We were lucky to catch up with Melissa K. McGowan recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Melissa K. thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?
Practice, practice, practice! I purchased my first camera 10 years ago as a hobby and decided, 2 years ago, to put all of my energy into creating my business. I’ve poured myself into learning the ins and outs of running a photography business by reading different books and watching a lot of YouTube videos. There is plenty of free and essential information that is so accessible to us now, so it was easy for me to find amazing online resources to learn anything I wanted to. I don’t believe there was anything that could have helped me speed up my learning process. Being a photographer is a process within itself. You have to put in the time to work and practice your craft. You have to learn your style of photography and figure out what will surpass you from the others. There are many genres of photography and finding which one you prefer to work in takes time. It has always been important to me not to rush the process but trust the process. Trust and believe that the time and energy that I’m putting into my craft daily will pay off in the long run.
Learning how to stay motivated as an artist is a valuable skill for any creative professional, and also the biggest obstacle. Even though art practice is independent, getting new opinions on my projects can help me find the motivation to continue. When I’m starting a new project, I’m probably at my most optimistic and open to new ideas, so I take advantage of that state of mind and let other artists, friends, or family members help me get motivated.
Melissa K., 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?
I am a photographer who specializes in family, portraits, and wedding photography. My work focuses on capturing the pure essence of my clients. Storytelling is a very important aspect of my craft, and I believe representation matters. I create photos that speak volumes that will organically marvel people with joy and happiness when they see the finished product. I’m most proud of investing in myself and understanding my value. We all have the confidence in us to take chances and once I found my style of photography, the more I understood my worth. What sets me apart from other photographers is my authenticity to capture real moments, and understand my clients. All my sessions are just made up of moments. It takes no less than 1/500th of a second for me to capture the perfect image in a frame…that’s quick. I try to assure my clients that no session is perfect, but if they remove expectations, and be with me in each moment they will fall in love with the final product. When I have my clients’ full trust, they will receive my full vision and that is exactly what people are investing in when they choose me as their photographer.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
Seeing my images come to life. I believe God is using me as His vessel to bring these images to life- using me to tell a story to others. I go into each session with an open mind and feed off my clients’ energy. There’s a level of power that comes with being an artist- the notion of freedom, knowing you can manifest what you are envisioning. It’s truly rewarding. When my clients are amazed by the work you have delivered to them, it’s gratifying knowing I can bring such joy to them through my work.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
Starting this business for my family is my #1 mission, but my main goal is to build a successful business that can surpass my 9-5 job financially. I love having the freedom of working for myself. Of course, there are a lot of hurdles that come into play with doing so, but making mistakes and learning from them is essential to building my empire. I’ve learned throughout my time as an entrepreneur that success is the perfect amalgamation of creating and business combined. Creativity is what fuels my big ideas, which then opens the doors to new business opportunities that I may have overlooked in the beginning.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.melissakmcgowanphoto.com
- Instagram: @melissakmcgowanphoto
- Facebook: @melissakmcgowanphoto
Image Credits
Melissa K. McGowan Photography