We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Holly Cross a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Holly thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s jump to the end – what do you want to be remembered for?

The idea of taking pictures with a professional photographer can be daunting formality to some people. My goal has always been to create a positive, engaging and memorable experience. The objective, of course, is to get a great photo but in my experience, when the person in front of the camera feels relaxed and empowered and I’m not quietly hiding behind the camera—that guarantees a great photo. My most satisfied moments as a professional photographer have been both me and my client(s) are mutually enjoying each other and the process of taking photos and their jaws drop when I show them peeks of what I’m capturing. That’s the legacy I want to maintain—leaving people in awe and delight of how beautiful they (or their children) truly are, in spite of what on the surface may look like an every day moment.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I was introduced to photography in high school through my journalism class. I started as a disinterested sophomore, sitting in the back of the class and ended my senior year as the editor in chief of the school magazine, having produced more issues in a single year than any before. I developed a passion for telling stories not just in words but also in pictures. Through my instructor, I found a job as a graduation ceremony photographer with a nationwide company, where I still work today and that training has really built the foundation of my photography knowledge and skill and through that has lent me a variety of other experiences in other fields of photography. Today, I specialize in senior portraits, including studio portraiture, kids and engagements. I’m most proud of the shoots I’ve done where I’ve truly surprised someone. Usually a mom who only sees her kids being wild and uncooperative but the pictures I end up with provide no evidence of it but most notably, a bride, who before getting her photos was stuck in reflecting on everything that went wrong on her wedding day but after seeing her photos, her attitude was transformed as she saw only lovely moments from a perfectly beautiful day.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

Word of mouth is gold for a photographer. In a world where everyone is a photographer now, it can be hard to stand out and when you have so many options, more often than not, you’ll go with an option someone recommends from personal experience.. A lot of my new clients are friends or family of people I’ve photographed and I love that. I’ve had the pleasure of watching kids and families grow and capture landmark moments in people’s lives.

How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?

Absolutely. Several of my clients have become friends and therefore I’ve become their go-to family photographer. But even on a larger scale, I’ve been building loyalty with schools who continue to rehire me for their graduation ceremonies and therefore, provide me a steady outlet for advertising and gaining more new clients.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @photographybyhollycross AND @fehu.fotos (studio portraits specifically)
• Facebook: Photography by Holly Cross AND Fehu Fotos

Image Credits
All images are my own from previous photo shoots