Today we’d like to introduce you to Shelby Brown.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’ve been interested in photography for as long as I can remember, but I would say it really kicked off once I had my daughter in 2011. I started taking photos of her and posting them to my Facebook. From there, a friend of mine complimented my work and asked if I could do a photoshoot of her and her family. After that, it just kind of snowballed into a business. Over the years, I’ve photographed a little bit of everything, but my main demographic has been families. This past year, however, I am also trying to focus more on couples and get into elopements. That is where my passion is. I love the mountains and love stories combined. I am originally self-taught and then decided to go back to school for photography where I graduated from the Art Institute of Austin in December of 2020. This year I will be celebrating my ten years anniversary for Shelby Nicole Photography.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Being self-taught, I have definitely faced many struggles. I didn’t know anything about lighting when I first started so that was the initial learning curve. I then had to figure out what worked best to run the business side of things so I wasn’t getting taken advantage of or losing out on money. Over the past ten years, it has included countless experiences with trial and error. I’d say the past two years it’s been mostly trial rather than error, but it was quite the journey to get there.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I specialize in family photography and absolutely love what I do. It’s been amazing watching the families grow over the years with the ones who have been with me since the beginning. This past year I have also branched out into couples and elopements to focus more on that since that is where I have a deep passion. I think what sets me apart is that I’m the photographer willing to travel anywhere, stylize the set/ or theme, take Inso and make it my own, and create my own editing technique. I’m not someone who says, “Oh, I wish I could do that.” I’m the type of person who makes it happen and that also ties into what I’m most proud of.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
Don’t be scared or shy to ask others for advice. I was so timid and thought I had to figure it out completely on my own. Although I’m proud of this, I know the journey would have been much smoother and quicker had I reached out to other professionals and asked to pick their brains. Also, don’t be scared to take risks. There is no harm in trying something and failing.
Contact Info:
- Email: shelbynicolephotos12@gmail.com
- Website: shelbynicolephotos.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/shelby.nicole.photography
