Today we’d like to introduce you to Hellen Oliveira.
Hellen, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I started as a bride. After a whole year of planning my own wedding, working with wedding vendors, learning everything about the wedding industry on my own as a bride, I realized I loved it and I wanted to be involved in it long after my wedding had passed. So, a couple of months later I kept thinking about it, I went out and bought my first DSLR camera! I was so excited I spent hours and hours on YouTube and all over the internet learning the ins and outs about everything I could on photography. Then, I would ask everyone I knew to photograph their children, their newborns, their families and their birthdays parties. Eventually, I reached out to the photographer who captured my own wedding and told her what I had been pursuing and that it had become a passion and she agreed to help me out and take me as her second shooter so, I could build my portfolio. Soon, I learned that I wanted to focus in wedding photography. I also joined lots of Facebook groups related to wedding photography and attended as many catch up sessions with photographers in the industry as I could. I realized that to me being a photographer was as much a love for photography as it was a love for people.
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?
Keeping myself motivated through the slower months is definitely hard and it may be less common to talk about but I think it’s a struggle for every one especially in the beginning when you are so energetic and going at 100 miles an hour and when you hit those road blocks you are not sure where you went wrong… Now, I have learned to plan for the ‘slow’ seasons whether it’s with personal projects or administrative work for the business, I keep myself busy. I also have learned not to be so harsh on myself because when something doesn’t go our way we tend to look down on ourselves but it can get in our heads and make us less motivated and less creative.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Hellen Oliveira Photography – what should we know?
I am a wedding photographer in Atlanta. I specialize in creating fun, intimate, simple love-able moments that will capture a lifetime of memories. I believe personal interactions with my clients is what sets me apart from others. This helps me get to know what they expect from me and what my expectations are from them and helps us achieve a closer relationship and more comfortability in front of the camera and that ‘less awkward’ feeling is out of the window and we get gorgeous genuine photos that they will cherish forever! I am always proud when I am chosen out of so many photographers to capture someone’s wedding day. My most proudest moment as of yet was when I hosted and spoke at a photography workshop here in Atlanta called, Reset to Rise in August 2017; it was a huge accomplishment to check off as a photographer.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Determination – even when I feel insecure, down, less than, not good enough, the only thing that reminds me to keep working at it is to remember that, slowly I will get where I want to be. Everyone’s journey is different and the only way to find yours is through determination to reach your goals!
Contact Info:
- Website: http://hellencophotos.com/
- Phone: 4047846621
- Email: hellen.photography@icloud.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hellencophotos/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hellencophotos/
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