We were lucky to catch up with Dana Cubbage recently and have shared our conversation below.

Dana, appreciate you joining us today. Can you share a story with us from back when you were an intern or apprentice? Maybe it’s a story that illustrates an important lesson you learned or maybe it’s a just a story that makes you laugh (or cry)? Looking back at internships and apprenticeships can be interesting, because there is so much variety in people’s experiences – and often those experiences inform our own leadership style.

I started my journey into wedding photography by assisting other lead photographers as a second shooter. In fact, I never EVER thought I’d be a full-time lead wedding photographer! I was working in Corporate America, just assisting on the weekends for fun and extra money. But looking back, it was this experience as a second shooter that gave me the confidence to go out on my own and shoot my own weddings as a lead. I owe EVERYTHING to the lead photographers who took me under their wing and allowed me to work along side of them. During this time, I learned SO MUCH just by observing how other photographers worked with their clients, vendor partners, etc. Being a second shooter allowed me to figure out what I wanted to do within my own business – as well as what I DIDN’T want to do within my business. Learning from the best of the best helped me build my own business in a way that feels authentic to who I am and drawing upon my own strengths as a business owner. I strongly recommend that anyone who wants to get into the wedding photography world goes out and assists or second shoots with a variety of other photographers before going out on your own. The experience you gain, as well as the connections you make, are so so important and will only help you in the future!

Dana, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Dana Cubbage and I am a destination wedding photographer currently based in Charleston, SC. Before starting my own business, I worked in Corporate America for almost 8 years – where I managed a team of mutual fund accountants at an investment company in Baltimore MD. Photography was just a hobby for me and I spent my weekends photographing adoptable dogs at BARCS Animal Shelter in downtown Baltimore. I really just wanted to use my talents to help dogs get adopted since rescue is a huge part of my life.

While volunteering, I became great friends with another volunteer photographer who shot weddings full-time. I randomly asked her if I could tag along as an assistant sometime and she said yes. So I got my first taste of the wedding world through her and absolutely loved it.

We moved to Charleston in early 2012 and I knew I wanted to continue assisting + second shooting on the weekends – so I reached out to several popular and talented wedding photographers in Charleston to see if they’d let me help them. My first year in Charleston, I second shot over 40 weddings for other wedding photographers and I was hooked. I finally felt like *maybe* I could actually start my own wedding photography business!

The day before I was going to launch my wedding photography website, I got laid off from my full-time job – which I hated. It was perfect timing! I jumped head first into building my wedding photography business and I have been doing this full-time ever since. It’s crazy how it all worked out, but I’m so thankful that it did.

I specialize in destination wedding and elopement photography. I love what I do and I am thankful for my background in business and management because that’s really the bulk of what I do on a daily basis. I shoot 15-20 weddings per year and travel anywhere my couples want to take me.

What sets me apart from others is my attention to detail and organizational skills. I approach wedding days with confidence and have a calming presence. I am able to think on my feet and come up with solutions to any “problem” that may arise; all while keeping my clients calm. I credit my background in Corporate America for allowing me to approach this emotional job with a business mind. I’m logical, strategic, and intentional in my business while focusing on providing a great experience for my clients. I am a leader and guide everyone through the wedding photography process with ease.

I am the most creatively inspired by beautiful destinations, colorful + personal design, out of the box thinking, and amazing fashion. Weddings that push the envelope and aren’t cookie-cutter in nature. I work best with clients who are laid back and focused on the wedding day experience. Not someone who is worried about getting their dress dirty or worrying about whether the napkins are folded “correctly”. For me, the experience is everything – and documenting couples who are present on their wedding day is my favorite.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

For me, second shooting with other established wedding photographers helped tremendously with my reputation. I was already a familiar face and associated with proven professionals, so I was really lucky in that regard. But at the same time, when I was looking to second shoot with others, I was strategic about who I reached out to and worked with. From day one, I wanted to be working with the best of the best, so I was reaching out to people who were shooting the types of weddings I wanted to shoot and people who were really good people at the core. So those connections really got me in the door as I started building my own business.

Once I was on my own, I worked hard to give my clients a great experience. I went above and beyond to elevate my own work and that of my vendor partners. I didn’t just show up and do the bare minimum. I immersed myself in as much education as I could, always challenging myself to do better. This is something I still do to this day. I don’t think you can ever be “too comfortable” as an artist because art is always evolving. Continuing to stretch yourself creatively, work with new vendors, try different things… that’s important. A good reputation is built on hard work and hustle – and I did just that. And once you’ve built a solid reputation of being consistent, reliable, professional… you need to keep showing up every single day.

Can you open up about a time when you had a really close call with the business?

This is something I am struggling with currently. COVID took it’s toll on my business and I’ve had to dip into my savings for the past 3 years. As my accounts dwindle, I am being forced to pivot and think of new ways to generate income – since my wedding photography is my sole source of income. I’m also in a building stage for my business as I hope to reach the luxury wedding market in the next few years. So my focus has been on networking, pushing myself creatively, diving deep into education, and making strategic decisions to get to that next level.

Being an entrepreneur is not for the faint of heart. It is stressful, exhausting, frustrating, and scary. One day, you’re on a high that you booked an $11k client; the next day, you’re watching your savings account dip below your comfort level. It takes patience and resilience to get through these difficult financial times. It takes strength not to throw in the towel. But true entrepreneurs know that this is part of the process. It’s not always rainbows and butterflies. It’s fighting in the trenches most days.

Contact Info:

• Website: danacubbageweddings.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/danacubbageweddings
• Facebook: facebook.com/danacubbageweddings

Image Credits
Headshot: Iris Van Nes