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

Millicent, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

I was hired by a local non-profit organization called Artsbuild to photograph elementary school students on various art-inspired field trips. The project was called Imagine! and was comprised of field trips to various symphonies, plays, art galleries, and museums. Most of the students attended schools located in disadvantaged areas of the community. It was so gratifying to witness and to photograph the wonder in the eyes of the children as they experienced performances such as the Nutcracker ballet, Alladin!, and the full Chattanooga Orchestra, knowing that most of them would not be able to attend events like this without the support of the Artsbuild Imagine! program. It was such an honor to photograph these events.

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

My love for photography goes back to my childhood. I would stare at old photographs in our home and wonder about the lives that they might have led. We didn’t have much money, but there always seemed to be a camera around — Polaroids, Kodaks, etc. I bought my first professional camera when my son became a senior in high school. I wanted to capture every moment of his senior year. When I photographed him for his senior pictures, much to my surprise, his friends’ parents all wanted their children’s photos taken, as well. This was the start of Millicent Garland Photography.

Though I’ve worked in numerous genres of photography, my niche is in events and portraits. I’ve photographed a variety of events including weddings, anniversaries, political campaigns, and fashion events. My work with recording artist Ne-Yo has been featured on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN). I’ve also created portraits for numerous high school and college seniors, families, and business professionals. I have a home studio, as well, that allows me to expand my creativity in a lot of different directions. It is in the studio that I am most effective in telling my client’s story.

I am most proud when a client tells me they’re not very photogenic, but then they look at my photo of them and say, “Wow!” Such a gratifying feeling.

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

The main lesson that I had to unlearn when I became a photographer was that you cannot be everything to everybody. At the beginning of my career, I gladly accepted any job that came my way – from shooting high school football games to desperately trying to appease crying toddlers. And, most of the work was done for very little compensation. I felt that this was what I needed to do to get my name out to the public. I believe it helped to a certain extent, but the whole process left me feeling empty and burnt out. After a lot of soul searching, participation in various online forums, and discussions with colleagues, I realized not everyone is my client. I decided to “niche down” and focus on the areas that interested me the most and that I was best at. This decision meant turning down some of the work that came my way. I also raised my prices. By doing these things, I was able to build a customer base that now aligns with my values and interests.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

I’m a faithful follower of the consulting group, “The Category Pirates”. They have a digital academy designed to assist creatives and entrepreneurs who want to dominate new categories in business. My big take-away from their work is that you don’t want to be better than your competitor, you want to be different. Also, that it’s important to create your own category, and that he who creates the category, owns the category, thereby giving yourself a competitive edge. Based on this philosophy, I’m currently working to develop my own photography categories.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.millicentgarland.com
• Instagram: millicent garland photography
• Facebook: millicent garland photography
• Yelp: millicent garland photography

Image Credits

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