March 20, 2017

Meet Elise Wendelburg of Prints Charming Photography in South of Atlanta

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Elise Wendelburg.

Elise, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I’ve been taking photos for as long as I can remember. Seriously. I remember being given a ‘real’ camera for my 5th birthday and I would never put it down. I think I slept with it. I would organize photoshoots with my neighborhood friends and make them be models for me. I grew up traveling the world, and my camera went everywhere with me. I loved documenting every little thing my family would encounter on our trip through my photographs. I’d comeback with photos not only of the beautiful scenery of the destination, but of the local people and cultures, too.

As my experience grew, my love for creating art through smiling faces exploded. I started Prints Charming Photography when I was 14 years old when I would occasionally photograph neighbors or family friends. Since then, my client base has grown and I have gotten to know so many wonderful people through a photo session.
Every day I wake up with a smile on my face: I love what I do.

Has it been a smooth road?
It hasn’t been as smooth as I thought it would be that’s for sure! When starting a business, I think a lot of people think that once you open your doors or launch your website, customers will come flowing in. That’s not what actually happens at all, and I got a little bit of a reality check! Every now and then I’d get a new customer and I would be over the moon. Recently, I’ve worked hard marketing my services by building my own website, through posting on Facebook and Instagram, and by writing a blog. My little business is growing, but it can be a little frustrating at times when you spend many hours marketing and see very little reaction from clients. But I love what I do and it’s so worth it. I still have a long road ahead of me to make my business exactly how I would like it, but I’m proud of what I’ve done.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Prints Charming Photography story. Tell us more about the business.
I enjoy photographing babies, children, seniors, families, and weddings. My favourite session I offer is the lifestyle family shoot, where I shadow a family for a few hours and live a day in their lives. My sessions are very relaxed and casual. I love making people laugh and capturing their expressions as the live in the moment. I try to help my clients, young and old, forget all about the camera and have a great time. My photos portray real life emotions, not posed smiles and sappy gazes.

It’s pretty simple really. You live your life. I’m just there to capture your memories. That’s my story- now let me tell yours!

How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I see the photography industry as a whole massively growing in the future, and then getting smaller. With model DSLR cameras that are simple for most people to use, many people will begin to explore the photography industry. It’s not as easy as it looks. Snapping a pretty photo is one thing, but editing, exporting, and publishing it is a whole other ballgame. It takes more work than most people think to market photography services!

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