We were lucky to catch up with Holly Lee recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Holly, thanks for joining us today. What sort of legacy are you hoping to build. What do you think people will say about you after you are gone, what do you hope to be remembered for?
The person I am on a shoot, the way I make you feel when we’re talking about your project, the level of generosity and warmth that I convey. These are the things that make the difference between a one time client and a lasting relationship. It’s so important to me that the people I work with feel deeply cared for at every point in the process. When I get an inquiry I want to respond as soon as I’m able because I know timing matters. When we’re working through ideas I want to give all I have to offer. On shoot day it’s my goal to be organized and thoughtful in how I approach things. I want to give my best and create an atmosphere that matches the quality of the images. As an artist it’s my desire to create beautiful and provoking images. And as a person of faith, it’s my desire to let the love in my heart overflow to reach those I work with.
Holly, 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 started really being interested in photography as both a craft and a potential business when I was in high school. I’d just found my grandmother’s film camera in our attic and immediately I was taken in. I got my first camera years before and spent endless amounts of time photographing whatever I thought was interesting. Then later when I started doing portrait work I loved the collaboration between me and the people I worked with. I got my masters in photography from Middle Tennessee State University and I can’t express enough my thankfulness for my professors. Their wealth of knowledge and love for the craft spilled over and I carry it all with me today.
My area of focus is portrait work and providing small businesses with images that further solidify their brand identity. It’s my goal to create thoughtful, honest images that come from a documentary point of view.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
As a quiet creative the most rewarding part of my job is seeing what was in my head be fully realized on my camera screen. The joy of capturing the moment so precisely where all the pieces come together even for that split second is like no other. Getting to share that with the person I’m working with makes it even more fun. I love sharing those moments with my clients because it propels us forward and opens up our imaginations even more.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
The level of preparation it takes to fully meet my creative vision on shoot day is a lot more than I would have thought years ago at the beginning of my photography career. I recently had a session that solidified that for me. I think as I grow in my craft, I see that the other side of success creatively is preparation and organization. I would call myself much more a natural free spirit than a steady plodder. I don’t like reading directions, I don’t like doing the same thing over and over and over. I love figuring things out and the freshness of new experiences. That certainly has its upsides in a creative field but in order to foster success in my business I’ve had to supplement a lot of time planning and organizing my goals. It’s a well known saying that success or luck is when preparation meets opportunity and it couldn’t be more true. To steward well what you desire to see grow, there’s hours that must be put in before you ever get to the day where you put it all to practice.
Contact Info:
- Website: hollycatherinephotography.com
- Instagram: @hollycatherinephoto
- Facebook: facebook.com/hollycatherinephoto
- Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/hollycatherinephoto