We were lucky to catch up with Savannah Lambert recently and have shared our conversation below.

Savannah, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Owning a business isn’t always glamorous and so most business owners we’ve connected with have shared that on tough days they sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have just had a regular job instead of all the responsibility of running a business. Have you ever felt that way?

I am so much happier as a business owner! I still have fleeting thoughts of the convenience of regular jobs. Conveniences like being a small part of the puzzle, rather than every part of the puzzle, being largely unconcerned with the overall image of the business versus working diligently day in and day out to uphold your business’ image and live up to your own ever-expanding expectations and goals as well as that of your clients. Or my all time favorite, work being over once you walk out of the door and get into your car.

The last time I considered how much “easier” it might be to have a regular job, I was experiencing too many points of pressure at once. The weight became too much and I allowed myself to be swallowed by anxiety and what ifs.

We reached a point where both myself and my husband were actively dealing with a fair amount of medically related unknowns, we were facing many unknown factors surrounding our impending cross-country move (including whether or not it would actually happen!), I had a few outstanding galleries at once, and we had the normal pressures of being parents to 3 children all 6 years old or under.

For about a millisecond I considered closing my business. I longed for the days where I spent my time with my babies freely. Not constantly worrying about booking or editing or drafting contracts. That brief amount of time spent in self-pity and longing turned into a spark. The spark became a flame, and the flame a raging fire. A fire within me to re-organize not only my home life, but my business as well.

I realized that I had been trying to be everyone’s photographer, a mother, a homeschool teacher, a wife, a nurse, a patient, and so much more. It inspired me to really nail down my vision for my business and to value my time and creative assets more than I previously had.

Since that day I have begun to plan a special announcement regarding a change of gears for my business, one that I think will fall perfectly with our move out West.

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 am a mid-twenties mom of 3, Army wife, Christian, and photographer. I have been interested in photography for as long as I can remember, and as an adolescent I often dreamt of becoming a wildlife photographer for National Geographic.

I started professional portrait photography as a hobby back in February. I invested lots of time into research and education, expanding my business from free model call sessions to competitively-priced, luxury and natural light portrait photography over the course of the last 9 months.

I am currently shooting primarily couples, families, and maternity sessions. Although I have branched into second-shooting weddings of all kinds and fully expect that it will soon become a larger part of my business.

I believe I am set apart by others in my industry with my acute eye for details all the way down to out of place strings on clothing, my fully complimentary and immersive styling assistance, and my unique understanding of various cultures and subcultures, including that of the Active Duty military personnel of the United States Armed Forces.

I am most proud of my drive to go above and beyond for every client, ensuring a positive experience and often guaranteeing husbands to change their minds about having their photos made. I consider myself to be extraordinarily skilled at inducing client laughter and encouraging natural behaviors and poses to capture a beautiful blend of both posed and documentary-style candids.

Some of the best compliments I have ever received have been “we felt so awkward before our session but you made us feel beautiful and comfortable” as well as “my spouse hates taking photos with anyone else, but would willingly do photos with you forever.” I make it a personal goal to achieve the same level of success with each and every client, working diligently to expand my available client closet, improve my equipment, and advance my understanding of the art form that is portrait photography.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I have a very specific goal driving my journey as a photographer. It began with a strong desire to provide truly Christian services to the general public of my area. For me, this involves a judgement free zone where I offer peace, love, and understanding – working with the client to achieve their dreams and ensure both their comfort and happiness with the overall results.

While I still maintain that goal, I have a loftier goal of someday opening an inclusive venue space that takes majority of the stress of planning away from the bride and groom. A venue that remains active in the community and gifts a free dream wedding to a family in need each year.

This dream came to me as I realized the true value of the services I provide lay in the ability to immortalize unique and priceless moments. One of the most unique and priceless days of my life has been the day that I married my husband. We are a blended family, although you would never know watching us from the outside. We married in the thick of the Covid pandemic, as a single income household and an instant family of 4. We had little money to invest in one of the most important days of our lives, and it would be one of the highest honors I could ever achieve if I could alleviate the financial stress of a wedding whilst providing the highest quality services possible.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

One of the most important things I have done that has contributed the most, I believe, towards building and expanding my reputation within my market would have to be requesting reviews from clients.

At this point in my business, I have incredibly positive and glowing reviews from almost exactly 50% of my clientele. A huge feat, I think, and solely achieved by just asking them to leave a review and providing them with a link to do so.

I think there is absolutely no shame in asking for a review and I highly encourage any and all photographers looking to boost their reputation to adopt a similar strategy. It really is as easy as asking!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://lamblightphotography.pixieset.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lamblightphotography/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lamblightphotography
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/savannah-lambert-009147285/