We were lucky to catch up with Erica Davis recently and have shared our conversation below.

Erica, appreciate you joining us today. Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea

As a young adult I always knew one day I wanted to work for myself. I never fully enjoyed the desk like settings, behind a monitor from 9-5; I have way too much of a creative mind for that. Photography was always something I truly enjoyed in the sense of taking photos of and for people, but it never really crossed my mind for it to be a business…until it did. It was the end of 2019 and I was working with my therapist on coming up with a hobby that was just for me. I had recently moved in with my now husband and took on the role of two young children. I very quickly dove in head first with being the mother role in our home, as well as still trying to keep my own identity. I am sure most moms can relate – once you become a mom, you become second to your kids and homes needs. I sat down one night and made a list of things that brought me joy – taking pictures was in the top 5. The wheels started turning for me immediately and I started talking to my husband about wanting to take time for me to focus on photos. Fast forward to that years Thanksgiving and he told me when we leave our family’s dinner, he’d like to go to the store. He wasn’t a shopper, let alone a Black Friday shopper so I was confused but agreed. To my surprise, he had found a great deal on a camera and he wanted to surprise me with the purchase. I remember screaming in the store being so excited – it was finally happening! From there I dove into educational classes and making my Bonus Kids model for me as I learned all I could about settings, lighting and everything else with using my new gear! After a few months I felt comfortable opening this dream up to the public and hosted “Back To School Minis” where I took photos of young kids going back to school with a desk and other school like props (they were so cute!). This one afternoon sky rocketed everything for me and within a week I had others reaching out asking me for photos. I wasn’t sure if I was quite ready to be taking on clients, but if they had faith in me I wanted to make sure I had faith in myself too! From there I built my Social Media platforms and started advertising that Erica Jeanne Photography was officially up and growing! A few months later in October 2020 I officially filed my LLC and my business was about as real as it could get. I was photographing couples, families, new babies and everything in between! I continued to learn and expand my passions and in Summer of 2022 I shadowed another local photographer to learn all the things about weddings. I slowly dipped my feet into this idea and knew immediately that this was a leap I wanted to take – and I did just that! I successfully had my first full wedding season in 2023 and am projected to double that with this years wedding season. With a little nudge from the people who cared about me most, this idea went from a dream to reality and it’s my favorite story to share!

Erica, 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?

I am a portrait and wedding photographer, meaning I take photos of couples, families, and wedding days! I like to tell stories with the photos I take, rather than just posing and asking clients to “Say Cheese!” I started my passion of photography many many years ago, and fully planted the seed of a business in 2019. By 2020 my passion was a real business and I have been growing and expanding ever since. I believe my style to be timeless, bold and warm. I want my clients to always feel like they are hanging out with a friend for their session, or their wedding day, and allow me to capture the candid and raw moments.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

New clients for me typically come from word-of-mouth! There is no better advertisement than a previous client sharing their experience as well as their photos from their session or wedding day with me!

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

The key to social media for me has always been to stay consistent. Being consistent in not only posting (making sure to share at least 2-3 times a week) but also making sure my work was consistent as well. I never want someone to see photos from a session with me, expect a certain style and then when I deliver their gallery it’s completely different. It’s really easy to get caught up and forget to post, however making this a priority has been so helpful for my business! Facebook also has the capability of scheduling posts, so this has been helpful in getting things to post during suggested algorithm times and doing so without having to be at the computer in real time.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ericajeannephotography.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erica_jeanne_photography/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EricaJeannePhotography/