Today we’d like to introduce you to Madi Copeland.
Hi Madi, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My stumble into wedding photography was a complete accident that I’ll always be grateful for. When I started taking pictures it was strictly photojournalistic, taking sports and other documentary photos for my school and yearbook. When I got hooked on photography, I always had my camera with me and loved taking photos of friends and really anything I saw that piqued my interest. Creating genuine connections with the people in my photos and capturing emotional and raw moments that are otherwise fleeting gave me an energy I never knew I was missing.
Years later, when a close friend begged me to photograph her wedding, promising fair pay and a seat at the open bar, I finally agreed. From the minute I arrived at the chaotic venue, I knew I had found my true passion. The excitement, the nerves, the absolute energy that is palpable before, during, and after the wedding is like no other experience and I’m still chasing the high of the becoming the wrangler of all things wedding-day-chaos.
While I bounced around a few odds-and-ends jobs trying to find a place in college and the more corporate world, photography was always in the back of my mind and something I knew I wanted to pursue for the long term. I was photographing weddings, portrait sessions, and everything else that I could get away with.
On a whim and at a loss, I applied to Walt Disney World as a photographer positive that it would never result in anything. Fast-forward four years and I was a coordinator, trainer, and photographer for all the parks and ESPN. I even found a way to my dream Disney job as an editor and photographer for the Fine Art Photography team responsible for Disney Weddings and private photography sessions. While my personal client base had been slowly building, the security of a paycheck kept me content and complacent.
In 2020 I had just settled into my new role with the company when Covid-19 hit. We all laughed as we said our goodbyes for our two-week vacation, having no idea the effect this virus would have. While I definitely caught up on the rest that I had procrastinated for five years, when we all realized how much of an impact this was making, I switched gears and decided to pour every ounce of energy into building this business that I had half-heartedly been running for a decade.
I’ve spent months rebranding, redesigning, and marketing and I’m finally in a place where I can say I’m excited to wake up and go to work every day (mostly because going to work entails walking a whole five steps to my office and, if I’m feeling fancy, putting on a sweater over my pjs). Now I’m a featured vendor on The Knot and Wedding Wire, have bookings a year in advance, and I’m so thrilled to see what my future has to offer. While it’s absolutely terrifying, I know beyond a shadow of doubt that this is where my energy will remain focused moving forward.
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?
Nothing good in life every comes easy. I spent years trying to convince myself that I would be happy working somewhere else, living out someone else’s vision. I worked tirelessly to create a life that I thought I wanted. Growing up in a home with an entrepreneur for a father, I wasn’t sure that I could ever run my own business. I didn’t have that courage and that drive to do whatever it took to keep from going under. I liked numbers and data and absolute zero-risk scenarios. Being a professional photographer just seemed like the absolute farthest thing from safe and logical.
I worked various corporate jobs, restaurant jobs and even tried my hand at being a Zumba instructor. When I found myself at Disney, I thought that was as good as it got. I had an incredible job, worked with an amazing team, and got to pick up a camera every day and photograph families, brides, and events. And don’t get me wrong, I *was* happy. But I wasn’t fulfilled. It took losing my safe job, losing my funding for school that it provided, and being completely thrown out of my comfort zone thanks to Covid-19 to realize that I could do greater things.
After a two-month-long depression where I moped around and read over 200 books (not even good ones, just really bad Kindle Unlimited books that I would mentally edit as I read), I pulled myself up by my bootstraps and got to work. I’ve been an overachiever since childhood and failure has never been an option for me. So, I did what I had to do. I formalized my business, I poured all my energy into my dream, and I made the necessary but terrifying risks.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Anna Madison Photography is a wedding and lifestyle photography company that I’ve been building for the last decade. While I specialize in weddings, I’m just as happy when I book a headshot or family portrait session. All my associate photographers are other impacted cast members that I have brought on this journey with me, and we’ve created this team of female business owners focused on uplifting and empowering each other in our endeavors.
What sets Anna Madison Photography apart is the pure passion for what we do. Every wedding is special. Every portrait session is unique. Our mission is “to provide high-quality services by creating genuine connections with clients to capture the once-in-a-lifetime moments and honest emotions to tell their story in a way that is unique to their narrative so they can cherish their memories for a lifetime.”
Every business decision, every photo session, and every photograph we take starts with that mission and is based firmly in our values of respect, trust, connection, and transparency. I take pride in knowing that every client I serve will leave feeling appreciated and confident in their choice, knowing that at the end of the day they were more than just another gig for me.
As for my services, I offer a wide variety of photography sessions and styles. I also expanded to include graphic design in my offering and offer branding and marketing consultations and services to help empower other small business build the presence they need to make a difference. While I offer packages for almost all my services, I try to work with every budget and offer custom quote forms to build a package that fits every client’s needs.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
Does therapy count? All jokes aside, I’m a huge mental health advocate. There’s a service called “Open Path” that works to find licensed therapists in your area that are willing to knock down those crazy fees in order to get you the support you need. I use this and will always try to advertise it when I can. Affordable health care is hard to find but affordable MENTAL health care is nonexistent so I’m always trying to offer this little-known resource to anyone that will listen.
The podcasts I listen to are all comedians like Mike Birbiglia (Working it Out) and Pete Holmes (You Made It Weird). I have a hard time disconnecting from work so I’m almost always listening or watching something that’s completely unrelated of the work that I do.
As for books, I can’t recommend Jen Sincero enough. I often can’t stand self-help books that call for mindfulness or affirmations, but while she’s absolutely a self-help expert, her tell it like it is attitude paired with realistic optimism is refreshing and empowering.
For other photographers trying to break into the wedding industry, I would suggest reading and watching Joy Michelle, a wedding photography blogger that’s actually done a great job at creating an empowering network of creatives that work together rather than just treat each other like competition.
Pricing:
- Portrait Packages Starting at $160
- Wedding Packages Starting at $800
- Branding Packages Starting at $350
Contact Info:
- Email: madi@annamadisonphotography.com
- Website: https://www.annamadisonphotography.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annamadisonphotography/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnnaMadisonPhotography
Image Credits
Photo of me: CameraLady – Taylor Regulski All other photos: Anna Madison Photography
