We were lucky to catch up with Kellie Craport recently and have shared our conversation below.

Kellie, appreciate you joining us today. Alright – so having the idea is one thing, but going from idea to execution is where countless people drop the ball. Can you talk to us about your journey from idea to execution?

In a way, my business was something that started a little bit unintentionally. Years before I had even thought of creating a business, I had actually been a kindergarten teacher, which is what I went to college for.

I’d always loved photography though. Over the years, I had dabbled in it as a hobby and had taken some elective courses during my high school and college years. My mom is also a professional photographer, so I was used to being the model for her and her colleagues.

After my first daughter was born, my husband, Tyler, and I decided that it made more sense for me to be home with our new baby. For Christmas that first year, he gifted me a Nikon D5300 so that I could have a nice camera to document our family moments.

My mom helped me learn photoshop, and I began photographing and editing photos of my daughter. I shared the photos on social media and slowly, friends started asking me to take photos of their children. I did a handful of shoots just as a favor to my friends without even thinking about making any kind of profit.

One day, an acquaintance reached out and asked how much I charged for a session. I was honestly shocked that someone would be willing to pay me to take their photos. Up until that point, I really just considered it a hobby that I was doing for fun. I threw out the price of 50$ and she agreed. That first paid shoot was so exhilerating. Someone was actually PAYING me to do something I enjoyed so much. What a concept!

After that shoot, I made a business page and slowly began advertising my sessions for 50$ each. I got a handful of paid gigs those first few months and also did a handful of free sessions to boost my portfolio.

My first experience with a wedding was when a close friend of mine got married. She had a private wedding ceremony and had her reception a week later. She didn’t have a photographer coming to her reception and I asked her if I could bring my camera. I was hooked after that. I knew that I wanted to be a wedding photographer and I was going to figure out how to make it happen.

As luck would have it, a coworker reached out shortly after and asked me if I would photograph her daughter’s wedding. I explained to her that I had only shot my friend’s reception and really had no wedding experience, but I would be willing to try if they were okay with me being a newbie. They said they were happy to take a chance on me and that March, I shot my first full wedding for 300$. I left that wedding on such an emotional high and I dove full in.

I spent hours reading, stalking big name photographers on social media, watching youtube videos and practicing. I used my own wedding dress and wedding ring to get detail photos, practiced taking couples portraits of my friends and advertised like crazy. I got a few jobs as a second shooter which also helped grow my portfolio.

Slowly but surely, I acquired more professional gear, raised my prices significantly and eventually built a thrivng business that actually helps provide for my family.

Kellie, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I started my business because I felt such a passion for photography. I get to be creative and make beautiful art that holds so much meaning for my clients. How amazing that we can visually freeze moments in time. Children grow up, life chapters come and go, wedding days fly by and sadly, people pass away. You really can’t put a price on preserving life’s memories. The fact that I can capture these precious moments for people means so much to me. Someday my clients’ great grandchildren might be looking at these photos. How cool is that?

While I specialize in engagement and wedding photography, I do a little bit of everything when it comes to portraiture. I strive to provide my clients with an easy and fun experience in addition to creating beautiful images for them. I want them to leave our session feeling like they’ve made a new friend and have had a great time! I hope that my clients can see that I pour my heart and soul into my work.

For my wedding clients, I am there to hold their hand every step of the way. I start with an initial consultation so that I can learn about their individual needs, vision, fears and hopes for their big day. I offer timeline guidance so that their day flows smoothly and is as stress-free as possible. My wedding pacakges include a complimentary engagemet session as well. While the free shoot is a nice bonus, my main purpose for offering this is to get my clients comofortable with me and being in front of my camera before the wedding! It gives my clients and I a low-pressure situation to get to know eachother better before the hustle and bustle of the wedding day. Leading up to the wedding itself, I check in regularly with my clients and have one final pre-wedding meeting to discuss the plan for the day and make sure everyone is on the same page. On the day itself, my assistant and I are your hype squad! We aren’t just there to take your photos, but also to help you out anyway necessary. We’ll fetch you drinks, hold your phone and let you know if your lipstick needs a touch-up. We care and want you to have the absolute best day. Following the wedding, I provide sneak peeks within 3 days. I realize how hard it is to wait to see your wedding photos, and I want to provide my clients with a good preview to hold them over while I work on the full gallery. Upon finishing a full wedding gallery, my clients are provided with a gorgeous online-gallery that is easy to share with friends and family. I also offer custom albums through my in-house graphic design specialist. Lastly, I mail my clients a “thank you” gift. Because I truly appreciate them trusting me with these hugely important memories.
I get to make my own schedule, be home with my babies and also help provide for my family while doing a job that I am so passionate about. I am so darn grateful!

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

I think the most important thing for growing clientele is actually so simple. Treat your clients right and do your job to the best of your ability. If someone is paying you for your work, that is such a huge compliment. I couldn’t do what I do without clients and I want them to know I appreciate them and give them the best I have to offer.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

When I was getting started, and even now, I was blown away with how many (mostly free!) resources there are online. I almost completely learned my craft by watching YouTube videos, reading blogs from other photographers and listening to podcasts. Some of my favorite YouTube photogs are Joy Michelle, Katelyn James, FStoppers and Taylor Jackson. Joy Michelle and Katelyn James also have a great podcast for small business owners (photography related and not!).

Contact Info:

• Website: www.sweetpeaimagesphotography.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/sweetpeaimageskcraport
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/sweetpeaimagesbykelliecraport

Image Credits
Sweet Pea Images, Kellie Craport