Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Heather Dupree . We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Heather , thanks for joining us today. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?
My thoughts on being successful are pretty traditional. I think it’s all about how much work you put in. There’s always someone out there that wants it just as bad as you do. I’ve seen a lot of photographers jump into the business and think it’s going to be easy because they’re creative. But it’s not that easy. It requires a lot of dedication. I started as a wedding photographer, which I still love, but most of what I do now is Listing photography for real estate agents. When I first started, I begged agents to let me photograph their listings for free. Eventually people started paying and started referring me to other agents. It’s a super hard market to break in to.
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 started Heather Dupree Photography in 2016. Most recently, my husband, Brian Dupree, has joined my team as the drone operator. That’s been SO much fun and it’s opened us up to a lot more opportunities and commercial work. The greatest bonus is that I get to do what I love, with who I love.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
The Covid shut down provided really hard times for us, like it did everyone. For the first few months, the real estate market was really slow and we weren’t seeing a lot of listings. I started to advertise for the “Covid Front Porch” sessions and it ended up being a hit. I would stay 6ft away (or more) and photograph the families on their porch, or in the yard, under a tree, or whatever. I’m happy for the people that have that documentation now. It’ll be a big piece of history when they pass it down generationally with the Covid story.
What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?
The best source of new clients is definitely word of mouth. I also stay pretty up to date on my social media so maybe that helps with the family/senior/maternity side of my business.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://heatherdupreephotography.smugmug.com/
- Instagram: Heather Dupree Photography
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heatherdupreephotography
Image Credits
Heather Dupree Photography LLC