Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Whitney Marshall . We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Whitney thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Looking back, do you think you started your business at the right time? Do you wish you had started sooner or later?

I did not start my Photography business until Fall of 2019. My husband and I moved to Colorado Springs, CO from a small town in western Kentucky in the summer of 2019. I always had an interest and love for Photography, but due to my focus at the time being on my academics and graduating, I never actually took the time to pursue Photography and try to make a career out of it. I spent a total of 6 years working hard to obtain my Master’s Degree in Speech-Language Pathology (SLP). It wasn’t until the Fall of 2019, after the Summer when my husband and I moved to Colorado, that I connected with another Photographer in Colorado through social media. We instantly clicked and she was so gracious to come let me observe and second shoot with her during some of her weddings! We are now such close friends! I loved the environment and community of Photography, and I instantly fell in love with the ability to capture such special moments in life that I decided to give it a go! I knew I would regret it if I didn’t at least give a try!

Since that moment and coming up on 3 years now, I have been working hard to build my business up into a Photography and Videography business! I love both Photography and Videography because each has their own artistic style that makes them unique in their own way! I love ability for my creative juices to flow within Photography and Videography as well. I have seen my business grow more and more each year, which is so satisfying to see the growth over time! Looking back on my life journey, I do wish I had started my business earlier in my career! I have seen how much passion I have for Photography and Videography, and they both bring so much joy into my life, that I wish I had started earlier on to have more years to enjoy and embrace this business of mine! That being said, I am so very thankful for this gift and talent of mine. I can’t wait to see where future years lead my business!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Tell the reader about yourself: My name is Whitney Marshall. I am a Photographer based out of Colorado Springs, CO. I was born and raised in a small town in Western Kentucky. I moved to Colorado in the Summer of 2019. My husband and I absolutely love the outdoors and adventure, so our hearts led us to move to Colorado! We absolutely love it here. Some hobbies of mine include: Iced coffee in the mornings, reading a romantic comedy or thriller book, going hiking or camping, scrapbooking, and playing with my sweet dog, Dessie!

How I Got Into Photography & Services I Provide: It wasn’t until after I graduated with my Master’s Degree in Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) in the Spring of 2018 from East Tennessee State University that I started to invest and look into Photography. I have always had a passion with taking photos and editing them! Out of my friends, I was always the one in the group taking photos to capture and remember the moment and making cool GoPro videos in remembrance of the trip! I love having pictures to look back on for memories and to be able to share those moments and memories with friends and family! In the Fall of 2018, I was offering free photoshoots for close friends of mine to be able to learn and experiment with Photography; to basically to step my foot into the door of the Photography world.

Fast forward to the Summer of 2019 – this is when my husband and I decided to take the big move out West from Kentucky to Colorado Springs, CO. During that same year, in the Fall of 2019, is when I connected to a near and dear close friend of mine now through social media. She had been shooting wedding photography for a couple of years at this point. She so graciously offered to let me come shadow her, and second shoot with her at weddings. This is when I truly realized how much I am passionate about capturing such special moments in life for people! I loved the environment and community around Photography as well. I decided at this point in my life that I wanted to purse this passion of mine and I knew I would regret it if I didn’t. Fast forward to now almost 3 years going of my Photography and Videography business, and I am falling more in love with it each day! I am loving seeing my business bloom as each year passes as well! I am so thankful and blessed to be able to wake up and do what I love every day! I specialize in the following: Portrait Photography and Intimate Wedding/Elopement Photography. I love all aspects that Photography can bring. I love being able to capture couple portrait sessions or branding photoshoots for other small business owners. In addition, I love the adventure that intimate weddings and elopements can bring during the day! I also specialize in Videography. Videography is something I just added onto my business within the past year. I love certain aspects and moments on video that you can’t always capture within photo! I like to describe my style as Vibrant and True-To-Color! I love the natural and true-to-color tones so much.

What Sets Me Apart From Others and What I Am Most Proud Of: I have to say something I am most proud of, is carrying my Photography and Videography business in addition to still having my full-time job as a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP). I always like to say that I am an SLP by day, and a Photographer by night! I truly believe that this is something else that sets me apart from others too. I still have a full-time job in addition to my Photography business; so I am up late most nights trying to devote time to my business when I can after I get off work. It definitely brings it’s challenges and can be stressful for sure at times, but I am so proud of myself for staying determined and choosing to make time each day for my business so I can eventually build my Photography business up into a full-time career!

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

I would have to say the most rewarding aspect of being an artist or creative in the industry of Photography and Videography, is being able to see raw and true, candid emotions captured within the moment! I love when I am shooting a session and I instantly fall in love with a photo that I have to show my clients the picture instantly on my camera. For me, the rewarding moment, is when I show them the picture on my camera, and I see their faces instantly light up with true joy and happiness because of how much they love the candid moment that was captured! I will always strive to capture those true, in the moment, photos within my business every day.

We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.

I always value true connection with my clients. To keep in touch with my clients and to foster brand loyalty, a part of my process upon booking with me, is to have a phone call or a video call with me so we can get to know each other more personally and build a connection too! I have personally found throughout time, that by adding this step into my business, it has helped tremendously with the communication and flow of all my projects, building loyalty and trust with all my clients, and even establishing friendships too with my clients!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://whitneymphoto.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_whitneymphotovideo/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whitneymphotography
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTV2uQ7KLVe6eF8LEgZgzng
• Other: Email: [email protected]

Image Credits
Image Credit: Whitney Marshall Photo & Video Kira Whitney Photography