We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Vicki Diesing a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Vicki, thanks for joining us today. Can you share a story that illustrates an important or relevant lesson you learned in school

It’s cliche but follow your passion, no matter where you are in life. In college I thought I wanted to be an international business woman. I majored in International Relations and minored in French. I didn’t quite have a plan on how to pursue that. It took having children and wanting to document their lives to realize my passion lay outside of the corporate world and more in the creative. I know I still have a little bit of that business woman in me though. I love the back end of my business just as much as the photography. I encourage my daughters to pursue their passions as much as they can.

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?

As an introvert, one of the first things I told myself and others when I bought my first good camera was “I am *not* photographing people! I’ll stick with landscapes, macro, my kids, but I’m not dealing with people.” I soon realized that I loved focusing on people though. It really became evident to me when I took a walking/shooting workshop in New York City. The instructor had us focus on capturing the stories of the people we saw. I was hooked!

I started my business and put myself out there photographing anything. I began gravitating towards families, and then more specifically women. Little did I know that I have a knack for helping women feel comfortable when they’re feeling really vulnerable, in front of the camera. Maybe it’s because I’m slightly awkward myself and can totally relate!

Right now my main service is providing headshots and branding for small business owners and entrepreneurs. My passion is creative portraiture and I would love to get more women interested in exploring their creative sides.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Since I started my business we’ve moved twice, to completely different parts of the US. It stinks to have to start over, but I now have presence in three different markets and travel several times a year to do shoots in my older locations. I’ve reworked my mindset to see it as more of a positive. I’m expanding my reach and my business, and I get to travel!

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

Starting over after moving is hard and I’m still learning how to make the most of it. What I have learned is that people aren’t just going to come and find me. I have to get out into my new community and meet people. I have to keep putting my name out there. It takes a while to become known, even in small circles. This is where a great support network is necessary. My support network is always cheering for me no matter where we live.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://vsdphotography.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vsdphotography/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VickiSDPhotography/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vickidiesing/
• Other: Pinterest– https://www.pinterest.com/vsdphotography/

Image Credits
all photo credits to Vicki Diesing except image of me, credit to Dorothy Beam Photography