We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Danielle Towle. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Danielle below.

Alright, Danielle thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

When I started my photography business I was really just doing it as a hobby. I wanted to take better pictures of my kids and I began by taking photos of family and friends for free or next to nothing. I quickly realized that I love it and it could turn this into extra income for my family.

After about 4 years I was raising two kids under 3, running a photography business, and working another 30+/hr a week job. It got to the point where I didn’t feel like I could do all of them well and I had to make a change. I had to decide and make the leap to turn my photography business into something I could sustain full time and could take the place of the salary that I was getting from my other job.

We were also moving 10+ hours away and I had just given birth to our 3rd child. BUT I decided to just run my photography business and not work another job and believed that it would be sustainable even though my clientele had completely changed since I had moved over several state lines. It was almost like starting over again.

Now, I am about 2 years into that move. I am still not where I want my business to be but it is able to provide the income we need me to bring and while allowing me to stay home with my preschool aged kids. It has been a lot of hustling and pushing but it has also given me such a wonderful gift to watch my kids grow up and do life with them before they are in school full time. I am so thankful for this business.

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 have been a Wedding & Family Photographer for about 7 years. My style is warm, timeless, and authentic. It is important to me to capture moments and create moments that are authentic and not overly posed and uncomfortable. I want my clients to look like themselves and have a relaxed wedding day experience.

I would consider myself mainly a Wedding Photographer, but I also enjoy doing families as many of my couples end up becoming my family clients as well. It’s so rewarding to have couples come back after their wedding for newborn and family photos for years to come!

I believe my experience is unique because I really care about serving my couples and families. It is far more than just getting a good photo but also about enjoying the experience and looking back at the photos as great memories too!

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

I wish I had invested in myself earlier on in my business. There are so many online courses for photographers now that weren’t available when I was first starting out, especially photography courses that also focus on the business side of things.

Each time I take a new course or invest in a workshop my product becomes more valuable! My prices can increase, the photos are better, my interaction with clients is better, and everything in between just gets better because I am more equipped to run a better business.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

I had to realize that if I wanted something I had to really go after it. I am able to offer sessions for free when I want to which in turn grows my clientele because I am exposed to more people on social media and introduced to a new group of people! Often times I will do a free photo session that I really am passionate about and I will get multiple paid clients from that session. The ROI is great!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.danielletowlephotography.com/
• Instagram: instagram.com/danielletowlephotography
• Facebook: Facebook.com/danielletowlephotography

Image Credits
Danielle Towle Photography