Today we’d like to introduce you to Tedra Schaefer.
Hi Tedra, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I first started my photography journey, if that’s what you want to call it, when I was a young girl. I had probably one of the cheapest little cameras known to man, but I loved it. “What kind, you might ask?'” to be honest, I can’t even tell you; all I know is it allowed me to see the world differently and to hold onto memories that I might forget over time. We didn’t have much growing up, so my camera was everything. It gave me a voice, and it allowed me to open up to people.
Fast forward to 2002, I graduated from high school, and I thought for sure I would jump right into getting a photography degree or working in photography in one way or another. Like the story goes, life had other plans and I didn’t get back to what I love until 2016. I didn’t give it up completely during that time, but I did feel like something was missing. Almost as if I was missing a piece of me. I would photograph some weddings here and there, and I would take some family portraits, but I didn’t really commit back to it until 2016. I honestly woke up one day and decided that I was going to pursue photography. I literally walked away from my job of 11 years and decided that I wanted more. From there, I went to Daytona State College and received my AS in photography. I also interned with a local photographer that I love dearly, all while being a mom and a wife.
Soon after I graduated, I worked as a professional commercial photographer for a local company, but I soon realized that I wanted more for myself. So I took baby steps and started working at another company, unfortunately, the pandemic hit and I soon found myself without a job. So I was thrown into a very unknown world so I took that as an opportunity to stop running from my passion and I decided to become a full-time photographer and own my own business. It’s funny because I look back now and it’s one thing to go off on your own, but it’s another entirely when you decide to do it during a pandemic. I can say one thing I have learned a lot about what I can handle and facing many challenges has definitely made me stronger, but it has also given me the opportunity to see people for who they truly are. I’m just blessed enough to be able to capture who they truly are. So now I own a small photography company called High Hopes Photography, and I’m hoping it will blossom into something that will one day be bigger than myself.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I can say one thing; it has been far from a smooth road. I have struggled in so many unimaginable ways. I think one of my biggest struggles is not losing sight of what I want to accomplish. There have been many days when I felt like giving up or throwing in the towel, but then I start having faith that I can do this. I can actually say faith and hope have been what have driven me. Because if you can’t physically imagine what you want and what it looks like as if you already have it then you have already lost. After that, it was just a matter of getting my name out there. Often times I would give it and many people would forget, or I would run into many dead ends. I can say that form of rejection has been a difficult pill to swallow, but it helped me to keep going because I knew I would find clients who would want me as their photographer, and I am truly thankful for everyone who has decided to work with me.
I also found out that keeping yourself sustainable is a harder feet when there are months that you don’t have any clients coming in and you have bills to pay. It does take time to get the ball rolling, but in this time, I’m learning what I am truly made of. I’m learning how to manage money in a better way and not to take it for granted. When first starting out, I didn’t realize how much was actually involved having a business. One learns a lot about what it takes, From taxes to a business license, insurance, the actual equipment and sustaining it, to always being up to date with editing software, and then there’s the advertisement, and having a social presence, and everything in between. Yep, I can say, “it’s a lot!” These are just a few of the struggles, but I guess the make the ride worth it.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about High Hopes Photography?
Well, one cool thing to know, or what I think is a cool thing to know. High Hopes Photography was thought up in a hole in the wall. Literally, it was a hole in the wall when it was first thought about. To be honest, not many people can pronounce my name because it is unique and different. So, I figured I wouldn’t use it in my actual business name like many others, so I wanted something different but easy to remember. So believe it, or not I was listening to a “little, “big,” song, called “High Hopes,” by Panic! At The Disco, and I knew right then and there that that’s how I was going to start living my life. So I was inspired by that song and that is how the name of High Hopes Photography came about. What do I specialize in? Well, I take pride in wanting to photograph many things. I often find many photographers seem to work in one form or another, and I wanted to break away from that. I love experiencing new things, so I didn’t want to be limited to just one form of photography.
I offer wedding, events, family, senior, engagement, real estate, and commercial photography. But what I am known for is the individual portraits that I take. Usually, depending on what and whom I’m working with, I like to sit aside some time at the end of the shoot to really have fun and capture the true essence of my client. I don’t tell them that I’m going to do this; it just happens so that I capture who they truly are. So basically, we will plan out the shoot and what we want to accomplish and then at the end, we have some true fun. Usually, by the end of the shoot, my client and myself are more comfortable, so the uniqueness of the individual comes out. That’s what I love the most. Seeing the true side of someone and capturing it. Brand wise I am most proud of the fact that I even get an opportunity to make a brand, and I’m looking forward to see how it’s going to grow. One thing that I want the readers to know is I truly want them to be seen. I want them to see themselves the way God sees them. I want people to know that I take pride in my work and that when they choose me they will receive the best quality that I can give and that is bringing out the best in them.
Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
I don’t really have a favorite childhood memory per se. However, I do have a pretty cool story to tell about my childhood. When I was in middle school, around 7th grade, I had a trampoline accident that caused me to have a serve head injury. My injury consisted of a fractured skull, bruised brain, and blood clot. When the doctors first saw me, they said my injuries were so bad that my skull would always have a fracture in it and that the swelling on my brain would take many months to go down.
At first, it was so bad they thought they would have to do surgery. If that was the route they would have taken, I would have been left with a soft spot on the back of my skull for the rest of my life. Thankfully they didn’t, and over time and quickly, may I add, the swelling went down, and the fracture ended up healing completely. I didn’t suffer any long-term effects, and at the time, the doctors had never seen something like that before, especially with my injuries being as bad as they were. Looking back, I am extremely grateful for not only being able to walk away from such a traumatic experience, but the fact that I am still able to do what I love makes it that much sweeter.
Contact Info:
- Email: takeurpic2019@gmail.com
- Website: www.highhopesphotography.com
- Instagram: @highhopesphotog
- Facebook: @highhopesphotog
Image Credits
Rebekah Noel
