Reflections on the First Year in Business
One year ago in June of 2018 I took a big leap, formed an LLC and finally launched PorchLight Imaging! The journey to even get to that point was significant as the years prior were filled with uncertainty, self-reflection and a constant wondering about when I wanted to be when I grow up.
The early, post-college confidence, after earning my BFA in Photography, carried me through a cross-country move, a few initial dues-paying gigs and then 2 wonderful professional roles. At that point I chose to temporarily step away from full time employment to raise a family; time for which I am very grateful. During this period I did freelance photography work here and there plus a 2-year entrepreneurial interlude taking my cake decorating hobby to a professional level, but struggled with when and how to return to the workforce.
Having been a devoted fan of clean lines, the Dwell magazine aesthetic and modern design & architecture in general, I began to explore this photography niche by reading countless blog posts, viewing dozens of YouTube tutorials, and attending a week-long Photoshop event in-person at the CreativeLive studio here in Seattle. This really kickstarted my desire to work in commercial photography again and helped build my confidence with newly polished post-production skills and fresh network connections.
Once I had pointed in this direction I hit the ground running; photographing friends’ homes for my portfolio, designing a logo, building a website, designing marketing materials, getting FAA certified for drone work, growing an Instagram following (500 and counting!), and beginning to build a client base. The early days were slow and it’s taken a while to discover if my efforts were paying dividends, but I think that I’ve reached that point now and it’s a good feeling!
Looking forward, there’s much more to come; new things to learn, services to add, gear to buy, connections to make and other markets to enter. I’m optimistic about what this second year in business will bring and am so grateful for the support of my family as well as my fabulous clients!
Cheers to PorchLight Imaging; one year down, many more to go!
(most images in this post copyright © 2019 Jennifer Clark/PorchLight Imaging, LLC and my thanks to clients Heidi & Angie for the others!)