We were lucky to catch up with Polly Bryant recently and have shared our conversation below.

Polly, appreciate you joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

I have always loved photography. From being behind the lens to the editing process, I love it all. I used to watch my mom use other peoples’ photographs to make a beautiful VHS for their special event whether it be a wedding or milestone birthday. I was hooked. When I got my very own DSLR in high school, I was on cloud 9 and could not wet to dive and learn the ins and outs.

Fast forward, I was teaching elementary school and drowning. The weight of caring for children in an underfunded system, understaffed schools, and outrageous expectations. Then COVID hit and all of those things doubled. I finally gained the courage to leave the classroom after virtual teaching in a pandemic, pregnant with my first baby.

After my daughter’s first birthday, my friend and I decided to take our ideas and turn them into reality. We had so much fun those first couple of months of being a duo. Sadly, shortly after ROE + POE Photography came to life, my friend moved to Colorado to build a life with her family. I was determined to keep pursuing my dream of owning my own photography business. I began investing in education from fellow photographers to dive deeper in the knowledge they had to share from editing, client experience, marketing, and all things business!

The past year has been an absolute dream. Just like anything in life, there are highs and lows. Each experience has brought an opportunity for growth. I could not be more thankful for the clients that have trusted me to capture tiny moments that will last forever. I cannot wait to pursue photography full time and create a future I’ve always dreamt of!

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

Meet the mom behind the lens.

Hi there, my name is Polly, I am a the owner and lead photographer of ROE + POE Photography. I am based out of Houston, Texas. *I am always willing to travel, y’all!* I have a passion for capturing some of life’s most beautiful moments and turning them into a forever memory. I am also the Resident Photographer of Texas Artisan Markets. I have the privilege to photography markets in Houston, Austin, and Dallas. In addition, I can participate as a vendor to host themed minis such as Pictures with Santa, which was a huge success! I cannot wait to continue to grow with Texas Artisan Markets!

My goal is to create a magical experience for each one of my clients in their sessions! This starts from inquiry to delivering your personal gallery! I have learned to love my authentic self through my own journey in front of the lens. Now, it is my turn to share that gift with others.

I love photographing weddings; big or small! I love boudoir, couples, and family photography. I host several themed minis throughout there year!

Let’s create some magic!

Have you ever had to pivot?

I feel like I have had to pivot a few times in my life!

I went to Baylor University in Waco, Texas to pursue an Education degree in 2008. By 2011, I had gotten really sick and missed month of school which went hand-in-hand with teaching within the public school system. I simple missed too many hours to realistically make them up before the end of the semester. I decided to bow out, allow myself time to rest/heal, and make a game plan to re-do the semester. This pushed my graduation date. Fast forward to July of 2011, when I shattered my ankle and fractured my heel playing football at Lake Conroe for the 4th of July. What. A. Bummer. I had to put my education (what felt like my entire life) on hold again in order to rest and heal. At this point, all of my friends would have graduated from Baylor so returning did not seem so appealing. I decided to finish my education at HBU in Houston since I planned to return here after Waco.

Pivots happen. It is more about how we handle them. Perspective is key to living a happy life!

The biggest life pivot happened the day I quit teaching to pursue stay at home mom life to my daughter. I was able to fully give myself to my new role as mom. A year after that, I made another pivot when I jumped full force into starting my photography business and pursuing that full-time. I am willing to work hard, continue learning, and growing to make my dream a reality!

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

I would say I have 2 avenues I have used to grow my clientele. First, I would definitely say working for the Texas Artisan Markets as their Resident Photographer has allowed a space for me to market myself and business. I photography each market and I also set up as a vendor an host themed minis such as Pictures with Santa. This allows a space for me to market myself as ROE + POE Photography. It has allowed for word of mouth from clients I met and booked at the market, whom referred me to their friends. Second, I would say staying consistent with social media has been a successful strategy for growing my clientele. I have been told by a handful of clients that they found me on social media. Y’all, hashtags do work! Yes, you read that right! I have been told by several clients that they found me through a hashtag I used! So, that has been super cool!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://website.pixieset.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roeandpoephotography/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/roeandpoephotography

Image Credits
n/a