We were lucky to catch up with Erin Winter Raymond recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Erin, thanks for joining us today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

My father is a unique man. He is quite possibly one of the smartest and most creative people I know… not necessarily creative in the “traditional” sense (i.e.: art, baking, theatre, etc.) but he can solve nearly any problem. Being the oldest boy out of 6 children, he also grew up with a strong sense of independence, and that is something that he and my mother really tried to instill in me while growing up.
One saying he would always remind us of was, “The worst thing that can happen is they say ‘no.'” At first, it started out small….

“Hey Dad, can you call the pet store and see if they have any hamsters?”
“No, you can call yourself. The worst thing that can happen is they say ‘no.'”

However, as I grew up and the stakes got larger (“Should I try out for the dance team?” “Should I ask a new friend to hang out?” “Should I try out this new skill?” “Should I open a business?”) his continual reminder not only fostered a sense of independence but also helped me to learn how to deal with rejection. In *most* instances really the worst thing that can happen is that someone *only* says “No.” Then you can evaluate why that “no” may have occurred. Additionally, he was a huge fan of root-cause-analysis, which was highly annoying as a teenager, but another valuable lesson he instilled. This presented an opportunity to learn from the failure or rejection and improve yourself before moving forward. Maybe my skill set wasn’t strong enough, maybe my question wasn’t clear enough, maybe I wasn’t prepared enough, or simply, maybe it’s just not the right time for that particular opportunity.

Ultimately, this lesson really helped me to push myself and seek out opportunities that I would’ve otherwise been too scared to pursue. Especially when building my business! I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to work with respected mentors, photograph outstanding events, meet new people, and expand my craft purely because I asked. Because what was the worst thing that could happen? They would just say “no.” But the best thing? Maybe they’ll say “yes.”

I can’t speak about my parents without mentioning my mom, who is my best friend and greatest supporter. While my father encouraged us to ask questions, to seek new opportunities, and to put ourselves out there, my mom was along for every moment of the journey. My wins are her wins. My challenges are her challenges. She is the sounding board for nearly every question I may have, and the perfect complement to my father. I would not be where I am in my career without their lessons and support!

Erin, 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 Erin, and I am the lead photographer/owner at Erin Winter Photography. Myself and my team primarily photograph weddings within the Washington DC, Virginia, and Maryland areas, but I also serve clients in Colorado and across the US! My photography style is largely inspired by analog film photography (which I also do!) I’m drawn to vibrant colors, authentic emotion, sappy love stories, unique wedding details, and clients who love to have FUN.

While I do consider myself an artist and pride myself on the work I deliver to my clients, I ultimately feel that the experience I provide helps to set me apart from other wedding photographers. My first career was actually as a pediatric oncology nurse, and that experience greatly shaped the service I provide for my clients. I know it sounds like a stretch, but hear me out… through nursing, I have had the unique opportunity to deeply develop and shape my problem-solving skills, my ability to handle stress and other high emotions, my ability to work with diverse family dynamics and personalities, and ultimately my empathy. I understand how to help my clients and their loved ones feel comfortable, at ease, heard, respected and cherished during their photography experience. This not only allows them to better enjoy the process, but it also allows them the freedom to express their most vulnerable emotions and unique selves.

So how did I make the jump from nursing to photographer? In addition to photography, I also love to ride horses! When I started Erin Winter Photography, my horse at the time (named Goose) happened to acquire a very expensive vet bill. I needed some additional income and started brainstorming what I could feasibly do while also being a nurse.
I started by photographing family and friends, and then a fellow horse lover asked me to photograph her elopement (at which her horse would be present.) After that experience, I absolutely fell in love with photographing people, their emotions, and their love stories. I threw myself at my business and sought to learn as much as I could as quickly as I could! During its formation, I continued to work as a part-time nurse, but it felt like a natural transition to go full-time with my business when we moved from Colorado to the Washington DC area.

Finally, I feel that it’s important for readers to also know that I’m a wife to my incredible husband and mother to two beautiful girls. They are my world and inspire me to continue pushing myself, developing my business, and honing my craft. I want to be an inspiration to my girls, just like how my parents are to me.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Consistency. Consistency. Consistency. Being consistent in the service that I provide and the art that I create has helped me to build trust within my market. To mitigate the “risk” (because all decisions contain a level of risk) that clients and other vendors face by working with you, you need to develop a solid level of trust within your market. Those who choose to work with you need to know the minimum level of product and service that they will receive. You can always improve and elevate your offerings, but consistency in your baseline builds trust!

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My mission is to always keep in sight of the “why” behind my photography. This helps to not only avoid burnout but to also help me produce my best work. Some examples of “why” questions that I often ask myself during a wedding day are:
– “Why” is this wedding important to the client? (This is an easy question to answer, but still a good one to keep in mind and to help recognize how monumental the responsibility and honor is that comes with photographing a wedding)
– “Why” are these details important to the couple?
– “Why” (or “How”) are the people in attendance important to my clients?
– “Why” are their emotions in a particular moment what they are?

My goal is to always strive for self-improvement. I always want to improve my artistry, my sources of inspiration, the quality of my images, and the service I provide. I’m never complacent, and always want to do my best work while also having fun! I want to prove to myself that “I can do this” and prove to my girls that they can do ANYTHING they put their minds to. Some may criticize that this goal isn’t a “SMART” goal, but it drives me forward and keeps me engaged in the creative journey.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://erinwinterphoto.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/erinwinter_photo