We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Morgan Worsham a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Morgan , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?

My parents were always very entrepreneurial themselves. They both had businesses that they owned while I was growing up, so that was a great example. When I got into highschool and realized I was interested in photography, they really supported me! In about 2010 my dad got me a DSLR camera and a couple of lenses to use from a friend, and my passion for the craft was solidified!

When it came time for college I had an academic scholarship, I felt I needed to go for something “practical” like business and then have a minor in photography. My mom and I got to orientation for business and they started going through the courses I would be taking and she leaned over to me and said “you’re going to hate this, do you want to leave and go to the art one.” I asked if she would be disappointed if I pursued an art degree and she said “you earned this opportunity yourself, you can decide what you do with it!” I had never felt so supported, seen, and encouraged. Fast forward 10 years later and I am still doing what I love!

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

I strive to make people feel good about themselves. My main goal is for my clients to look back at their images and feel that moment all over again, feel how beautiful they felt, how happy they were, etc. The slogan for my company is “romantic & real” because that is how I believe we should all live life, romanticize the little things and be real! I want people to feel “themselves” in my photos rather than a pose or a style of image making.

I began my journey in photography at 15 years old, I am currently 28 and there has never been a time when I questioned doing this. It has never been an option for me to quit. Even when it would have been “practical” or “the easiest thing to do”, I knew I would ultimately be unhappy. When I think about my future I see myself at 40 years old, still enchanted by seeing true love reflected in my lens. My husband is my second shooter the majority of the time (we met in art school, and he bought me my dream camera as a graduation present, even though I insisted he didn’t do that…he’s basically an angel) and it is my absolute happy place to work with him capturing love!

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

After attending art school and now working in the same art department at my University, I see a lot of students and individuals come through that think art is easy. I also see a lot of people think that getting into photography or other creative fields will be an easy way to make money. At the end of the day, it is not easy. Pouring yourself, your inspiration, your goals, your love, and your care into a creative field can be very draining. The monetary cost, the time cost, and the social cost are aspects that a lot of people don’t consider up front. It can also be difficult when you’re so closely connected to something and you face criticism or failure, which we will all face at some point in every journey, but when it is so personal it can be difficult.

I have missed several family events, friends parties, weddings, baby showers, funerals, etc because I was booked to photograph a wedding. I have spent so much money to upgrade equipment, software, investing in education, and overall improving my client experience that some years, I don’t make a big profit at all. At the end of the day, those were sacrifices that were necessary for me personally to foster this business and creative outlet that I love. It isn’t easy, but it is worth it once you get to where you want to be.

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

Everyone is not your clientele. When owning a small business, especially a creative one, there will be people that are not your ideal clientele. I had to learn that I could not accept everyone that wanted to work with me because at the end of the day neither of us would be satisfied with the work or experience.
Sometimes it is best to recommend a client to someone that you know will be where their style or a better personality fit when working closely on a creative project.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.themorganleephotography.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/the_morganleephotography?utm_source=qr&igshid=MzNlNGNkZWQ4Mg%3D%3D

Image Credits
First photo of me uploaded: Grace Cockrell Photography Remaining photos: The Morgan Lee Photography (me)