Today we’d like to introduce you to Sierra Ford-Jones.
Hi Sierra, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
When I was just 16. I borrowed my mom’s camera and walked around the island we were visiting, taking pictures of anything that inspired me. I was instantly addicted to capturing simple everyday things in fun ways. Because of my newfound hobby, I took a film photography class and fell even more in love with the art. My first year of college I saved up to buy a Canon Rebel on Craigslist. Friends started asking me to take photos of their kids, and then their families, and then their weddings! My side hustle had become an accidental full-time business by the time I graduated (with a degree in public admin.) It’s been ten years since then and in that time, I have photographed hundreds of weddings in multiple countries. I have also captured many of those families grow from family sessions to branding photos for their new businesses! It’s an adventure I am blessed to be on! There is nothing quite like doing what you love as a job.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Like all things worth doing, pursuing my passion hasn’t been a total cakewalk! I taught myself how to do almost everything photography and business-related so it’s been a long and slow uphill climb! I eventually learned to hire help to master things that I wasn’t great at (like bookkeeping and systems), which has helped! I learned early on that it was crucial that I was equally as focused on the business side of things as I was on the art side. I paid for courses to help me understand my cost of doing business and how to price myself in order to pay my bills. When I first started charging for my work, I, like most new photographers, priced myself according to what I “felt” was enough. I quickly learned that pricing couldn’t be based on feeling; it had to be based on facts if I wanted capturing memories for my clients to be a sustainable job!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am the owner of Sierra Ford Photography; we specialize in vibrant wedding and branding photography. We have a special knack for helping clients loosen up in front of the camera with our unique posing methods. Many of our clients tell us that they were nervous before the shoot but ended up having a blast! We are most proud of the authentic emotion captured in our work and the hundreds of great reviews left by our clients!
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
Learn from the people doing what you want to do! Invest in education and if you can’t afford that at first, soak up all the free knowledge on the internet that you can. Google EVERYTHING! Also, don’t forget that the business side is as important as the art side. Today we’d like to introduce you to Sierra Ford-Jones.
Contact Info:
- Email: hello@sierraford.com
- Website: www.sierraford.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sierrafordphotography/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SierraFordPhotography
