Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristen Gordon.
Kristen, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I first became interested in photography in college while attending the University of South Carolina. I had a little digital camera that I took everywhere with me. Yes, I was that annoying friend and family member taking pictures of everything! Ha! Since my family traveled a lot, my parents bought my first DSLR camera after I graduated college, and it was one of the best gifts I could have ever received. Wherever we traveled, my baby came with me.
So this really all just started as a hobby with an interest in taking pictures to capture memories of my life. Well a few years later, my family grew and I became the ‘family photographer’ capturing moments of my little nieces and nephews as they grow. For whatever reason, my sister trusted me to take her engagement pictures. I was hesitant at first because I didn’t think I was good enough to take someone’s engagement pictures (even if it was for my sister)! I kept asking her “Are you sure about this?? You don’t want to go to a professional??”
It’s so easy to doubt yourself when you’re trying something new and afraid what others may think once you put your service or product out there for everyone to see! Well, we did the engagement session and I posted it on my personal Facebook page, and whoa! The feedback I received was overwhelming! Instantly, I started receiving messages in my inbox asking me could I take pictures of this person, how much do I charge? I even replied to one person saying “Charge for what?” You mean to tell me people will pay me for this? Well, that is how Lavish Moments Photography started in April 2015! Crazy, right?!
When I first started this business, I was totally against wedding photography. I had already made the decision wedding photography just was not for me and I wanted to focus on lifestyle, family, and children photography since this was only going to be my side hustle. Almost three years later, here I am as a full-time wedding photographer and I love it! As a wedding photographer, I’m still able to travel while doing what I love; telling love stories through my lens across the US! How amazing is that?
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Wouldn’t we all love to say yes to this question? I can definitely say it has not always been easy going. Last year celebrating two years of my photography company, I took the biggest leap of faith and decided to leave the ‘Corporate world’ to be a full-time entrepreneur. Such a scary yet liberating feeling pursuing your dream! As you can imagine, leaving your 9 to 5 to focus solely on your business comes with many challenges. Sometimes you second guess yourself. We’ve all done it. ‘Was this the right decision? Did I fully prepare for this transition? Why does he/she seem to have it all figured out? What am I doing wrong?’ That’s just what comes with being a business owner and being afraid of failure.
But what I have learned is that even through adversity and many stressful situations that occurred, if I could still wake up happy to pull out my camera and excited to send out those galleries for my clients to see, then this is what I was called to do. This is my purpose. The lessons I’ve learned made me a better photographer and business owner so that I may continue to serve my clients to the best of my ability. Everyone is going to be faced with struggles at some point with their business, but the test is how to overcome them.
“The struggle you’re in today is developing the strength you need for tomorrow”
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Lavish Moments Photography – what should we know?
I am a wedding and lifestyle photographer based in South Carolina, however, I love to travel! I specialize in branding and telling love stories.
I try to make each session and wedding unique for every client and couple. I strive to capture their most authentic personality and love story, so my audience can feel like they’ve learned a little bit about them through the images. I love all things pretty & romantic, and my passion is to capture the genuine moments of my couples. I can’t express enough how important wedding photography is and why it’s worth the investment!
After the wedding cake and desserts are gone, the lovely decorations are taken down and the memories of your special day start to fade, you have those wedding images to cherish for a lifetime and help you relive each moment. My mission is to have your wedding images tell a story from start to finish of your wedding day.
I think what I am most proud of as a company is being recognized and published in online publications within the first year of offering wedding photography services. Just last year, Lavish Moments Photography was featured 15 times in different online wedding publications. My goal for 2018 is to have one of my weddings featured in a print publication. I’m big on speaking things into existence!
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Creativity!
Pricing:
- Lavish Wedding Packages start at $2,000
Contact Info:
- Website: www.lavishmomentsphotography.com
- Phone: 803-608-8694
- Email: lavishmomentsphoto@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lavishmomentsphoto/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LavishMomentsPhotography/
Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
