We were lucky to catch up with Mallary Denson recently and have shared our conversation below.

Mallary, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

Learning the art of photography has been an ongoing uphill thrill. I began my learning process like most people, through YouTube (what I call YouTube University). I studied each part of photography from the exposure triangle, understanding natural lighting, strobe lighting, posing to communicating with clients and understanding photography gear.

Knowing what I know now, I would have taken more courses, studied photography books, shadowed local photographers, and invested in one-on-one sessions with photographers I admired.

There are several essential skills I think one must possess in order to be a successful photographer:
-Eye for detail
-Persistence
-Great communication
-Creativity
– & of course understanding the art of photography

There were many obstacles when I was learning photography. 1. Not knowing the correct terms for the challenges I was facing. 2. Knowing who’s information was correct. 3. Understanding light. 4. Mastering The Exposure Triangle.

Mallary, 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?

My love for photography began back in 2006. I was a senior in high school and decided to choose Yearbook as an elective. I chose Yearbook because it seemed to be an easy class for my senior year, but I had no idea that it would be the kickstart to my life of freedom. When my teacher put that camera in my hand, the rest was history. I began to rake photos of EVERYTHING (photos for the yearbook in addition to photos for my personal benefit). Once I graduated, my mom purchased a camera and I immediately claimed it and became the “unofficial” family photographer, and I took my role very seriously. I still have several photo albums filled with the pictures I took during that time.

Over the next nine years, I worked odd jobs and also studied elementary education at University of South Florida. Once I graduated and began teaching, I brought my first professional camera (Nikon D3200). I also brought my passion for photography into my classroom. I took tons of photos of my students and displayed them all around my classroom. On my first Parent-Teacher Conference Night, my students rushed their parents in to show them all of the photos I had taken. After several parents asked me if they could have the photos at the end of the year, I thought to take my passion more seriously. So, I began to study, take courses, binge-watch YouTube videos, and practice nonstop.

After 2.5 years of this, I decided to turn my passion into a legitimate side hustle. And a year later, I turned that side hustle into a full time business (which has been going strong ever since).

My journey through entrepreneurship has been amazing so far. There have been many celebratory milestones reached, but also scalp scratching and hair pulling moments as well. Two of my top struggles were: finding clients and pricing my service. I soon found that these two things are extremely common topics that a plethora of other photographers struggles with as well.

I am African American female portrait photographer located in Tampa, Florida. I specialize in family, maternity and birthday sessions but have the ability to make anyone’s vision come to life. I have a creative eye, genuine spirit and the ability to make each session so much fun, clients forget about any worries leading up to their session.

I am most proud of being able to be the boss of my own business. As a young girl, I never even thought about being a businesswoman. My dreams all included being an employee, so to be able to make a living better than I could have imagined males me extremely proud.

What sets me apart from other photographers is my personality and genuine love for my clients. I strive to make each client feel and look their best in front of the camera. I dance, make corny jokes (some of them are pretty good), ask clients to do awkward things that bring genuine smiles and laughter. Each client feels like family once the session begins.

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

One important lesson I had unlearn was counting on my family and friends. Not to say that I cannot count on them. But because i come from a pretty large, close-knit family, I was so used to depending on them for everything. When I became a business owner, I quickly learned that getting business from my family alone, would not keep me afloat. I had to venture out and depend on strangers to notice my value and make the investment.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I love this question. I can confidently state that word of mouth has kept my name in all the rooms I was unable to physically be in. My clients (which are now my family) refer me to any one they know that are looking for pictures, They all say that I am their “forever photographer”.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://capturedbymallary.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/captured_by_mallary/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapturedbyMallaryPhotography
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.ca/biz/captured-by-mallary-photography-tampa

Image Credits
Photographer- Captured by Mallary Photography LLC