A little story about how we got here
a.k.a. the world's longest about page
Some people are destined to be photographers. Some people are made for business. Some people are born into creativity.
Me?
I didn’t pick up a camera until my 20s. I didn’t inherit a family business, I didn’t sell lemonade at a roadside stall as a 7-year old, and I didn’t study business at University. I was never – by myself or others – considered a creative.
Photography
Somehow, the most unlikely candidate – a shy, reserved, quiet, math geek – ended up running a creative wedding photography business, receiving awards and recognition, and providing a fulltime income for our family.
(1 of only 15 in NZ)
How did I leave my fulltime job after photographing only 3 weddings, knowing I was going to make this work?
How did we book our first 50 weddings (from zero to fifty) in just over 2 years?
How did we book 29 weddings in our last fulltime summer?
Education
Curiosity.
Education.
Constantly learning.
After being married ourselves, Aneta and me were bitten by the wedding bug. We threw ourselves all in, we immersed ourselves in the world of wedding photography.
We read & researched and tried & tested everything.
We attended workshops and conferences.
We built networks of photographers, and joined other networks.
We were – and still are – constantly curious.
Family
We started a young family – and with Elliana in our life we kept going, booked more, shot more, created more, pushed ourselves – and our photography – to places we’d dreamed of.
We had a solid business, lots of work, and clients that hired us to be us. The perfect clients, the kind of clients that let us play & experiment & be ourselves.
The Black Dog
And then, our second child – Leon – was born.
And our lives changed forever.
Transitioning from a family of 3 to a family of 4 completely upended our life, and our business.
I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t work. I couldn’t be the father I wanted to be.
I couldn’t separate family & business, and when I could – I wasn’t giving either the attention they deserved.
I found the black dog, and – at the highest possible peak of my photography and our business – sunk to the lowest depths of my life.
This wasn’t how things were supposed to be.
Counselling
Counselling changed my life. For the first time in my career, I enlisted the help of someone to talk through my problems.
And it really helped.
She allowed me to understand my values, my beliefs, and what I really wanted to do in life.
She gave me the permission to do what I needed to do.
Told You This Was a Long Page
Why am I telling you all of these details?
Why have I written the world’s longest about page?
Why have I opened up about my failure – about my depression?
Because I know that you’re also not OK
Because I know that somewhere, you’re struggling too.
Because I know that in this age of instagram highlight reels and apparent overnight success, I know that you’re not finding it easy behind the scenes.
Because I know that you’re not living the life you expected when you started on this wedding photography journey.
Because I know that’s it’s not easy.
And I want to help.
Where Are We Now?
Over 2 years on from the birth of Leon, I’m in a completely different place.
He’s still a total punk – a rambunctious, boisterous, intelligent 2-yr old who tests his boundaries every day – but we’ve reconciled and I’ve found a better work/life balance that enables me to spend quality, attentive, time with both my kids.
But our wedding photography business has changed forever. We can no longer photograph ~30 weddings every summer, yielding our Saturdays to other people’s families, when our children deserve our time.
In a few years we’ll have Saturday morning sports – and I want to ride bicycles with my children, take them swimming, devote my weekends to my family – not other people’s.
I Want To Help You
The last 2 years has seen an evolution in our business – as we wind down the wedding photography to 5-10 weddings per summer, we’re rising like a Phoenix into our new direction:
Our online course – 12 Weeks to Wedding Photography Marketing Mastery – is just start of our new journey as Unfold – Your Photography Business Coach.
The result of 4 months of building, 7 months of researching & writing (and counting), and 9 years of hands-on experience, this online course will completely change your approach to marketing your wedding photography business, and give you all the inquiries and leads you need to book out your summer, whether it be 10, 30, or more weddings!
Want to take your photography business to yet another level?
Engage in our photography business coaching & mentoring sessions, where we work with you, to understand your values and change your life.