Today we’d like to introduce you to Allyssa Sayers.
Hi Allyssa, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was the manager of a third wave coffee shop in Flagler Beach called Yes Coffee for nearly three years. I always dreamed of being a photographer but I never thought it was possible or even an option for me.
Nic and I met on a work trip in Las Vegas in 2019 while I was working a secondary job for a company called Event Force. He lived in Texas and I lived here in Palm Coast! We began dating and, almost immediately after, I began my photography business. I had purchased my first professional camera and, before I knew it, people were asking me if they could pay me to shoot. I thought, surely I’m not good enough to be paid! I needed more experience.
They continued to insist so I charged my first many clients about forty dollars each until I felt more confident in my craft. Meanwhile, Nic would come visit me from Texas and come along to all of my shoots while he was here! He picked up my little Canon G7x mark 2 and made little videos for free for my clients and they loved them! He discovered he loved videography while I grew in experience and adoration for the art that is photography.
We got engaged May of 2021 and began taking on weddings to help pay for our own wedding and, by the grace of God, we were able to fully fund the mountain side elopement of our dreams with friends and family on the Coast or Oregon that October!
We have been shooting together ever since and have put so much love and effort into our craft. We are so thankful for every client who trusts us to capture their sweetest moments and memories.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I would say our journey has been easier than most but it hasn’t been without its struggles. We were known for a while for doing only “by donation” shooting as we felt lead by God to do so. We did, however, charge a small minimum for weddings. We were able to bless so many people who would have otherwise not been able to afford high quality photos! We did this until we found out we were pregnant with our second child and we felt it was time to transition back to normal pricing as well as lighten the work load to prepare.
I wouldn’t say allowing people to pay what they could was extremely challenging but it was certainly an act of faith. God never let us down, we were still able to do photography and videography full time in this crazy economy so that in itself was a miracle!
It’s also always a challenge to find your own footing in the creative world. There’s always comparison and feeling the need to be better but those feelings can be turned into something positive and motivational which can propel you into success if you let it. Comparison can be turned to inspiration and admiration. Needing to be better can be turned into a drive to learn and better educate yourself on your passion and craft.
There will always be road blocks and challenges on the path you most want to be on. It’s a matter of deciding if you’re going to do what it takes or take the easy way out! We’re thankful God has taken us through these obstacles and taught us so much!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
We are photographers and videographers! A married duo based in Palm Coast, FL! We specialize in couples, family, and branding but that doesn’t stop us from taking on a wide variety of jobs to stretch our creativity and experience.
We are most proud to be parents to our sweet daughter, Maverick, and our son who is still on the way. Business wise, however, we are most proud of the way we genuinely connect with our clients. Some of our best friends were first people who hired us to take their photos! We will always put people before money and success and this is what makes us feel most fulfilled and happy in our business.
I’m not sure exactly what sets us apart from others. I feel that’s a question to ask our past clients haha! However, if I have to answer, I would say it’s our love for Jesus. We would like to think every person who shoots with us walks away feeling like they were loved, accepted, and cared for throughout the entire process of working with us. It’s only by which He first loves us that we are able to truly love and serve others to the highest caliber.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
This may sound unusual but we sort of live our lives season to season, moment to moment. I could have never imagined our business would become what it has!
People actually want to consistently shoot with us? Absolutely wild and such an honor! If someone would have told me when I first started shooting that we would have as many wonderful clients and opportunities that we do now, I would be awestruck.
With that being said, as we will soon have two children, I’m not quite sure what direction we’ll take this endeavor. We plan to keep shooting for a long while and continue to grow at a healthy pace but if, down the road, our journey ends with this then we will trust that God has something bigger and better for us!
In the meantime, we remain determined to give every person who shoots with us the best service we can possibly provide!
Pricing:
- Starting Couples Shoot Pricing: $175
- Starting Family Shoot Pricing: $175
- Starting Branding Pricing: $200
- Weddings Start At: $2,000 or $250 per hour!
Contact Info:
Image Credits
First photo of me, Nic, and our daughter was taken by my sister, Abigail Silliman. The rest were all taken by me, Allyssa Sayers, the main photographer for nicandlyss!
