We were lucky to catch up with McKenzie Hamby recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, McKenzie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear the story of how you went from this being just an idea to making it into something real.

I was always a creative child. Painting, coloring, creative writing, dance, etc were some things I was always interested in – so I always knew that I would end up doing something in the arts field. Originally, I thought I wanted do go down the writing path. Creative writing was something I was super passionate about; I even eventually went to school for journalism. But I remember, my older sister always would ask me to take photos of her and her friends using this old, small digital camera that they had. They would always dress up, go outside and do silly photoshoots – and I was the photographer. Of course, these photos weren’t of professional quality by any means, but I still enjoyed doing it. I would also take her digital camera, and go outside to take photos of landscapes, flowers, just things around the yard. I remember my mom and sister looking at these photos that I took and saying that I had “an eye,” which always stuck with me. That statement made me really want to pursue the craft.

Whenever I was in middle school, my parents bought me my first DSLR camera and I was obsessed. I would spend hours on the internet swooning over other local photographer’s work and thinking that I wanted to do that one day – become a wedding photographer. Over my high school years, I would take photos of my friends and family for fun. I then went on to take senior pictures for people in my school for an extremely small amount of money, but I wanted to start getting my name out there. I did the same thing throughout college: taking graduation photos for seniors and local families. I slowly started booking larger photography gigs (small weddings, elopements, and more).

After I graduated college, I got a job working as a marketing/social media manager for a few different companies in Savannah where I go to use my photography skills. This past year, I took the leap and went full time as a Savannah photographer. I have had the most amazing opportunity photographing weddings of all sizes as well as family, maternity, newborn and more.

It went from a small dream as a high school student, to a now full on business with many clients from Savannah and beyond. It wasn’t something that happened overnight, and I really had to work hard at my craft and marketing myself to get where I am. I still have a ways to go, I’m nowhere near where I want to be, but I know that the future is going to be amazing!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is McKenzie Hamby and I’ve a 25 year old professional wedding and portrait photographer located in Savannah, GA. Before Savannah, I grew up in a small town in the North Georgia mountains called Dawsonville. I have a bachelors degree in Journalism from Georgia Southern University (hail Southern!) and have been photographing weddings, families and more professionally for over 7 years.

My goal is to create timeless and unique photos for my clients to enjoy for years to come. I would say my style is classic with a twist. I like a lot of light and bright colors in my photos. Personally, I don’t like trends when it comes to photography. Of course, it’s fun to utilize these trends to a degree, but I like to make them my own. Trends fade, but classic photography never dies. I think that’s what sets me apart from some other photographers.

I’m also very laid back (still professional though). I talk to my clients like they’re my friends because one thing about me, is that I strive to make people feel comfortable. Standing in front of a stranger with a camera can be awkward for some people, so I really like to treat my clients like a friend to ease that awkwardness.

My services include: wedding photography, elopement photography, engagement photography, couples photography, family photography, maternity photography and more.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

Finding new clients is probably the most difficult thing for creatives. For me, social media has been great. Facebook is awesome because you can create Ads that reach a large audience. There are always Facebook groups where people are always looking for local photographers. I try to get my name out there as much as possible. Instagram can be a little more tricky since the demographic is different. The trick to keep posting interesting content. I hate to say it, but reels can really work sometimes! Following the social media trends is the best way to stay relevant, which is super hard for me. I like doing things my own way.

Aside from social media, investing in Google ads has been a game changer. It can definitely be expensive to market yourself, but it’s totally worth it in the long run.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

All the people that I get to meet. My clients are so amazing! I photograph a lot of Savannah locals, but also a ton of non-locals. Savannah is such a tourist town, so a bunch of my clients are from out of town visiting. Sometimes people will email me the day before they come to visit asking for a photo session and if I can, I definitely will.

Getting to meet different people and hear their stories is so fun. The most rewarding thing is your clients being happy with their photos! Hearing their feedback is such a serotonin boost!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.kenziemorganphotography.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kenziemorgan_photography/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kenziemorganphotography