We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Shea McGrath. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Shea below.

Shea, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So, let’s imagine that you were advising someone who wanted to start something similar to you and they asked you what you would do differently in the startup-process knowing what you know now. How would you respond?

I wish I would’ve taken at least one business or marketing class in college. When I started my photography business, I thought I would mostly be photography and editing but that wasn’t the case. It took me several years to realize that owning any kind of business, including photography, is just as much about business and customer service as it is about photography (if not more.)

I spent a lot of money paying for Google Ads and advertising companies that claimed they would get my website on the first page of Google. After a lot of frustration and thousands of dollars later, I decided to learn SEO on my own and get my website on the first page for free, and it only took 3 months of work! There is a plethora of podcasts, YouTube videos, and books for little to no cost. The amount of free information that is out there is incredible and I wish I had realized that when I started out!

Shea, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’ve always loved photography but never even considered it as a career. In college, I saw an ad for a photographer looking for an assistant to help get the kids to smile at the camera. That quickly turned in to being her second shooter and before I knew it was photographing 20 weddings per year as her second photographer. I loved it so much that during my first year of teaching I started my own photography website and it just took off from there.

I’m most proud taking the leap to be a full time photographer. It was always my “side job” for many years before I finally went full time. Now, business is so great that my husband is considering going full time to help me. He’s been my second photographer at weddings for the past three years and we love being a husband and wife wedding photography team. We take a photojournalistic style, capturing as many candids as we can on a wedding day for our couples.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

Photography gear is expensive. However, you can get by with a $500 budget starting out with 1 DSLR camera and 1 prime lens. (A 50mm 1.8 is a good and inexpensive choice for portrait photographers.) This is all I had starting out and all I used for probably the first year. Once I started making a little money during that first year from engagement sessions and a couple of friend’s weddings, I had enough to buy another lens. Then I had enough to pay for a subscription on The Knot to help get more clients.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

1. Word of mouth. Networking with other photographers, vendors, and venues has helped tremendously. 2. Learning SEO on my own (vs paying someone to do it.)

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sheamcgrath.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sheamcgrathphotography
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sheamcgrathphotography

Image Credits
Shea McGrath Photography