Daily Inspiration: Meet Andrea Miclea

Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrea Miclea.

Hi Andrea, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Some of my greatest achievements in life have come in the most unexpected ways and wedding photography is at the very top of that list. Owning my own business, let alone a wedding photography business was never on my radar. I always adored photography, appreciated the arts, and loved getting creating, however, I never dreamt of going full-time with something that I was so passionate about; I simply didn’t know where to begin. So, I buried those feelings time and time again and went on to college to pursue a degree in English literature, then a Masters in Early Childhood Development.

That feeling of wanting to pursue photography always crept in, but I would talk myself out of it coming up with a million reasons why it would never work and why I would fail. “Don’t even try”, I told myself, “there are so many talented photographers already, don’t even bother.”

It wasn’t until halfway through my Master’s program that photography really took off. Looking back now, I realize that I didn’t do anything crazy. I didn’t hire a crazy marketing agency or remotely attempt to start a business; it all happened organically. Instagram was the hottest tool around at the time and I thought to myself, let me just share my work and see what happens. And boy am I happy that I took that step out of my comfort zone. Client after client began reaching out and within one year, I was able to go was full-time with my very own photography business.

And here is the beauty of it all– I am using all of the skills I learned in my undergraduate and post-graduate studies. In hindsight, I can see the narrative of my life so clearly now. I was always a storyteller. Whether that was writing out stories (English lit.), listening to individual’s stories (my master’s program in ECD), or capturing stories. Stories matter to me and they are at the very heart of what I do.

Let’s fast forward to 2022. Today I am going onto year 7 of successfully running my very own wedding photography business!! I have met countless of people, I have traveled near and far to capture the sweetest of stories, and I have enjoyed every bit of it. So very thankful for the ability to make my passion into my career.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
I think this goes without saying, but owning your own business is never a smooth road. There are always moments of doubt; moments where you perhaps feel like quitting and even question your capabilities, especially in an ever-evolving creative field like wedding photography.

The singular, most important thing I have done to overcome these struggles is changing my mindset from “I have to” to “I get to”. I get to serve my sweet clients. I get to spend time with them and learn all about their beautiful stories. I get to be the one to document all of it. I get to do it. These three words have completely shifted my mindset.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My specialty is in the field of weddings, engagements and portrait photography. I mainly serve the Atlanta and Southern California regions but will happily travel anywhere if it means I get to capture love!

I am most proud of the intentionality behind my work. I make that a priority in all of my sessions whether that’s an engagement session, a branding session for an influencer, or a wedding. Before I ever touch my camera, I want to know all about my client, their story, and how I can help bring that all to life!

If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
This question made me giggle because my family has always told me that I suffer from too much motivation and I think two very specific things about this. 1. they are absolutely right, and 2. motivation has been one of the most important factors to my success. I simply do not give up. Do I have days where I feel off? Sure. Everyone does. But I reassess, take a break if I need one and come back with a fresh perspective.

Pricing:

• Engagement Sessions — start at $750
• Branding Sessions– start at $800
• Weddings– start at $4,200

Contact Info:

• Email: info@heirloomfoto.com
• Website: www.heirloomfoto.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/andrea.miclea

Image Credits
@andrea.miclea (Instagram) www.heirloomfoto.com (website)