We recently connected with Faith Bavier and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Faith thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear the story of how you went from this being just an idea to making it into something real.
I’ve had some sort of camera in my hand since I was twelve years old. I grew up running barefoot in the country, photographing everything from landscapes to wildlife. It was a passion of mine to capture “ordinary” things, and make them EXTRAordinary. The encouragement of others is what truly led me to where I am today. Friends and family asked me to photograph their special life moments such as weddings, high school senior portraits, and family portraits. I remember saying to my boyfriend (now my husband of nearly 10 years) that it would be so amazing to do this for a living. I decided to go to school for Digital Video and Media Production (including photography) in the Twin Cities where I experienced a bit of Culture Shock. It wasn’t long before I had a friend group who boosted my confidence. I was constantly asked to capture behind the scenes moments, and that helped me realize my true craft was specifically photography. My friends, instructors, and fellow students praised my work, while at the same time, held me accountable. They wanted to see me be a good steward of my gift.
That emboldened me to get an internship at a photography studio. It was owned by a mother and daughter. I learned so much from them: how to pose people, how to shoot manual, and (most importantly) how to connect with your clients. They were wonderful people I aspired to be like. Nowadays, “everyone is a photographer.” But photography is so much more than having a nice camera, taking a thousand pictures and hoping to get at least ten good ones… It’s about technique, composition, editing skills, and knowing what’s important to your clientele. For example it doesn’t matter how cool your lighting is, if your subject doesn’t like the way they look, they aren’t going to buy it.
After working at the studio, I started working for a large church that needed a videographer and a ministry event photographer. I continued to be asked to photograph weddings and portraits, and I eventually decided it was time to officially create my own business. My husband has been my biggest supporter and fan. Because of him, I was able to pursue that dream. He even works as my second wedding photographer despite his full-time job. I wanted to give my business a name that somehow represented us, but wasn’t the cliche first and last name as a title. Seven years ago, we bought our dream home: a charming, all brick Tudor style cottage. So, Cottage Charm Photography was launched.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Cottage Charm Photography offers professional photos that tell the story of peoples lives. I seek to showcase each individual’s personality and interests. At the same time, I am fully capable of using my expertise to pose people and bring out the elements that make them who they are. It’s so exciting for me to see a person come to life. One thing I am proud of is my editing skills. Truly, I see every picture as a blank canvas. Many people are shocked to hear I don’t slap on a filter, or action, to all my images. Nope, I go through thousands of photos and edit each one to what I feel enhances it to the fullest. Each moment deserves my full attention. I even do composites when needed. One example involves adding a sky from one of my photographs into a current photo where the sky is just gray. Another example is swapping out faces: often there is a picture of a group of people where one person blinks, so I take the eyes, or face, from one photo and put them into another.
A second thing I’m proud of is my ability to connect with people. Often times, my clients start out very nervous, but by the end of the session they show off parts of them that was buried under the surface. That’s when the true artwork begins.
And third, I am very proud of my scenic photography. Capturing nature is literally second nature to me. I want to show people what I see, and photography allows me to do that. I have done a fair amount of traveling in my short life, and you won’t believe it, but I brought my camera with me to capture those explorations.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
What I believe has helped me the most is the connection I make with people. I truly don’t spend a ton of time marketing because the recommendations clients make to others has always been enough. For over a decade, people have come to me without much advertisement on my part because of word of mouth. It’s because not only do I strive to offer a wonderful product, but I strive to offer a wonderful experience. My main focus in life is living a life well lived. My business is second to that, and I think it’s obvious to others. I’m not a “surface level” person, and that allows others to be their natural selves.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
While I always had a love for and gift of the visual arts, I was told as a high schooler that I needed to pursue a “real” career. So, I originally took college classes that steered towards a psychology career. I loved people and I wanted to hear their stories. However, during those classes, I found myself daydreaming about visually capturing and telling those stories, and then sharing them with others. That’s when I asked myself, “What will you regret more: Chasing your dreams and failing, or not chasing them at all?” I changed my major, and I have no regrets.
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