We were lucky to catch up with Joanna Stuba recently and have shared our conversation below.
Joanna, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?
I think success is an idea that people chase after all their lives without realizing that they’ve already achieved it. I used to have the thoughts “one day when I’m successful”, or “I’ll be successful when..” but once I realized that success is very personal, my thoughts on it changed.
I remember during my college years I was around people who were very much ahead of me in their experience and connections, and I went home one day and wrote on a note card “Success is measured by your standards and happiness, no one can tell you of your success.”
And that is true, I’ve been successful many times over since then in many areas, even if I’m still learning or growing.
What it takes to be successful is to forget the people around you and focus on yourself, check in with the progress you made and how it makes you feel.
Joanna, 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’ve always been a visually creative person – shooting videos, taking pictures – and it was while I was in college that I decided to use photography as a way to practice my creativity, taking photos of anyone who would model for me. Eventually that became an opportunity to photograph couples and that’s when I felt a real passion for my work.
It wasn’t until 2020 that I decided I wanted to make my photography into a business, so that is when I began investing in myself and my equipment and putting myself out there – for weddings.
Now, I exclusively photograph weddings and couples, and my photography style focuses on a candid/documentary approach. I love the real and authentic moments that a couple exchanges when they are just focused on one another.
A lot of couples don’t know what to expect when they hire a photographer, and for something as important as their wedding day there is a lot of trust involved, so I make sure to be as communicative and supportive as possible throughout the entire process. I meet with all of my potential clients to discuss their needs, expectations and ask questions before they even book, and after they book I send questionnaires to get all the details, not just about their wedding, but about who they are and what their story is. I have a very personal approach to my work because for me it is all about them. They’re choosing me to tell their love story, so my goal is to be there for them in any way I can, and capture their love authentically.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
Showing up consistently and authentically. My main drive for why I do what I do is simply because I love to. When you have a true passion for something it is easy to show up authentically because you’re genuine in the work you’re doing and others are able to see that. I’m consistent with the way I show up for all of my clientele and with other vendors within the wedding industry, so when recommendations come around people already know what it’s like to work with me.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
As a wedding photographer I’m in the business of people, so the most rewarding thing about my art, my photography, is that I get to make people happy with it. I’m not just taking pictures, I’m capturing memories, freezing moments in time that someone who was once a stranger is now printing or hanging an image of up in their home. I love that my photography allows me to meet so many beautiful people and travel to so many place.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://joannastuba.com
- Instagram: @joannastuba
Image Credits
Joanna Stuba Photography