Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Mechelle White. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Mechelle , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

Growing up I was always shown photographs of the past. Whether it was photos of past relatives or events in history, I felt apart of the moment. You ever have a family member that you never met, but know what they look like? This is all thanks to photographs. They are snapshots of the moment that are very important. When, I created Smile Productions in 2009, I knew I wanted to create these “snapshots’ for others. When, I photograph baby’s first birthday parties, anniversaries, weddings, etc. I want my clients to enjoy their event and allow me to capture the moments that they will someday look back upon. If they are busy trying to document their own events they miss moments like a cousin shedding a tear as they walk down the aisle or capturing your surprised expression as you walk into a surprise party. Letting me document these moments allows my clients to be in the moment.

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 Mechelle White and own a photography business called Smile Productions located in Maryland. Smile Productions was created in 2009, after I graduated from Stevenson University with a bachelor’s degree in Film, Video and Theatre. I minored in Photography. I chose to film school because at the time I wanted to direct adult films. It is funny now that I think about it. I thought I could bring something different to the known cheesy films. Film school put a lot of things into perspective for me. One of those things was that I did not enjoy shooting or editing film or video. I didn’t mind writing or directing, but spending hours in a lab analyzing footage was not me. One of the requirements for my film program was to take a few still photography courses. I thought I would be good at it because I had an artistic eye and I enjoyed photographing friends in high school. Boy was I wrong. My first course was a basic photography class where we used black and white film. Everything that could go wrong in that course went wrong. I remember having an assignment to tell a story that could be interpreted with just photographs. I had come up with an idea to photograph a family-owned laundry mat where the entire family helped run the business. I traveled home for the weekend to complete the assignment. When it was time to develop the film, somehow the entire roll got exposed. I had to reshoot the project and turn it in late. Another, time I was developing film with classmates in the lab and someone mixed their canister up with mine. They were further along in the developing phase and ruined my film. I had a series of misfortunes in that class. The Professor even told me that I was not cut out for photography, but being the overachiever that I am I kept pressing on. By my third course I fell in love with Photography. Something just clicked. I think it was being able to capture the peoples’ smiles that got me. I remember my first photoshoot; it was for a neighbor. I was hired to take photos of their baby for her first birthday. I didn’t make much from this shoot, but I saw how happy it made them. That feeling of making people happy and smile fueled me to grow my business.
Today, I photograph anything from Maternity, live births, parties, events, weddings and family portraits. I think what sets me apart from other photographers is the connection I have with my clients. I normally do a consultation before a shoot to find out what and who (events) are important to the client. This helps me capture the moments that will make them happy and be memorable. I truly care about my clients and want to provide them with a great experience. I am also just not there as your photographer, but as a person that wants your day or timeslot to be successful. I have zipped up so many dresses and held so many babies over the years. My clients know when booking with Smile Productions that they are not just booking a photographer, but a human being as well.

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

Word of Mouth. I learned very early on that word of mouth spreads a business further than a business card. I would say that 95% of my new clients knows someone that I either photographed or know personally. Social media doesn’t hurt either, but people would feel more comfortable knowing the people that you have photographed.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Mostly, all of my Photography courses in college where taught using film. Well, film became a bit extinct right around the time I graduated. Less and less stores where carrying it and it was really expensive. The digital age was upon us. Today, I am grateful for knowing how to use film. However, at the start of my business I had to pivot and switch everything to digital. The good thing is digital was easier and I didn’t have to worry about someone destroying my developed film…lol. Besides, I couldn’t imagine documenting a wedding today with four rolls of film and not knowing what I have until it is developed.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.smileproductions.smugmug.com
• Instagram: Smileproductionsphotography
• Facebook: Smile Productions Photography

Image Credits
Ryan White, Jr. Damion and Dillion Johnson Travis and Ashley Rice Mykey Stone Nicole Poteat Corinne Dunston-Underwood