We recently connected with Lisa Villella and have shared our conversation below.

Lisa, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about how you got your first non-friend, non-family client. Paint the picture for us so we can feel the same excitement you felt on that day.

My very first paying client found me on Instagram. They wanted a family session, which at the time was something I did. In fact, I was taking any type of photography someone would hire me for. I don’t remember how much I charged, but I can tell you it was probably too much – given my level of confidence.

On the day of the session, the weather was not looking good – pouring rain was predicted for precisely the time of their session. I contacted my client, asking if she wanted to reschedule, but she wanted to go ahead with it. Not sure why I didn’t reschedule… that was my first mistake.

The photos were to take place at her home, so I had no idea what I was getting into as far as location (and shelter from the elements). As soon as I arrived, it began to pour. I panicked a little (or a lot) but found a spot on their covered porch for photos and some in front of the garage door. This meant I was standing out in the rain, getting myself and my gear thoroughly soaked. I tried to play it cool, like I wasn’t worried that my only camera was probably getting destroyed.

We finished their session in an empty bedroom in their basement, with their extended family they decided to add on at the last minute. I used my off-camera flash, that I wasn’t at all comfortable with, and ended the session not a moment too soon.

It was kind of a nightmare, but I learned a ton. I also immediately invested in a rain cover for my camera that has saved me countless times since then. I can also say that I am now proficient at using off-camera flash and rescheduling session due to inclement weather!

Lisa, 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 have always had an interest in photography, but I didn’t get into Wedding Photography specifically until 2017. Up until that point, I had never considered wedding photography as an option, for me. However, that all changed when I stumbled upon Amy and Jordan Demos during a week-long online photography conference. They were one of the keynote speakers and I instantly fell in love with their story and their work. After their presentation, I began looking into them more and found that they offered in-person workshops, so on an impulse, I went. It was such an amazing experience. I met so many awesome people. It was a significant steppingstone for my business. I started 2nd shooting for other photographers and eventually began photographing my own client’s weddings. It really has been a wild ride.

I love to work with fun couples that are real and honest and not too caught up in what is trendy at the moment. Couples that value marriage and want to live in the moment on their wedding day. Crossing off a long list of predetermined poses is definitely not my thing. I am there to document each couple’s day as it unfolds in its own, unique way. They will have photos that others will see and want to copy, but they will never be able to because they are as unique as the couple – that’s what makes them special.

I highly recommend to each of my clients that they purchase a wedding album. I have a design background and personally design every heirloom-quality album my clients order through me. Each full day wedding I photograph produces over 1000 final edited images. Imagine going through them and trying to narrow it down to your favorite 50 or so. That is where I start. I love to tell stories, and a wedding album is a visual story. I hand pick each photograph for the album and arrange them in a way that creatively tells the story of my client’s wedding day. They of course have multiple opportunities for revisions throughout my design process. The reason for my hands-on approach is because I find that it can be extremely overwhelming for newlyweds to get started from scratch. If it is too hard to start, it will never get done. After the wedding, life picks back up. You may not be busy planning a wedding anymore, but you will definitely be busy in your new life and all the changes that come with that. Providing only digital files feels like an unfinished product for me to deliver. I want my couples to have something to hold and hang on their walls, where they will see it every day.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

Books have been an invaluable part of the growth of my business. Some of the most impactful books include:
“The Book on Mental Touchness” by Andy Frisella
“The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck” by Mark Manson
“The Adweek Copywriting Handbook” by Joseph Sugarman (this is a very old book, but still applicable to modern marketing)

Reading books is great, but it is also important to take notes along the way. Writing down ideas as they strike me and important passages I read has really helped me get the most out of these books.

Andy Frisella is mentioned above for his book, “The Book on Mental Toughness”. Within that book, the “75 Hard Program” is detailed out. I successfully completed the program and that too has been an eye-opening experience.

Finally, SEO (Search Engine Optimization) coaching. I ignored SEO for way too long. It has been an incredibly long road, and I am still working on getting to where I want to be, but this coaching has helped me is so many ways. Not just with ranking on Google, but understanding website copy, flow and buyer mentality.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I am always creating new goals, and keep pushing myself to grow more, but my mission has really always been the same. My mission is to document the couple’s wedding day in a way that is true to them. Documenting the “why” behind the “I dos”. Forget Instagram and Pinterest. I want my couples to live in the moment on their wedding day, not checking off trending poses on their mood boards. Their story is unique. It should feel that way in their photographs.

Contact Info:

• Website: HTTPS://www.lisavillellaphotography.com
• Instagram: @lisavphotos
• Facebook: https://Www.facebook.com/lisacvillellaphotography

Image Credits

All images taken by Lisa Villella Photography