When I began my journey with photography, it was with one goal in mind: to turn my passionate hobby into a full-fledged, thriving business. This was my only focus. I lived and breathed photography, craving the life of a full-time photographer. Everything I did, every plan I put into action, every step I took was with that one destination in mind. In 2010, it happened, I left my full-time job for good and my dream came true!
But then, soon after, something happened.
A sweet friend of mine, Denise, who is also a fellow photographer, asked me step out of my comfort zone (behind the camera) and teach a workshop (oy!). I quickly disregarded the request and went on my merry way, not thinking twice about it. A few months later, she asked again. I laughed it off, once again, and declined. And then she asked me again, as did a handful of other photographers. This not only shocked me, it scared me. Teaching simply wasn’t something I had set out to do, so the idea of it threw for a loop. But, I promised to consider it, at the very least. And so I did and after months of debating with myself on whether or not I could pull it off, I decided to go for it. I held my very first workshop in Portland, Oregon in May 2011. Since then, I have held 3-4 workshops each year, with 5 scheduled for 2014.
Needless to say, I am incredibly grateful to all of the amazing photographers who have traveled out to Oregon or come to see me in some of the cities I have traveled to for workshops. It is absolutely mind-blowing and I can’t begin to thank each and every one of you enough. Although teaching wasn’t something I had ever intended on doing, it is something that I absolutely love to do. Having the opportunity to share my passion with others is truly a beautiful thing and I will never take it for granted.
With all of this said, I have learned something very important, especially over the past year as my senior photography business has grown. Juggling the demands of being two photographers, A Working Photographer & A Teaching Photographer, is like walking a tightrope. Only you’re always walking somewhere in the middle of that rope, because you can’t walk toward one end without abandoning the other side. The rope literally leads to two very different destinations, opposite of each other. And maintaining balance on this thin line, without falling has proven to be tougher than I ever imagined possible.
I am a photographer. I am happiest when I have my camera in my hand and I am creating. For the past 6+ years, I have done everything in my power to build a reputable business, specializing in high school senior portraits for girls. While I love teaching workshops and connecting with photographers from all over the US, I have made a huge decision for my business…
2014 will be the last year that I offer group workshops. There are still a few seats available for most of our 2014 workshops, if you are interested in attending. Please know that I am not walking away from teaching all together, I simply crave a much more hands-on environment and I wish to connect with attendees in a real way. So, going forward, I will only be offering 1-on-1 or 2-on-1 Evoke Mentoring, a day-long, in-person intensive event. The idea of being able to devote all of my time, attention and care to 1 or 2 people for an entire day is so exciting, as it will allow us to really break ground on your business and shooting technique and get to the core of what your business is all about. I will only take a limited number of Evoke Mentoring Sessions each year to ensure the highest quality of hands-on, personalized learning.
I am very excited about the direction I am moving in and I hope you are, too. More details will be released soon, if you are interested in being added to our notify list, please send an email to holli@hollitrue.com. Much love!!
