How to build confidence as an elopement photographer? It took me three years to find the answer

It may surprise you that it took me three years to learn how to build confidence as an elopement photographer, but it’s true! It took me a year and a half to finally buy the domain name for Between the Pine. Then, it took me six months to tell my closest friends about my idea to start a food blog on said domain. Then, after another two months, I finally hit publish for my first post on my website. It really has taken me three years to finally feel free and confident to chase my dream as a food-blogger turned elopement and adventure wedding photographer.

You might still be asking, “But, how do I build confidence as a photographer?” Well, I shared all of this with you to hopefully help you see that you, too, can build confidence in your brand! Whether you’re an elopement photographer or wedding photographer, I’m sharing the three best ways you can build confidence:

Mollie’s three steps to building confidence as a photographer

1. Build a brand that is true to you

2. Create a portfolio of the content you aspire to capture and book more of

3. Find a community of fellow professionals in the wedding industry

Build a photography brand that you can be confident in

One of the best ways to build confidence as an elopement photographer is to build a brand that showcases what you’re confident in. As you’re developing and building your brand, you have to ask yourself the questions, “What are my limits? What experiences do I have that are unique?” Your brand should offer a service or product that falls within your experience and what you’re comfortable with. If you’ve never been on a hike longer than one mile, then you shouldn’t offer an elopement package that includes a 10-mile hike. However, if offering an all-day elopement package with steep hikes and epic backdrops is your dream, then work towards it! Start going on hikes, build up your knowledge, and then use that experience to expand your brand. Are you tracking with me? You’re creating a brand that enables you to work from your own strengths and personality, not someone else’s, and that is something you should feel confident about!

Build confidence by creating a portfolio as an elopement photographer

Until the summer of 2019, I didn’t have any elopement photos or content in my portfolio. Now, that was a problem, because I knew I wanted to start transforming Between the Pine into an adventure wedding and elopement photography brand. So, what did I do? I set up styled shoots! Styled shoots are opportunities for creatives to collaborate their best work to create some stunning results. So, for example, a florist, calligrapher, hair and makeup artist, bridal shop and photographer could all work together to create a scene that looks like an epic elopement or adventure wedding, then they’ll all have content to promote! Commonly, styled shoots cost $200 to $500 to do well. Believe that your brand is worth investing in, and that will build your confidence.

As you’re planning your styled shoot, plan to create the portfolio that you want to book. I knew I wanted to book couples who were seeking an amazing backdrop, landscape and adventure when they tied the knot. So, I recruited some friends of mine, we hiked to some jaw dropping backdrops and I then had amazing content to begin marketing towards the couples I wanted to book. Curious about which elopement-styled shoots I’m talking about? Click below to see which photoshoots built my confidence as an elopement photographer.

Find a community of fellow professionals in the adventure wedding industry who will help you build your confidence

I seriously do not know where I would be without the friends I have met through the adventure wedding industry. They were the people who believed in me and Between the Pine, encouraged me and were my sounding board for when I was lacking confidence as a photographer. Most of the community I built before I started photographing elopements and adventure weddings, so they have been so monumental in shaping my confidence. And, my community isn’t just photographers! I am friends with officiants, event planners, florists, bakers, videographers and dress shop owners. A great way to build a community in the elopement and wedding industry is by joining and participating in an online community. Click here to join the group that helped me find my community.

I hope this resource was helpful for you to see that you can build confidence as an elopement or wedding photographer. If you have questions about how I exactly grew Between the Pine into the brand it is today, reach out to me about a mentor session. I love coming alongside business owners and entrepreneurs to help them see what is possible for them to achieve for their brand. So, let’s hang out and set some goals for you to build confidence in your business!