We were lucky to catch up with Stevy Fletcher recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Stevy, thanks for joining us today. Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?

I truly do feel happier as a business owner. First, because I am able to created my own schedule. With that, I’m able to homeschool my kiddos while still providing a second income. Second, I genuinely love what I do. When my husband and I first got married, he would always say, “would you work so and so hours in order to buy that object?” and my answer would always be no. He quickly realized that doesn’t work on me now that I’m a full time photographer, because yes, I would absolutely work (and enjoy) those hours for certain things in life haha! Since I do homeschool our kids now, there are times where it can be stressful as a business owner. As much as I like to think it’s all butterflies and rainbows, there are some downsides to it too. Like being swamped during the holidays or editing on Christmas Eve (yes, I’ve done that in the PAST). But, I suppose there are sacrifices with any business or 9-5 job. Really, I just try to see the good in what I have going on. I’m also super transparent with my clients; if my kids need to come to a family session, I let them know. I think it’s important to be open and honest with people … you’ll find the ones you “vibe with” more that way!

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

Before I became a mom, I was always the girl with the camera; taking pictures at all events or social gatherings. Professional photography didn’t necessarily come “easy” for me, I just enjoyed it. Slowly but surely, I had people reaching out to see if I’d take photos for them … and that’s how this all started. As I became a mother, I took hundreds of pictures of my fresh new baby. I slowly started to figure out my camera a little better. It was always hard to take on a lot because I was also working a full time job. The mom guilt would set in every weekend as I left for a session. My husband worked his butt off so I could stay home with our boys. When this happened, I decided it was my time to really pursue what I enjoyed doing; photography. My husband was a little hesitant at first, but I truly blew it out of the water the first year I stayed home. I honestly surprised myself haha! I feel like since becoming a mom (to 2 sweet boys), I have a whole different understanding on how important photographs are. My mom wasn’t (and isn’t) present in my life so I have very minimal photographs of my childhood. I never wanted that for my kids (or for anyone for that matter)! Fast forward to today, and I’m still a full time wedding photographer, homeschool mama, homemaker and wife. It took me manyyyy years (12 to be exact), to get where I am today. Lots of practice, on literally everything. There were days where I would literally just photograph cactus haha! It helped me learn my camera in all lighting situations and what “style” I liked best. I did many sessions for free for practice; even did my first wedding at 8 months pregnant so I could get more practice. I am most proud of my boundaries with my business. In previous years, I would take anything and everything and the burnt out was real. I’m more confident in my boundaries and saying no, doesn’t scare me as much anymore. I’ve been able to connect with some of the most genuine people that restore my faith in humanity and I wouldn’t have it any other way!

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I think my quiet nature and open honesty helped build my reputation within the photography market/community. I truly have the ability to calm others and have a “no worries” attitude. Life is happening all around us and when you can understand and respect that, you get your “dream clients.” I try to be as honest as possible with my clients and when I say that I put my heart and soul into it, I truly mean that; just ask my husband!

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Oooof, this one is not one that I’m very proud of, but bare with me. If you’re new to the photography world, there are certain camera models that hold more than one memory card and some that do not. Well, I happened to have both models. My “back up” camera only had one memory card slot and also housed my wide angle lens. My main camera body has to memory card slots and houses my nearest and dearest lens. When. photographing weddings, I usually switch back and forth so I’m not taking too much time by switching out lens on the different camera bodies. Well, this turned out to be a bit of a disaster with a wedding that I did. After the wedding was over, I came home and put the memory cards into my card reader and started the transfer to my computer. To my surprise, the memory card on my single slot camera, had gone corrupt (insert crying emoji). I panicked. I purchased software to try and recover the images, but that didn’t work. So, I had to contact the client and tell them that their extended family photos were GONE. This was one of those massively defeating moments. I felt like throwing in the towel. It was MY job to make sure these things don’t happen. THANKFULLY, my client was a literal Angel and took the news fairly well. This forced me to upgrade my equipment and face the fact that the images were gone. I offered the bride and her family a free photo session. I knew this wasn’t going to get her pictures back, but I felt like it MIGHT help. They were all SO understanding and they’re just a lovely family. As much as I wanted to give up, their love and kindness helped me push to be even BETTER than I was before. Needless to say, I purchased all new memory cards AND a new “back up” camera that has dual memory card slots!!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://stevyfletcherphotography.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevyfletcherphoto/

Image Credits
Stevy Fletcher Photography Stonehouse Photography Sky Ranch Lodge TreBella The Windmill Winery Cloth and Flame Weddings The Cabins on Strawberry Hill Weddings at Schnepfs Farms The Barn at UVX Ranch