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

Sarah, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Any thoughts about whether to ask friends and family to support your business. What’s okay in your view?

Mixing family/friends isn’t always easy, it’s usually quite uncomfortable. There’s this expectation on both sides when there really shouldn’t be any.

I don’t expect anyone to support me if they don’t want to, even if we are close. I’ll never ask a loved one to support my business financially or pressure them to book only with me. That’s just as awkward as them asking for free services from me. I think that if what I am doing is something you believe in or enjoy then share my posts or recommend me when the opportunity is presented. If you don’t agree with my pricing or don’t like my style, that’s okay! You don’t have to say a word about my business to anyone.

With that being said, we should not be expected to do anything for free or discounted. Just because we offer this service doesn’t mean it costs us “nothing”. Offering our services free to one family member or friend opens up the idea to all family members and friends which does come at a cost whether you see it or not.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I believe everyone should have photos taken. They become tangible memories you can pass down. Due to this belief, I have worked with lower budgets, but it’s not something we can always do or advertise. This job started as a hobby but now it’s my actual job. I don’t bring in an income any other way, so my price structure is set up to bring in money that will hopefully be a livable wage and enough for my business expenses if enough people book, but it’s never guaranteed. Slow seasons come and competition is high. It’s not that I don’t wish I could offer these things for free, it’s that I truly cannot afford it.

The best thing to do is live your life and celebrate the good things! If we can, we will offer our services free of charge because truly we love what we do. Allow us to offer and if we don’t, then know that we just can’t. I never knew how hard this could be until I was in the game, and it’s not even a game we have control over.

So basically, be respectful and don’t make it awkward lol.

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

My name is Sarah Nelms, I’m recently married and built my business right when COVID-19 hit. It was definitely a rough spot and still is hard most of the time, but it’s something I enjoy so I don’t plan on letting it go. I went to the University of North Texas in Denton, TX originally for Graphic Design but soon dropped the program because of how intimidated I was by the competition. I ended up getting a basic degree I never wanted then graduated to work a job I also never wanted. When we made the move to Houston, I decided to use that opportunity as a chance to start over in a way. I started to nanny while building a photography business in the background. After nearly 2 years with the family, I decided to leave and it was hard because though my husband had a job, financial stability was tricky without 2 full guaranteed incomes with a wedding only 6 months later. It was a leap of faith I didn’t know I would ever actually take but with the support of my family, friends, and husband I was able to.

This is the hardest thing I’ve had to do mentally. There’s a lot of self-doubt but then I deliver a gallery and my clients are crying with joy or expressing immense gratitude and it brings a feeling of relief over me. I feel like I accomplished something by being able to capture a moment for them that they will forever cherish. Several couples have reached out about how grateful they were because I had captured a photo of a family member enjoying the wedding night but they have since passed away and they were able to use it at the memorial services. I’ve also had couples reach out for our services with the need for fast turnaround times due to terminally ill family members. This hits close to home for me and gives me so much pride in my work. My favorite part of our wedding video is when we all had the chance to dance with my grandma who passed 7 months later. I want to capture memories for you that will be nice now but will mean everything to you later.

I am proud of my growth and how far I have come. I’ve been out of state twice for weddings which is the ultimate goal. I want to build a life with my husband where we can capture memories for others while making memories together. Ideally, I’d love for my clients to book me for my goofy personality and trust me with capturing their day without any stress. For my wedding couples, please lean on me! I’d be happy to help you carry the stress of wedding planning because no one tells you how hard it can be. The world is so crazy, but if I can do something for my clients that brings them joy then I’ll be happy with my part here.

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

Honestly, this is something I’m still learning how to do but your social media is your best friend and your website should be VERY user-friendly. Don’t be shy! Network with people in the industry, not just your field. In my case, wedding planners, venue managers, DJs, florists, etc. Build reliable connections. Not only can they guide you through this industry, but they’ll know you well enough to recommend you and you’ll also have recommendations to give out. This is not a solo journey, it’s easier with a community. Don’t be afraid to get creative. That creativity might be what some people are looking for.

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

CONTRACTS! I cannot emphasize this enough. You should never do a job, whether it’s free or not, without a contract. Model calls, trading services with other photographers, freebies to family, whatever it is, have a contract. A contract not only protects your client, it also protects you.

A couple of years ago, I did a model call and the model later added filters and went into this Facebook photoshop group to ask for things to be changed. I politely reminded her that filters may not be added and any edits should be asked through me. She was not happy with my requests so she left bad reviews everywhere. Luckily, she calmed down enough to talk with me and remove the reviews, but I would have no ground to stand on since there was no contract stating she could not alter the photo. It’s the little things you have to remember. The background parts of your business are just as important as taking photos. I know most of us started just from our love for photography, but the rest of it does matter to keep the business going.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.capturingluxphotography.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/capturingluxphotography
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/capturingluxphotography

Image Credits
I’m the photographer for all the images including my own. Capturing Lux Photography