We were lucky to catch up with Samantha Baldwin recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Samantha thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Folks often look at a successful business and imagine it was an overnight success, but from what we’ve seen this is often far from the truth. We’d love to hear your scaling up story – walk us through how you grew over time – what were some of the big things you had to do to grow and what was that scaling up journey like?

As a photographer, I am sure many have heard the famous line from others, “Wow, your camera takes such great photos!”. Which of course my expensive camera takes great quality photos but sometimes hearing that is tough because I promise you, its not just a click of a button. There is so much more than saying “1,2,3, cheese!” and then that’s it. Owning a successful business takes passion, consistency, and discipline.

I started Samantha Baldwin Photography about 2 and a half years ago and since then I have continuously grown as a business, a photographer, and as a person. Growing a business definitely doesn’t happen over night, and in my opinion that’s the unique part about it. When first starting my business, it was very intimidating because I did not want to be one of those individuals who starts a “business” and then doesn’t continue to put in the work for it, because let me tell you, it is work.

From the beginning, I knew owning a business was something I had always wanted to do. Planning my own schedule, getting to use my own creativity, posting on social media, and being my own boss. That all sounded ideal. In reality, those are just the fun parts about running a business. Time management and discipline have been the top priority since the beginning. Working for myself seems easy because I get to make the choice when I want to work or not, but thats the thing, I have to make the choice. Over the years, I have learned to prioritize editing, when to send invoices & contracts, booking sessions, completing galleries, and responding to clients. I also have to be mindful of when to take time off for myself which can be very difficult.

Providing a service also includes working with a wide variety of personalities. Usually what is seen on social media is clients that are content with their photos, but there are rare circumstances when there are creative differences. Difference of opinion comes with the business and I have grown to accept that. I absolutely love the creative side of my business but there are definitely times I go through a “creative funk”. It usually comes in waves but when I am constantly doing sessions day after day, I start to lose that little spark. That is why it is so important for me to offer multiple types of sessions and give myself a few days off just to rejuvenate. Even if sometimes owning a business can be tough, I am so grateful for where I am at in this business and continue to grow.

Samantha, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Samantha Baldwin and I am a photographer in Liberty, MO, but I love traveling for business. Especially if you take me to some cool locations outside of Missouri! When I am not capturing little moments in life for others, I usually am buying home decor, cuddling or talking about my dog, jamming out to my Spotify playlists that I am very proud of, or spending time being an auntie to my sweet nieces and nephews. Since last time I interviewed with VoyageKC, quite a bit has changed just in 7 months. My business has taken off in many directions. I have worked with a few local businesses, received my LLC, I have moved to Liberty, MO from Lees Summit, I have captured/booked many local weddings, and grown my senior and lifestyle sessions immensely. I am kind of one-stop shop, I love capturing families, weddings, business branding, pets, you name it and I am sure we can work something out!

I started my business after teaching first grade for two years. My story is quite different than others because photography was never really a crazy hobby of mine. I didn’t even own a camera until I started my business in 2021. I just knew I had a creative eye and wanted to use it by starting some kind of business. I was lost as a 22 year old and just knew teaching was not my passion, so I decided to purchase a camera and reach out to some friends for a free shoot to see what I was capable of.

What sets my business apart from others is I have a very timeless feel to my photos. I want my clients to look back at their photos years from now and remember why they chose me as their photographer: because of my style and their experience with me. I am an outdoor-loving, easy-going gal, so I like to capture my photos to look as natural as possible, and I want my personality to show through my photos of others. I also add a vintage twist to my editing style because I have always been passionate about the 70s/80s era. I have been a creative individual since I was young and wanted a career that would let me pursue those dreams. Starting Samantha Baldwin Photography has been a huge accomplishment of mine that I have built on my own and continue to keep growing because of my amazing clients and dedication to it. You can definitely see the difference between when I was teaching and now.I have grown so much because of starting my own photography business.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

In all honestly, the relationships I build with my clients and vendors that I have met within this community has helped me build my reputation. Don’t get me wrong, presenting good quality photos is the main reason people book photographers, but for me, it is the experience I give to my clients or future clients. Even if it is chatting with random uncle Joe at a wedding reception or hyping someone up in each photo I take of them, it is building that trust with people so that they know they can be themselves with me. Getting your photos taken can be very nerve-racking for many, so why would I make them feel even more uncomfortable by not communicating with them? It is so important to get to know who I am capturing stories for because the photos last a lifetime.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Social media is like a spider web affect for most businesses. Once someone makes a post with one of my photos, usually someone inquires with me and it just keeps going. I use Instagram and Facebook, which has been the best sources for growing Samantha Baldwin Photography. When I first started, I only had a few followers on both platforms. To start the growth, I would offer giveaways for free sessions, collaborate with other businesses to do giveaways, and just keep my posting style consistent. Now, my social media is constantly growing on both. Recently, my Instagram was hacked, so I had to start over and build my following back up but that still hasn’t stopped anyone from booking.

Sometimes when having a following people can get caught up in wanting more and receiving all the followers, and even get down on yourself because it’s not enough. I was like that at the beginning, and still to this day, my following on social media is still not crazy high but I have learned to be ok with it and be grateful for the amount of bookings and inquires I receive every day. I might not have 10K followers but that has not affected my business whatsoever. So if you are reading this, I promise you can be successful, even if you do not have a huge following.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.samanthabaldwinphotography.com/
• Instagram: @samanthabaldwinphotographyllc
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/SamanthaBaldwinPhotography

Image Credits
Samantha Baldwin Photography