March 27, 2017

Meet Aaron Coury of Aaron Coury Photography in Atlanta

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Aaron Coury.

Aaron, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I grew up in a creative family. My dad is a photographer and mother sings. They really encouraged my sisters and I explore our creativity from a young age. However, I didn’t pick up a camera until I was about 27. It started as a hobby, as most things do, and in a few years turned into a full on passion.

The big shift happened when I was working as an administrative assistant for Ted Turner. I watched a video from a website called “Give it 100”. It was a community of people that encourage you to do something you want to progress in for 100 days straight. The platform allowed you to upload videos and have people comment and encourage you through the process. I realized that I had a legit fear of taking portraits of people, so I decided to make that my goal. Throughout the 100 days, I fell in love with portraits and capturing a true essence of people, and in turn became somewhat labeled as a portrait photographer.

I started getting inquiries for portraits, and a few months later I quit my job to pursue photography full time. At the same time, I met my beautiful (now) wife. I started my business three years ago and haven’t looked back since.

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?
In my experience, photography business has very distinct seasons. Jan-Mar has always typically been slow for me, and getting used to that has had its challenges. But overall, I’ve been blessed to stay busy throughout the year.

There have also been times when I’ve gotten jobs that I didn’t feel like my skill level was where it needed to be. But I love being pushed, and I’ve taken those jobs on with a nervous confidence and grown so much as a result.

Please tell us about Aaron Coury Photography.
I would say that I’m most know for my portrait work. I do my best to capture people in their most naturally flattering moments. I hope that there is a real honesty about my work.

I place a high priority on communication and follow-through. A lot of creatives struggle in the business side, but I want people to want to work with me and know that they’ll get a high level of competency.

I also want people to feel comfortable in front of the camera. Most of the world are not professional models, and there is often an awkwardness people naturally get at photoshoots. My goal in every session is to make you feel comfortable so we can bring out your natural beauty, and I’ve often been told that I make the process very easy.

Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Eating dinner with my family around the table. My sisters and I had a goal to make my mom laugh so hard that she cried. Her famous line (after she was laughing uncontrollably) was, “Aaron, get me a tissue.”

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