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

Alright, Teri thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

Transitioning from acting to wedding photography was a whirlwind journey of self-discovery and adaptation. When I was pursuing acting I was constantly looking for side hustles to help sustain and support myself. A camera was something I always had for personal travel and at one point I even taught myself the basics of lighting, composition, and editing to do a few of my own headshots. Photography is something I had never had any formal training in. An opportunity to photograph candid images at a friend’s wedding presented itself and I was happy to help out. I took a handful of images and created a [very small] portfolio. When I booked my first job I was ecstatic! Within the first hour I instantly ‘got it’. From a storytelling perspective, the whole process made complete sense to me and felt natural. I still had acting on my mind but knew wedding photography would be a lucrative and fulfilling side hustle, perfect for a weekday auditioning actor. The transition became easier than I thought.

My background in performance taught me to anticipate emotion and recognize composition. Telling a story onstage or in a film felt not too dissimilar to the storytelling of a wedding day. The technical aspects of photography posed a steep learning curve at first. Science and math were never my forte and I felt overwhelmed shooting outside of an automatic camera setting. Balancing exposure and lighting felt daunting. With perseverance, I embraced the challenge, immersing myself in workshops and tutorials. I forced myself to shoot in manual settings through the discomfort. I soaked in knowledge from everywhere and took careful note of a few artists excelling at the craft, some of whom I still look to for guidance today.

The shift demanded humility as I navigated unfamiliar terrain, starting a business from scratch. Each opportunity was a chance to improve, build a better portfolio, and create better images for my clients. Every time behind the camera was an opportunity to learn. I craved the improvement.

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 destination wedding photographer, based in Chicago and California. I started my business in a bathroom, sort of working as Zooey Deschanel’s stand-in on the tv show New Girl. Our main area on the stage was in the set bathroom, that we rarely shot in. I worked on the show four years and grew my company along the way. Days on set I built my website and blogged and weekends I would take wedding work where I could. Once the show finished I was a full-time wedding photographer.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

In my tradition from acting to photographer, I feel fortunate that I still get to create art for a living. It’s remarkable really. Having my own company, in many ways, is far better than the actor’s grind. I create my own luck, my own opportunities. I get to be in the spotlight whenever I want with my ongoing self-portrait series.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.teribphotography.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teribphotography/

Image Credits
Teri B Photography