We recently connected with Victoria Hjelte and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Victoria, thanks for joining 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.

I discovered my love for photography at the young age of 13. I had humble beginnings with nothing but an iPod touch camera and the Instagram app to edit photos. Nevertheless, I had big dreams to start a business one day. I learned more about photography by utilizing every free resource I could get my hands on. I spent hours on YouTube watching advice from other photographers and even more time perusing Pinterest infographics and blog posts about how to use a camera manually. I took a college elective class about photography, and in that class, we were required to take photos of different kinds every day. Practicing my craft relentlessly and learning from other photographers helped me grow my skills.

Knowing what I know now, I would have spent more money and time investing in real-life mentors. I spent a lot of time finding advice online, but I think it would have benefited me greatly to get to know more photographers that could give me guidance and wisdom in my specific situations.

Though photography requires technical and artistic skills, emotional and relational skills are just as essential. Getting in front of the camera is a vulnerable experience for many people, so having the awareness to detect when someone is feeling uncomfortable can help you know when to switch gears or take a break when photographing them. Having positive relational skills is part of being a personal photographer that clients can feel comfortable around.

Some obstacles that stood in the way of learning more about photography were burnout and imposter syndrome. It can be easy as an artist to let your passion get ahead of you and unintentionally take on more than what you can handle. I’ve done this many times and it has ultimately led to burnout, which zaps creativity. There are also so many incredibly talented photographers in Nashville, and it can feel that I am unqualified to do what I do sometimes. But I am reminded that my clients chose me for a reason and my love for them propels me to serve them well.

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

My name is Victoria Hjelte and I am a 25-year-old wedding photographer based in Nashville, TN. I am passionate about excellent service and photography. I put my passion to work by documenting the irreplaceable memories that happen on my client’s wedding days and any big life milestones thereafter. I photograph mostly weddings, but I’ve just recently expanded my offering to include maternity, family, and newborn sessions!

My love for photography all started with a few photography magazines from the library and the camera app on an iPod Touch I got for Christmas. I discovered this new world of photography, and I was obsessed. I spent all my free time taking photos of every person, landscape, and flower in sight, then playing around with photoshop and editing my work.

When I photographed my first wedding when I was 17, I knew that this was something I had to dive into with all I had. All the love stories I have had the honor to document today is truly a dream come true! My style is luminous, warm, and natural. Part of my goal is to make camera-shy people feel relaxed and at ease when they’re in front of my camera. I do the work of guiding my couples and their families into poses that are fun and natural. I want to leave my clients with an experience that has them feeling more in love with their partner than ever. I truly get excited about what I create and the amazing clients-turned-friends I have the honor to work with!

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

Some of the best sources of new clients have been referrals from past clients, referrals from vendors I work with, and Instagram! I am incredibly thankful for all the people that spread the word and tell their friends about my services. I am also grateful for the vendors that give my name to their clients! It is so fun being a part of such a connected industry in Nashville.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My ultimate goal is to serve and love my clients through the art of photography. I want to leave them with an experience that makes them feel cared for and listened to. I know that my clients will be looking back on their photos years from now and sharing them with their children and grandchildren. This knowledge drives me to create timeless, genuine imagery that my clients are proud to share.

Contact Info:

• Website: throughvictoriaslens.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/throughvictoriaslens
• Facebook: Facebook.com/throughvictoriaslens
• Other: weddingwire.com/throughvictoriaslens