Check Out Andrea Kelley’s Story

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

Hi Andrea, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My journey into photography and more specifically, photography as a business, was a slow climb. My first dabble into portrait photos was headshots for my college roommate a few years after graduation. I was eager to get into the world of portraits and was intrigued by the wedding world but all of that felt so far off at the time. I didn’t shoot my first wedding until 2017, shooting just a handful of weddings each year in the first few years. I started by shooting for a few close friends and branching out from there. I built this business for years as a side hustle while also working a full time “9 to 5” job, like so many of us in this space do. In fall of 2022 I finally made the leap. I left my job that I’d worked for over 10 years and I went, officially, full time as a wedding and portrait photographer. Now I photograph about 24 weddings a year as well as some family and portrait work as well.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Yes and no. I feel that because I started off on my own, taking just a few weddings a year, largely for people that I knew, it was a painfully slow period of growth. I look at peers today and new comers in the industry and some of them just really take off so much quicker than I how I felt it was to me. I really worked my way up in the industry over time. But I also feel that doing it that way has lead to a more solid business background and a stronger sense of the product and experience that I strive to provide and have really been able to hone over the years. The wedding photography industry is a saturated market, especially in our area, so being able to set myself apart has always stayed at the front of mind and marketing strategies but at the end of the day I’m learned that serving each client to the best of my abilities is the best marketing I can ever do for myself and my client base will do wonders for me.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
While I take on several types of photography, family, seniors and grads and sometimes even newborns, my real focus is on weddings. I’m known for my light, bright and still true to life look, style wise, and my client centered, relationship focused client experience. The wedding industry is a wild place and talented photographers are in abundance but we each bring something deeply unique to the space, ourselves. Sure, I can replaced as a vendor, there are so many wonderful wedding photographers just in the north Georgia area, but what I bring to the table cannot ever truly be replicated because what I bring is me. I want to build a personal relationship with my clients. I want to get to know them, love on them through such a fun and exciting season in their lives and show up as a friend, resource and a calming presence as I capture it all for them. How you can make someone feel matters so much more than any product or service you provide. Producing quality photos while also providing an incredible client experience makes all the difference.

So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
Potential clients can reach out through my website where you will find lots of information about working together. I’m also very active on instagram!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.andreakelleyphoto.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andreakelleyphoto
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andreakelleyphoto