My journey with photography began with a camera and a dream. There were so many things I didn’t know about- specializing, branding, marketing, business… My mind was being pulled in a million directions, as was my photography. I had no idea what I was doing, I simply did whatever I was called to each day, sometimes loving the projects I was hired for, sometimes wishing I’d kindly declined. These were the learning years of my business, the vital years. The years that helped me define who I would become as a Photographer.

I spent the first two years of my business trying out everything. Maternity, newborn, family, children, wedding, senior, pet- I even photographed a 50th Anniversary. Yes, I shot it all. At this stage in my business, the idea of specializing wasn’t even on my radar. I was just happy to be hired- for anything. While I lacked direction and focus, I was gaining experience and over time I was able to determine what I loved and what I didn’t. I was a Generalist. And at the time, I was okay with that.

While on vacation with my husband in Las Vegas in 2009, I decided to take advantage of being in a new location and I booked two sessions with two high school girls from the area. I went to these shoots with a handful of ideas of some poses I wanted to try, I even attempted my very first concept shoot with the theme of Urban Ballerina. The feeling of turning my vision into a reality was so exciting and so unlike any other feeling I had ever experienced. It was on this day that I discovered a passion for senior portraits that I never knew existed within myself. Specifically for working with teen girls. Up until that day, no other genre of photography had ever made me feel that way. As I walked away from that session, I made a commitment to myself and the future of my business. I was going to become a Specialist.

I decided to target my niche down to a very specific genre of photography: Senior Portraits for Girls. On the West Coast, Senior Photography has been happening for decades, so I knew I had to do something to make my little photography business stand-out. Specializing gave me that edge. Over the years, as I have defined my specialty, I realized that what I was lacking was a strong brand to support being a Specialist. After doing a little business soul-searching in Spring 2012, it became very apparent that my weak branding was in need of a revamp. For years I had been rockin’ a slogan that just didn’t fit me, my client or my photography: Modern Photographer for the Stylish Girl. While the slogan itself wasn’t awful, the message it was sending just didn’t fit. I wasn’t so modern and my clients weren’t exactly Fashionistas. The slogan was a complete disconnect, which meant it had to go.

In 2012, after attending WPPI and talking with dozens of photographers about my hopes, dreams and aspirations for my business, I felt revived and ready to tackle the branding monster. I sat down and I started analyzing everything. The things I loved, the clients I was attracting, my style of photography, my way of thinking, who I was. Slowly, I started connecting all of the dots and before I knew it, my brand was staring me right in the face. A brand that represented me as a person and a photographer. A brand that also represented my clients… Young & Free.

We took it all the way back to the foundation and started at square one. New font, new logo, new color scheme, new wording, new mission statement, new outlook. Pulling from the things I loved, I was able to create a brand that would breathe new life into my business. It felt like the cage doors were opened and I was finally free to fly.

My goal is to drive Young & Free throughout all aspects of my business. The marketing pieces I design to promote my company. The layout and design of my website and blog. The way I shoot and edit my images. The tone and voice of my business on my website, social media and marketing materials. The products I use and offer to my clients. Every little piece of the Holli True Photography puzzle has a fragment of Young & Free intertwined within it. Because, for me, Young & Free is the heartbeat of my company. It’s at the very core of who I am and who my clients are, too.