We recently connected with Rayann Marie and have shared our conversation below.

Rayann, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. 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?

I started my photography journey by taking a film course in high school and completely fell in love. Every free moment I had was spent in the dark room and because of that I have a greater appreciation for digital photography. Any one who has shot and developed their own film knows that it is a long and sometimes frustrating process but I wouldn’t be the photographer I am today without it. I learned patience, composure, and humility, along with how to truly create art.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I started my business when I was 15! I was in high school and had friends kind enough to let me practice portraits on them. That quickly turned into me doing senior portraits for the majority of my class and I was hooked. Then a role model asked me to shoot their wedding and I was so terrified. Now I primarily shoot weddings and elopements! What makes me different from other photographers is my ability to get to know my clients on a deeper level. I won’t shoot with anyone I don’t connect with deeply and that makes all the difference. We can’t create art without being completely vulnerable with each other.

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

I was always conditioned to believe that only I could edit in my style. I had to be the one to shoot, edit, and deliver. Unlearning that need for control was incredibly difficult and something I wasn’t sure I could ever accomplish. Then I sought out a VA that I could train to edit the images I had selected and ultimately it freed my schedule to allow me to work with more amazing clients.

Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.

Starting my business at a young age I had always imagined it would be a part time thing. Then college came along and I went from one toxic job to another. I realized that I didn’t want to work for someone who didn’t value me or what I have to offer and quickly came up with a plan to dive into my own company. At that point I only had $10,000 in savings and a couple weddings lined up. Not to mention this was at the end of the pandemic! It was by far the scariest thing I have ever done.

So, I joined a community of other creatives that helped push me to be accountable. I came up with my “why” and spent everyday marketing myself to others for a solid 6 months. I had so many inquiries that I ended up getting burnt out and realized the value in upping my prices and taking on fewer clients. It’s been a roller coaster of learning but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.rayannmarie.com
• Instagram: @rayannmariephotography

Image Credits
Rayann Marie Photography