Nearly six years ago I was your average college student, the idea of creating a small hobbyist business not even a passing thought in my mind. That changed however when I took a course, photographed my roommate which inadvertently lead her to landing a small extra role in a big blockbuster with actual screen time. My eyes were opened to the possibly of working with a true passion yet I was still highly committed to completing my college degree and knew jumping headlong into running the business when I still have four years of schooling to go would be hard, challenging, and stressful. So I opted for the hobbyist route deciding as need and circumstances change so too would my business.
Fast forward five years and I am months away from launching under my new business name, a name I developed while sitting in the harbor of Capetown, South Africa four years ago. If asked why Exposure One Studios the thought is simple, many times my first photographic exposure is my favorite, it is catchy which I like, and because I developed it abroad it holds a special travel memory for me.
Six years ago I am not sure I would have been able to say one day I will be a world traveler, academic, and business owner. I honestly never really expected several of the things I have achieved, such as traveling to 17 countries, 4 continents, and more than 22 international cities, working as an assistant photographer on a ship, publishing a paper in an academic journal, or having a photograph get an honorable mention in an international photographic contest with over 2 million entries.
MV Explorer-- My home during my 2012 travels.
But yet it has all happened and so why not start the photographic business I imagined in that harbor four years ago? I can see no reason not to try, so I started filling out the necessary paperwork in August and expect to officially launch in the new year.
The premise of my business is a boutique style photographic venture focused entirely on client wants/needs— traveling to them, designing the photographic experience around them, easy access to all photographs, proofing, purchasing, and streamlined online contracts with easy digital signature capabilities. Gone are the days of coming into the office after the session to proof and struggle to choose images for purchase. Now clients can relax in their comfort clothing, wine in hand in the comfort of their own home, view, purchase, download, and share all with the aid of a simple link and password.
In my five year plan is the concept of achieving a physical location for basic studio needs yet for the most part my business structure is based on using locations of clients choosing with a travel component. Geographically I will not be locked in to serving one community but anyone in the world who wishes to employ my services. The phrase the sky is the limit applies as there is no limit to what, where, and when I can work as my business structure enables me to comfortably work wherever I have internet access.
It is my hope that my business will make the photographic process easier on my clients, will open the world to them, and will excite them to hire someone to capture their memories rather than fall prey to the evolution of cell phone photography and loss of actual family photos.
In itself my business thus far has allowed me to imagine possibilities, visualize working for myself alone in a field I love, creating, making, and preserving memories for others so that their moments live on. It has allowed me to travel, to learn, meet new people, and grow in who I want to be. I can not wait to meet new clients, photograph them, and see the beauty of their lives unfold in a beautiful visual element.
Please contact me for more information on pricing, booking, or just to chat to see if I am the right photographer for you!