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

Shelby, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to go back in time and hear the story of how you came up with the name of your brand?

There is a quote I have always loved and have repeatedly whispered to myself throughout my life: “Courage, dear heart.” It’s so simple and yet has carried such weight for me. It comes from a book by C.S. Lewis in his Chronicles of Narnia series where a young girl, Lucy, asks Aslan, the God-figure in the series, for help. They were facing a life and death situation and Aslan shows up in the form of a bird, whispers that line to Lucy, and guides them out of trouble.

I always strive to be courageous, in my business and my personal life, and sometimes that gentle reminder is what helps push me in the right direction. When it came time to naming my business, I didn’t even think about using my own name, I knew I wanted to use that quote somehow. Dear Heart Films is what came to be in my first three years of business as I did short films, promotional videos, and wedding videos. As I took on photography, I knew I need a change. That’s when I landed on Dear Heart Film + Portraits. Now, I as I primarily specialize in couples, the Dear Heart name fits incredibly well. I get to witness two hearts become one in marriage and I have also had clients become dear friends. For me, my company name has aged perfectly.

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

I went to school for film production and ended up graduating with two business minors as well. I tried a number of internships in college (including getting to work for Marvel in NYC) to see what kind of job I wanted post-graduation. One summer, I worked as a videographer for a huge summer camp in Arkansas. I became close with members on the photography team and they taught me so much. A couple of them already had their own photo businesses. I remember telling one of them one night, “Man, I wish I could do that.” They looked at me, laughed, and said, “You can!”

I went back to school that year and asked everyone I knew if I could take their photos. I did seniors, families, and couples. I even did my first three wedding videos. It was a lot of learning and growing. It wasn’t until a few years later that I took my business full-time and haven’t looked back since.

Now, I photograph and film proposals, engagement sessions, weddings, and elopements. I always get asked, “Do you enjoy being a wedding photographer?” They’re usually surprised when I answer with a resounding, “Yes!” I absolutely love my job as a wedding photographer. I get to meet incredibly cool people from all over that have different backgrounds and learn about how they fell in love? Sign me up.

I love helping my couples envision their wedding day exactly how they want it to happen. I have detailed questionnaires that help develop the timeline they want and communicate what is most important to them. By the time their day comes around, they have put full trust in me to execute their vision with the photographs and films. I appreciate that they allow me to have creative moments when they feel appropriate, but I can also take a step back and simply document.

On another side of my business, I also get to take on fun and creative projects like branding for small businesses which I absolutely adore. I actually just photographed a new clothing line for an online boutique which was something new for me! Helping empower and encourage others through the content I create for them is incredibly uplifting. There is nothing I want more than for all of my clients to thrive.

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

I moved across the country in 2020 from Arizona to New Jersey, so I am very familiar with lots of strategies for growing clientele. Honestly, my most effective strategy has been trying lots of different avenues and giving each one a fair shot. I have a wide net where I can get leads and I think that’s what worked really well for me to build up my clientele.

One of my most effective strategies I used in the beginning was utilizing styled shoots and model calls. Coming from the desert, all my work had a very different look compared to the East Coast, No one was going to book me without seeing work that would look similar to where we would be photographing. Before I even arrived in New Jersey, I had set up an elopement styled shoot that I photographed within a month of being there. I had a model couple in bridal attire, a model in a unique wedding dress, a florist team that did an incredible job with bouquets and an arch installation, and my husband and I built an arch for it. I advertised for it and five other photographers came to photograph it alongside me.

This was a huge kickstart for me. I had some of my best work to date to post, plus I got to network with local wedding vendors and photographers. I’ve received multiple leads from the people in that group. Since then I’ve put on more styled shoots and have participated in ones that have further grown my network and word of mouth marketing all while learning from others.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

I wish I knew about the power of Facebook groups earlier on. Specifically about local photography/videography groups. Those have been a phenomenal resource in growing my business, building community in a somewhat lonesome career, and gaining inspiration from beautiful work posted by others. Having others as a sounding board when you are unsure of what to do in a certain situation with your business is one of the most helpful resources you can have. I’ve also been able to make friends and learn from some of the best. As an extrovert, I need people around to be at my best creatively. The time I felt most alone in my work is when I first moved to New Jersey and knew no one but my husband. I was at a low point and feeling uninspired. When I finally joined the right groups and began to meet more people is when I felt like I really came alive. When you have a group that is so focused on community over competition, you can really help each other create magical work you are proud of.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.dearheartfilms.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/dearheartfilms
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/dearheartfilms
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelby-staub-hunter/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@dearheartfilms