Here’s the longer version of what we talked about:

How she was extremely shy as a kid but also artistic, which led to her wanting to be behind the scenes in her high school’s TV production studio.

How she now likes to “hide” behind her camera at weddings but still thrives off experiencing other people’s energies.

How she got into photography initially by photographing her “gorgeous friends” in abandoned barns and open fields, then got hired by a friend’s mom to do senior portraits.

The mix of good advice she got from both of her parents – her dad was self-employed and her mom was very practical. How that, combined with the pressure from society to go to college, get a degree, and have health insurance led to her starting college for two weeks, dropping out, then going back again.

How a digital photography certificate program was the catalyst that led her to believe she could really do this full time.

Feeling terrified to photograph her first wedding, but learning how to “snap on” and switch into photography mode no matter what emotion or nerves she’s feeling. How she learned confidence by telling herself “I’ve never NOT pulled this off.”

You don’t have to be unbelievably creative to be a successful photographer – you can rely on old tricks you’ve used before.

How she feels famous in her hometown but very humble in the world of photographers. She’s always been drawn to unique and interesting, preferring not to be normal, but mixes that with “mainstream goodness” to create her own style somewhere in the middle. How she focuses on her clients’ real emotions, no matter what style the photos appear to be.

How she said yes to everything in the beginning and charged hardly anything at all. How she now values the people she chooses to work with, and how that played into raising her prices as she learned she could afford to turn potential clients down if they weren’t a great fit.

How she and her fiance have always been drawn to Vermont but she struggled moving away from her family. Once she moved, she boosted her business through networking, referrals, and offering free shoots for couples in Vermont. Now she isn’t sure of her 5-year-plan but hopes to stay north.

Why you should just try things, and trust that you’ll learn the skills you’ll need instead of starting with all of them right away.

Takeaways

• Take chances! The more you succeed, the more confident you’ll be, and you can look back and tell yourself, “I’ve never NOT pulled this off, so I can do it again now.”
• You don’t have to be 100% creative every time. Make use of the “old tricks” you’ve used in the past.
• It’s okay to fall somewhere in the middle between “mainstream” and completely original. In fact, that might be the best place to be. When in doubt, focus on the art itself and making it the best it can be.
• Choose to do things that bring you joy and make you feel fulfilled. If your creative passion is also something you’re selling, it’s okay to say yes to everything and charge less in the beginning, and work your way up to refusing projects that don’t fulfill you.
• You don’t have to be proficient right away – trust that you’ll learn the skills you need to learn over time. You WILL get there.

Where to find Hallie and her photography business, Hallie Jade Pictures:

Website – halliejadepictures.com
Instagram – @halliejadepictures

Enjoy listening to episode 1! 

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Want more? You can find all episodes of the Let’s Get Real Creative podcast on Spotify, iTunes, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, and more. They’ll be in the system shortly! 

And trust me when I say I know my audio quality is not quite as stellar as I’d like. Goes with the territory of getting up and running. (Anyone else a podcaster out there with inexpensive mic recommendations?)