Wedding and Lifestyle Family Photographer

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in photography but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Valerie Richer, Owner of Valerie Richer Photography, located in Calgary, AB, Canada.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

I am the owner-photographer at Valerie Richer Photography. I am a lifestyle and wedding photographer operating in Calgary, Banff, and Kananaskis Country, Alberta, Canada. Although I live in the city, I spend most of my time in the mountains with couples and families. My approach is mostly photojournalistic, so we go for hikes, and I capture real moments, real memories. But this is also my art, and with gorgeous lighting—have you ever seen the sun setting over mountains peaks—and clients who fully trust me, we’ve also created gorgeous timeless and creative portraits over the years.

Tell us about yourself

I started off my photography journey by hiking to mountain tops and travelling with a point-and-shoot camera in tow. And I took so many photos because I knew that I could only be at the top of a mountain for so long, that my trip could only last so long, but that the photos I took would last forever. Looking at my photos reminds me of the happy times, the amazing people I have met along the way, of how much I miss them, of course, but mostly of how much joy every single experience has brought me. Eventually, friends and family started asking me to take pictures for them, including a friend whose wedding photographer dropped out at the last minute. It showed me that this passion of mine could become a career. So photography is basically a passion turned favours for friends turned side hustle turned full-time business.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Although I feel like everything is a big accomplishment since I had to learn everything about my craft and how to run and market a business, I think that my biggest accomplishment is simply taking the leap, quitting my day job, and putting all of my energy and efforts into what I’m truly passionate about, and turning it into a successful business.

What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?

The hardest thing about running a home-based one-woman show is allocating time for my business and time for my family. The main reason that pushed me to do this—other than my love for photography— is being my own boss, setting my own hours, and having a career that allows me to spend time with my family, drop off my kids at school, take them to their activities and just be there for them. Sometimes you feel like you are getting pulled in different directions, so the juggling act is real! I make a point to block off weekends, and I turn down business if I need to. So that when I’m at work, I’m at work (if you can call it work). And when I’m at home, I’m at home. I want my clients to get my full attention, creativity, and energy, which means that I need to make sure that the cup is full in every aspect of my life.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

Learn. Take some courses—and I’m not saying you need a university degree. I took some super easily accessible and free courses, but it was enough to get the wheels turning and give me some ideas on how to do things like market my business and optimize my website for search engines. It was a game-changer. I saw exponential growth only a few months after starting to be intentional about running my photography like a business.
Set time aside for yourself and your family. If you are passionate about what you do for a living, you want it to stay a passion first and foremost. It is really easy to overdo it, especially in the early stages of starting a new business, as so much needs to get done in order to start generating revenue.
Try not to get overwhelmed (easier said than done). Prioritize, organize your thoughts on paper and pick a task you need to start with, something you need to learn about first, something attainable. Then move on to the next step. Three years into this business, I am still learning new things that make me a better business owner and things that make my business more profitable and more accessible to potential clients. But what I was doing three years ago was also just fine for the stage that I was at. This is what growth is all about. Personal growth and growth in your business.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://valricherphotography.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/valricherphotography
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/valricherphotography/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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