We were lucky to catch up with Lane Collins recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Lane , thanks for joining us today. Are you able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen?

I have been fortunate enough to be able to earn a full-time living from my creative work. For me personally, I think the timing for when I started my business couldn’t have worked out any better. I started in high school taking friend’s senior portraits and photos for local families. This allowed me to start small, earn a little extra money on the weekends, and hone in on my skills in order to upscale my business. There wasn’t a lot of financial responsibility at this time in my life. That was such a key asset because unlike a lot of my peers in the industry, I was able to grow a business with relatively no consequences if it didn’t work out.

During my years in college, I was able to really begin raising my prices and taking on bigger projects. I had transitioned over to weddings during my senior year of high school and quickly realized the income that was out there in this part of the industry. And on top of that, I loved it. The energy of a wedding day is unlike anything else. Every year in college I was able to book more and more. By the time I graduated in May this year, I felt the pressure of finding a job slowly fade. I had reached a point in my career where I feel like I am financially stable enough to continue working for myself only.

I’ve been out of college for a few months now and I love having the freedom of working for myself full time. Looking back, I don’t think there’s anything I could’ve done to speed up the process. The truth is, it just takes time. And thankfully, the time seemed to pass quickly since I started early. If there’s one piece of advice I could give anyone wanting to pursue a creative career: start yesterday. Stop questioning if you are cut out for it and just do it.

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’m originally from a very small town in north Texas. I began my journey there at the end of high school. I decided to attend college at Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas. I was able to really grow my clientele across the state which allowed me to travel a lot on the weekends. I settled in Houston back in June and I don’t plan on leaving anytime soon.

I provide a wedding photography experience for Houston couples that goes beyond just showing up, taking photos, and leaving. I love getting to know my clients from the very first email. I offer engagement and bridal sessions before the wedding which also is key in getting them comfortable in front of the camera before their big day. One thing that a lot of my couples tell me is how they just feel like a friend. They feel like they’ve known me for a long time. That’s always my goal and honestly the biggest compliment I could receive. I never want this process to feel like a transactional affair. When you invest in me, you’re investing in the photos of course, but much more. I’m there to reassure you that we are on schedule, to find that aunt that you need a special photo with, to hold your bouquet, and to be your right-hand-man.

It’s my job to learn who you and your partner are at the core in order to feel the day and capture it through my eyes. I feel like these things set me a part in the industry. I’m not here to fabricate or copy and paste your wedding day through my photography. I love this job because I get to evaluate each day differently and preserve it how I see it. All of my galleries are different. You won’t find the same set of photos in every one. And that’s something I’m very proud of.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

A big lesson that I had to unlearn was that every wedding day would unfold in the same way. In the beginning I thought that weddings would all run on the same schedule with the same traditional events taking place. But, I was wrong of course. I think even in just the last few years especially post-covid, the entire wedding world has shifted. Couples realized that they can do whatever they want. They can incorporate special things that are unique to them while leaving out traditions that they don’t resonate with. This has made wedding photography even more fun. I never know what cool or unique thing I’m going to get to witness and capture. I think it only made my creativity excel and in a weird way I feel less pressure to capture “standard” photos that would be a wedding gallery now. Couples want their photos to be unique of course. No wedding days happen the same and that’s amazing. I hope couples continue to do exactly what THEY want for THEIR day.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

For me, the most rewarding aspect of being a creative is the ability to make people happy with my art. There is no better feeling in the world than sending off galleries to couples who have patiently waited to relive their day. That’s everything to me. Of course taking the photos is the best time as well, but getting to show them off is even better. I also love that my “work days” take me all over the place. I get to travel, meet awesome new friends, and create work that I’m passionate about.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.laneparkerweddings.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/laneparkerweddings?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
• Facebook: https://instagram.com/laneparkerweddings?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Image Credits
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