We recently connected with Laura Smith and have shared our conversation below.
Laura, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. 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?
I hope that my personal legacy will be much more complex, but I want my business legacy to be simple. My clients hire me for photos, and I wholeheartedly hope that they will walk away with beautiful, tangible memories to look back on, but more importantly, I hope they remember feeling seen and valued when they work with me.
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 am a portrait photographer based in Elbert County, Colorado, but I work throughout the Denver Metro Area. I photograph families, high school seniors, newborns, and couples, and my goal is to provide each client with an easy experience and a fun, relaxed photo session! I provide every client with a mix of gorgeous, well-posed photos, as well as the beautiful, candid, in-between moments. My goal is to create photos that reflect the beauty and nuances that make you…you.
I transformed my lifelong love of photography into a business after the birth of my oldest daughter in 2010. As a new parent, I desperately wanted to pause time and remember everything. Photography evolved into my way of doing that, and now I do the same for others because I believe wholeheartedly in the significance of photos. I know first-hand that every stage matters and they disappear way too fast.
Have you ever had to pivot?
I started my business as a wedding photographer in 2011, but 2016 taught me that I would have to pivot if I wanted to continue my photography business. Not only was I dealing with a high risk (and unexpected) pregnancy, but one of my daughters was hospitalized with pneumonia at the height of wedding season.
I realized that I could no longer serve my family and my clients well as a wedding photographer. There are no sick days with wedding photography, and booking once-in-a-lifetime events was adding too much unnecessary stress to my plate. I needed to make my family my first priority by choosing work that could be rescheduled in an emergency.
In late 2016, I began to shift my business to family, senior, and newborn photography. This still allowed me to do what I love, but also gave me more scheduling freedom and the ability to put my family first.
Closing the door on wedding photography in 2016 felt crushing, but this pivot led me to joy and fulfillment that I wouldn’t have experienced otherwise, and I am grateful for it.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
One of the most rewarding aspects of owning a creative business is showing my children that their futures aren’t limited to traditional education and jobs.
Until recently, the societal expectation was that you 1.) go to school, 2.) get a job in a field related to your degree, and 3.) work in that job until retirement. That process works wonderfully for some, but it certainly isn’t the only way. My husband and I have both taken non-traditional paths in our chosen careers, and I’m grateful that it has opened my children’s eyes to possibilities that may not have otherwise seemed accessible. No matter which path they choose, I want them to know that they can be successful and happy on their own terms.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.laurasmithphotos.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurasmithphotography/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laurasmithphotography
Image Credits
Laura Smith Photography