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

Murphy, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

Being successful in my opinion involves 3 major factors. Determination, dedication, and delivery. I call it the 3D effect.

Rather than focusing on what can make you money, focus on what makes “you”.

Once I understood, and took the time to understand what my passions are, or what I may have interests in, I took a deeper dive. I looked into the certain aspects of my life and thought about where they have brought me. I focused on the impacts they have had, whether negative or positive and asked myself, do I need to make changes?

Once these aspects were identified, it became a bit easier and allowed me to focus on mastering my craft. They often say it’s not about the time you’re dealt, but more importantly, what you’ve produced in that time.

This allowed me to focus more on the quality of my work, and create my own master pieces of progress.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

The How

I got into photography during pandemic (late 2020) and didn’t really deem myself to be professionally involved until early 2023.

I believe during the pandemic was when people really took the time to study themselves, incase things took a turn for the worse. It provided an opportunity for most to learn new skills, make life adjustments. Whether it was business wise or personal. That was when I took the opportunity to work on my photography skills and also make myself a better cook!

Products & Services

I adapt to my client’s needs. Taking the time to master my craft has allowed me to function in multiple environments. With that, I do weddings, engagements, car shows, products/brands, professional headshots, nature shots, and much more. My passion for photography has allowed me reach limits I thought I’d never reach, and it brings me great joy to know that I can take on any project thrown my way.

Proud Moments

One aspect I enjoy about what I do is working with those who may be camera shy, I believe as long as you, being the person behind the camera, are aware of what you’re doing, this can provide a sense of comfort to those in front of the camera. That’s why for my motto, I always say “your image, my focus”. I like to have fun during shoots and to let people know that not everything has to be serious all the time. Live in the moment, cherish it. Be yourself.

That One Thing…

One thing about me that I can share is that I enjoy being in front of the camera, as much as I am behind it. I enjoy doing self-portraits and about 99% of the professional photos you will see of me is captured by none other than myself. I find it the most challenging but it also allows me to master my angles when it comes to working with clients.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

Lesson of the Day

An important lesson I had to unlearn was that not everyone’s journey is your journey, Whether it be on social media (YouTube, Instagram, Facebook etc.), or words from a “wiseman”.

I Spent a lot of time on social media studying the newest equipment, watching YouTube videos of photographers telling you what to do and what not to do while taking shots at each other in the process. “I have a friend who does photography” stories over and over, while you stand around with your hands in pockets doing inadvertent calve raises in sync with your eyebrows raising in surprise. Eventually it becomes a cycle of storytelling I had no interest in.

While it’s good to learn tips and tricks, and be inspired by what we learn and see, it doesn’t have to be our story. I worked hard to understand that just because someone does something like this, doesn’t mean you have to do it like that in order for you to gain success. I guess I understood why they’d be called an “influencer”, but I did my best to steer away from that and focus more on how I can promote “me” and what I can do to stand out. At the end of the day, what works for others may not work for you. So, I say challenge yourself. Get out there, find your style, find your drive, and show the world what creativity truly means, and have someone else tell your story.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

Rather than selling my car to get gas money. I actually cut back on driving (additional reasons also), and allowed me to allocate some funds towards upgrading my equipment. You’d be surprised on how much you save simply because of gas prices alone.

One other important piece of advice I can provide is that you build your credit. It played a huge role in me managing paying for equipment. This approach allowed me to manage my funds while making payments towards the pricier items. But hey, If you can buy it right out, then more power to you.

Things can get expensive but you don’t always have to dive in head first for them. Look at where you are financially, the bills you need to pay, essential items and so forth. Look at how much you make, also, how much you can potentially make on the side, and start your base planning around that.

Most importantly, if you know you’re not financially ready, don’t dig a hole for yourself, wait it out.

Tough times will pass, don’t let it weigh you down. Just remember the 3D effect. Determination, dedication, and delivery.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://mcaesarphotography.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mcaesarphotography/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MCaesarphotography/

Image Credits
All photos courtesy Murphy Caesar (@mcaesarphotography)