We were lucky to catch up with Tyler Hobbs recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Tyler thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What was one of the most important lessons you learned in school? Why did that lesson stick with you?

One of the greatest lessons I have learned in school is on accountability. I own my photography company but I am also a photography teacher and this is something that I see often lacking in your people, but that I learned early on is so important. Successful people learn and are able to stick with. Being held accountable and pushing yourself to meet those expectations is one of the greatest strengths someone can possess. One of the biggest pieces of this I learned in school is if I hold myself accountable then I prepare, I am usually ahead of the curve and I am able to spend more time looking deeper into the content because I am not spending all of my time trying to get on my feet.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I opened my business when I was 14 with the help of my mother. We worked together for many years and in high school I was also editor of the yearbook. This pushed me to follow a photo and graphic design path. Although this changed a long the way when I was in college I have been able to consistently work as a photographer and have become busier every year. Now onto my 11th year in business my main focus is on wedding photography, but I also photograph seniors, brands and spirits. I provide a high end service and that is something I have pushed for many years. We do everything custom from quotes to your own personal photography timeline that we create in a one on one meeting. By being so personalized this allows me to give my full attention to the couple and gives them the space to be able to enjoy their day without having to worry about timeline, or photographs. My goal is for everything to be as easy as possible. From communication to delivering a gallery you can share with friends and family (so you do not have to do all the work sending pictures) my goal is to make the process enjoyable and stress free.

Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.

I started taking senior photos when I was 14 and have continued to grow ever since. When I was 17 I emailed every wedding photographer I could find in Denver asking if I could come intern with them, they all said no except Sarah Tribett and I spent a summer going to weddings with her just to learn. After that I started booking my own weddings. When I was in college I applied for a graphic design internship at Old Elk Distillery in Fort Collins. The Creative Director called and asked if I would be interested in photography as he looked me up online. I said yes and started photographing spirits. From there I became a social studies teacher, but still pursued photography. Overtime I was hired on as a full time photography teacher and have still run a successful business, photographing over 50 wedding sin the last two years.

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

I am very consistent. I am also very prepared and stay ahead of schedule. My goal is to make the process as simple as possible for my clients. I do this by being consistent in my communication as well as having well thought out plans that allow me to discuss all scenarios with my clients before hand so the day of they can just focus on getting married.

Contact Info:

• Website: tylerpaigephotography.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/tyler.paigephotography
• Facebook: facebook.com/tylerpaigephotography
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerbrinnhobbs/