We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Mary Britton Senseney a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Mary Britton, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?

Overall I’m happy working for myself as a freelancer. It provides me the opportunity to make my own schedule and really be present with my kids and family. I’m able to pick projects I find interesting and collaborate with other creatives in my industry. I do sometimes think about having a regular job and have even taken a break from my freelance career to test the waters. While it was nice to have a steady paycheck and not have to market myself, I didn’t find it satisfying. I didn’t like the rigid schedule. I missed being creative with others. It’s made me realize I’m not a 9-5 person and need the freelance lifestyle I currently have.

Mary Britton, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Throughout my career I’ve experimented in many different areas of photography. In addition to food and interiors, I was very interested in photojournalism and thought it was the line of work I’d enjoy the most. I quickly found it wasn’t. I didn’t like the lack of control that I had in the studio. I shifted my focus early on and narrowed in on studio photography shooting cookbooks and editorial food stories for clients. I find that setting most enjoyable, working with stylists to create an image together. While I still market myself as a studio photographer, I’ve had to diversify my work due to living in a small city. I’ve added interiors to my work and shoot primarily for interior designers looking to promote their recent projects. I feel like what sets me apart in my desire to collaborate with others. I want the image to be an effort from the team and not just my eye telling a story. There’s no point in having an ego during the creative process, what’s best for the client is best for me.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I eluded to this a little in my previous response, but I’ve pivoted quite a bit in my career over the last 12 years. Most of these changes have come during major events in my life, specifically having my family. Before I had kids, I traveled 50% of my time for work. I loved parts of it but it was really hard to leave for long periods of time when my kids were little. I had to find other ways to work and be present at home. That combined with the pandemic made me shift to shooting more interiors and less food. I’ve found similarities in shooting interiors and working in a studio that have made it feel like not too far of a pivot. At the end of the day, I still get to do what I love and be with my people and that’s what I’ve found to be the most important.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I’ve had to unlearn comparing myself to other artists and seeing every other photographer as direct competition. It’s a hard thing to overcome especially in a saturated market with photographers often vying for the same projects. As I’ve matured in my career I’ve discovered it’s more beneficial to network with other photographers and create a community to share information. It only helps us if we’re discussing the hard topics like rates, how to get clients, workflow, etc.

Contact Info:

• Website: marybrittonsenseney.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marybrittonphotography/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-britton-senseney-86836b41/

Image Credits
Mary Britton Senseney