We were lucky to catch up with Lisa Anderson recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Lisa thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.

I have always known I’ve wanted a creative job, but for a long time wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted to do. It was important to me to pursue something I felt passionate and inspired about, but I wasn’t sure how to do that, and bring in an income that could support my lifestyle. I eventually landed in the direction of graphic design, and signed up for UCLA’s 2 year extension program of Design Communication Arts. I loved my classes there, I loved the teachers, I loved seeing how things were created – movie posters, packaging, websites, etc. I had found my calling and couldn’t wait to put my education to work in the real world.

After a few years of designing for a jewelry company, I ended up landing my “dream job” creating stationary for a company called Punch studio located in Culver City. I loved working amongst other creatives, and the design freedom as an artist, but the long hours and commute from Oak Park to Culver City quickly made me realize that this wasn’t a career I could sustain if I wanted to become a Mother someday.

My husband has always been one of my biggest supporters, so when I shared my concerns with him he encouraged me to pursue one of my other great passions – Photography – which I had always been doing on the side over the years for fun, but really had no idea how to turn this passion into a profitable income. The way we looked at it was it’s better to try now, before we have kids, and if things didn’t work out then I’d still have time to figure out something else.

I gave my notice at my “dream job” to pursue this new venture, and they were understanding and supportive, and even allowed me to continue to work from home for them a few days a week so I still had some income while pursuing my new venture in photography.

I began by purchasing a professional level camera, which thanks to YouTube and a lot of trial and error I learned how to use. I started out small by photographing families and friends for free, to learn and grow and build my portfolio. Over time my skills grew and so did my client base, but my income wasn’t quite where I had hoped it would be.

My husband encouraged me to get into wedding photography, which ​intimidated me because capturing someone’s wedding day is a lot more pressure than a casual family shoot. I was excited about the idea, and terrified at the same time. What if I wasn’t good enough? What if I missed an important moment? I had so many fears but untimely decided I would never know if I didn’t try.

My first year of photographing wedding’s I worked assisting other photographers, watching them and learning how to navigate a wedding day. I learned what to do, what not to do, how to stay calm if anything unexpected came up. I quickly fell head over heels in love with photographing weddings. The heartfelt moments, the love, the laughter, all the pretty details! I couldn’t wait to someday book my very own wedding. And then that day came in 2013 when a friend of mine was getting married and asked me to photograph her wedding. Again I was excited, and terrified – but I walked through that fear and it was absolutely amazing. Since then I have photographed hundreds of weddings, and I am still in love with my job. It’s truly an honor to be witness to, and to capture some of the most special moments in people’s lives.

Since I started photographing weddings, I have also become a mother to 2 beautiful children. My career allows me to be present for most things in their lives, which is important to me. I typically photograph weddings on the weekend, and then can work/edit the photos during the week when they are at school. I love being my own boss, I set my own hours and have the choice to take on the jobs I want. If I ever start to feel overwhelmed, I have the choice to cut back on work.

I will forever be grateful to my husband who encouraged me to take the risk and pursue starting my own business as a photographer. I love my job, and I love that I am able to be a present mother.

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.

My name is Lisa Anderson. I’m a fine art wedding photographer based in Southern California (specifically, Ventura County). I specialize in capturing joyful and romantic stories with a candid, and timeless essence.

I’ve had a camera in my hand ever since I can remember, and have always been in love with documenting life’s special moments. Over time, my passion for photography and background in graphic design led me to launch my career in photography 11+ years ago.

It brings me so much joy capturing some of the most special and cherished moments in my clients lives. I simply love my job and cherish the friendships that are made.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

A lot of my inquiries come from past client referrals. I also get a good amount of leads from other wedding professionals, such a wedding coordinators or venues. However Instagram has been my #1 source of new clients. In 2022 I booked my first destination wedding in Norway – and the couple found me through one of my Instagram posts – it was a dream come true!

How did you build your audience on social media?

The best advice I have for how to build your audience on social media is have patience (it takes time) and post regularly. My following has been built over years of photographing weddings, connecting with clients and other wedding professionals I have worked with. I also try and create a visually appealing page for my followers by sharing my favorite images or moments. I use an app called “Plann” so I can see what my Instagram grid looks like before my post goes live.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://lisaleannephotography.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisaleannephotography
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LisaLeannePhotography/
• Other: Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/lisaleannephotography Wedding Wire: https://www.weddingwire.com/biz/lisa-leanne-photography Google: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Lisa+Leanne+Photography

Image Credits
Photography: Lisa Leanne Photography