Today we’d like to introduce you to Vanessa Joy.
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?
My mother was a photographer so naturally, that meant I didn’t like it until I went to high school and decided to take a black-and-white photography class. I fell in love with it and as it would happen my photography teacher photographed weddings on the weekends. After I graduated I worked for him for five years before starting my own business in 2008. Since then I have been photographing weddings, now at a large and luxury scale, as well as educating the wedding community through YouTube, online courses and Instagram.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Being business for yourself is never a smooth road. I’ve certainly had my share of incidents that could’ve been avoided had I had the experience that I do now. Being a photographer is so personal though as what I do is something I love and I feel like I leave a piece of me and every photograph that I take. Whenever I have a client that is unhappy for any reason at all, albeit that is quite rare these days, I can’t help but to take it personally because I’m so emotionally connected to both the imagery as well as my clients and I want nothing more than to make them happy. I suppose in the long run that’s a good thing since my goal is always their happiness.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m a photographer and I specialize in high-end and luxury weddings as well as portraiture.
In the photography world, I am most known for being a Canon Explorer of Light, a title given by Canon USA to only five wedding photographers in the world. I’ve been speaking around the world for well over a decade educating other photographers on how to advance their craft as well as have a successful, profitable business.
I’m an author of four books, three of which I self-published, and run a YouTube channel that gives free photography education – YouTube.com/vanessajoy. My website, breatheyourpassion.com has a ton of free information on it as well.
I believe my experience sets me apart, being 20 years into the photography world, but more than that I think the fact that I concentrate on excelling at business just as much if not more than photography is what has made me successful. So many photographers are starving artists but since the beginning, I made sure to educate myself on business and marketing as much as I could by going to conferences and learning online and learning from other professionals around me.
What matters most to you?
My relationship with God. No matter what success I have or a great quality time with my family, there’s just nothing else that brings me joy and peace quite the same.
Pricing:
- Weddings Average Investment $12,000-25,000
- Portrait Session Average Investment $1750-3500
- Corporate Half and Full Day Rate $3,500/$5,000
Contact Info:
- Website: Vanessajoy.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/vanessajoy
- Facebook: Facebook.com/vjoyphoto
- Twitter: Twitter.com/vanessa__joy
- Youtube: YouTube.com/vanessajoy
Image Credits
Sarah Tribett Texas Touch Photography Jag Productions
