right friends, family, and partners.

My parents always remind me that hard work, kindness, and my love for others are some of my best qualities. I helped raise my twin brothers, was a 5 sport athlete in high school, studied at a private college and ran track at Simpson College, Roll Storm! I graduated a year early with 2 internships under my belt. I bought a fixer upper in the Omaha metro and it has taught me so much about how far hard work and kindness (to yourself and others) can truly take you.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I absolutely love my social media platforms. I think a lot of us get stuck in this battle of comparison and imposter syndrome. As humans, we always want the next best thing. I pride myself on being authentic and compassionate with others and also completely understand if we don’t vibe as humans. You won’t get along with everyone and I also understand that not everyone will appreciate you and your presence in this world. That’s why being authentic is the best way to build your brand. You as a person ARE your brand, so why be anything but yourself?

I studied marketing communications in college, put a lot on my plate with clubs and sports, and was able to run some social media accounts for some of those clubs. It was fun to build a community within other social media accounts. I got familiar with scheduling tools, building graphics on Canva, Adobe, and other little apps I could put on my phone. I was working these jobs and building this resume, without realizing it, all while enjoying every second of it.

I had someone ask me how I balance life and my business Instagram and my personal Instagram. My best advice was to be yourself, but also know that you are your brand. Your business Insta, personal Insta, and life really aren’t that far apart from each other! Taking a picture of your favorite coffee at you favorite local spot will be sure to strike up conversation all while remaining yourself and authentic to your brand!

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I recently went full time in my business which was such a hard transition in my life. I worked for a start up in Omaha that I love dearly, but it was just time for me to take the next step in this passion I got to call my ‘side hustle.’ As I said early, Kellen was so encouraging and helpful in this transition. I remember him saying that getting another job that’s not photography won’t fill my soul. And he was right. This side hustle that turned into traveling every weekend, not being able to spend time with the people I cared about was kind of taking over my life. I was working 70 hour weeks trying to catch up on editing, scheduling, client meetings, and working a full time job was consuming me. I started getting burnt out by how fast life was moving and I had to make a hard decision to go full time or stop my passion project.

Going full time in photography has created this unreal life that I never knew was possible. I think almost everyone wants to do their side hustle full time, but you’re not guaranteed a paycheck or living securely and that scares people, as it should. I took a risk and it has paid off so far, but we’re just at the first few steps. We haven’t even made it past tax season!!

It was incredibly hard to leave everything safe and take this risk of not knowing if I’ll get paid for the month or if people want their photos taken.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.photographybycorinnethomas.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/photography.by.corinne/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/photographybycorinnethomas/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDwI3h8Pk-lNLVWXb7RByWg
• Other: Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/photographybycorinnet/

Image Credits
Photography by Corinne