Today we’d like to introduce you to Holly Von Lanken.
Holly, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My journey to becoming a full-fledged, full-time photographer was a slow, yet also a quick one.
I got my first DSLR (aka “fancy camera”) when I graduated from UGA in the spring of 2011. It was fun to play with and took way better pictures than any other camera even on AUTO. I was the friend that brought it to tailgates and trips and my camera would get passed around so we could document the day’s activities.
It wasn’t until maybe a year later when a recently engaged friend suggested that I take their engagement photos. So, I did! It was so much fun and it made them happy… which made me happy!
I was at the stage in my life when several friends were starting to get married and I would volunteer to take engagement photos for them for fun/practice/as a wedding present of sorts. At this point in time, I never would have thought I’d be where I am now – not that I have “made it” by any means, but where I am in that I am my primary provider and I can sit at my computer at home at 11:36 am on a Wednesday drafting this.
So, let’s fast forward a little bit..it’s circa 2013 and I’m stalking Kaitie Bryant’s website almost daily and learning as much as I can. Around that time, I worked up the courage and asked Kaitie if I could shadow/ follow her around at a wedding just to see what it was like… and she said yes! And it was awesome! At this point though, I still never considered that this could be a job or even a side hustle for me. It was just a fun hobby.
At the end of that year, I was at my friend’s wedding. The photographer for that wedding was Chloe Giancola, whose husband was one of the groomsmen. At the reception, we got to talking and I asked to second shoot with her and she said yes! I ended up second shooting with Chloe for the greater part of 2014. I learned a lot from Chloe and was able to see how the flow of a wedding day went. I learned to shoot in RAW and in a manual that year. It was an excellent year of growth. During this time, I was also going to workshops and doing more research and toying with the idea that this could be an actual business. Still, I never dreamed it would be a full-time gig but could be a hobby that paid for itself because let’s be real – photo gear is expensive. I made a really terrible WordPress website, which hopefully, the world will never have to see. I made some homemade business cards – also pretty embarrassing – and continued to invest in learning this trade.
Things turned when I booked my first weddings during the later months of 2014. I had been told, “If you’re going to shoot weddings, you need to have a business license.” So, that’s what I did. I did more research and learned everything I could about business licenses, taxes, and all that other nasty legal stuff that if you’re going to have a company, you need to know. In October 2014, I officially launched “Holly Von Lanken Photography.”
From there, things grew. During all of this, there was a lot of prayers. I prayed and asked God if this was really something I could or should do. I prayed that I would do a good job and that the couples would love their photos. I prayed that God would send me the “right” couples – not the couples who had the most aesthetically pleasing weddings (although that’s always a plus), but those who were excited to get married and weren’t going to sweat the small stuff and who I genuinely liked. These are prayers I’ve prayed many times and will continue to pray along with many others.
God kept answering my prayers. I remember praying to shoot five weddings in 2015. I thought that was a pretty good goal for having shot zero in 2014. I ended up shooting 12.
Since then, I have been honored to have photographed many weddings for so many amazing and wonderful clients and have been full time for the past few years.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Vulnerability was the biggest hurdle for me. It takes so much bravery to put your work out there and have people critique it. When you make a facebook page and invite your friends to like it – that is vulnerable. Telling people your pricing and not knowing how they’ll take it – that is vulnerable. Starting a business takes a ton of bravery, hard work, and asking questions. My advice would be, don’t be afraid to reach out to others whose work you admire. Get as much education on the subject as you can and walk out boldly!
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I am a wedding and lifestyle photographer. I love to capture real genuine love and moments and have them last a lifetime. I adore the couples I get to work with and love when they tell me how calm and comfortable I made them feel on their wedding day in addition to being able to provide them with tangible memories to carry with them.
Who have you been inspired by?
Some beautiful business women that Iooked up to when I first started my company were Kaitie Bryant, Chloe Giancola, and Shanna Skidmore. They are boss babes who have so much talent and wisdom and were generous in sharing that with me.
Pricing:
- Wedding Photography packages begin at $3500 with most couples spending around $4500.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.hollyvonlanken.com
- Email: hello@hollyvonlanken.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/hollyvonlanken
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HollyVonLankenPhotography
Image Credit:
photo of me: Shelby Rae Photographs, All others: Holly Von Lanken
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.
