We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Natassia Gyger a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Natassia, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
I saw this quote recently that said “If you can’t figure out your purpose, figure out your passion. For your passion will lead you right into your purpose.” – Bishop T.D. Jakes. This truly speaks to me and has so much meaning in what I do and how I found this journey in my life. Growing up I had a dream that I wanted to help people. It has always been in my soul to bring people joy, happiness and healing and I truly believe being a photographer is doing just that.
I started life wanting to go to nursing school and help people medically, but God’s plan for my life was different. No matter how many times I tried to get on that path something de-railed that plan, but not in a bad way. I was in the process of applying for nursing school when I had my first child and being a mom was so important to me that I put school on hold. When I tried applying again, I ended up with my daughter this time and being a stay at home mom with my 2 children was where I knew I needed to be. After a couple of years I saw how important photos were to my heart, how they held so much weight and so many memories. I began documenting my children and quickly realized that I wanted to pursue this and see where it would take me.
Not too long into my journey I had clients telling me how special their photos have meant to them and how they will cherish them forever. To this day I have past clients still messaging me telling me that some of their most special memories are the ones that I helped them document. This is my passion and my purpose, to press pause and hold on to these moments for my clients. Whether it be a family vacation, pregnancy announcement, engagement, 1st birthday, graduating and so much more I know my purpose is to capture these memories for my clients and truly show those cherished emotions through their photographs.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I have been photographing families for about 6 years now and it all started with my love for photographing my kids and documenting their milestones. I saw how quickly time went and how much my children were changing each day and each year that I wanted to help other families hold on to these moments as well. Photographs have such a special place in my heart and I love looking back on my own family photos because they bring me such joy and such a warmness in my heart that I can’t describe. My goal as a photographer is to do that for my clients as well, which is why I have such a passion for what I do. Photography to me, is so much more than just snapping a picture; its creating a memory that will last a lifetime; its pressing pause for a moment in time to look back and remember those feelings of joy, happiness and love.
I love what I do because each family is different and each day with my clients tells a new story. Being able to document their story means so much to me and I take so much pride in my sessions as if they were my own family. My goal as your photographer is help make your session fun and not stressful, but memorable! Photography sessions shouldn’t be filled with stress, but better yet, kisses, dancing, laughter and hand holding. This will bring those beautiful candid moments to life and that is was I love!
For the last 6 years I have been documenting families and such big milestones in their lives, but recently I have been getting into weddings and documenting those big moments as well and I am in such awe of the beauty that has come from that. One of the most special days of your life and being able to capture those memories brings me such honor!
I use the word ‘memories’ so much because life goes by so quickly and one day that is what we will have, is our memories; stories of our children growing up, our time together and those silly things they did as kids. Looking back at photos can bring a flood of memories back so quickly, which makes photography such a special thing and why it has such a special place in my heart.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
I believe the number one quality to have as a photographer is ‘passion’. I love each of my clients and who they are individually and my passion is to tell their story, to show their love for one another and to create a beautiful memory for them. My goal as photographer is to bring a smile to my clients faces not only at their session but when they open their photos! I believe that being passionate about my work is what has brought me to where I am today.
I consider another great quality to have as a photographer is being able to ‘connect with people’. As a photographer I have clients of all ages and families in all shapes and sizes! I find it so meaningful to be able to connect with each family individually and truly get to know them. One of my intentions as a photographer is to connect with you and truly know your family dynamics before going into each session. To be able to do this I have a series of questions I ask prior to your session so I can learn more about each person and understand who you are! Every person in my clients family is so special and has a unique part in your story that I want to be able to display in your photos! At your session, my goal is for you and your children to be comfortable with me and I trust that our connections leading up to your session will help with that not only during our time together but beyond and help create a relationship that you can trust and come back to!
Even though there are so many things that have impacted my journey, the last quality that I believe that has helped me is ‘creativity.’ Photography is a form of art and being able to be creative with my photos is so significant to me. As a family photographer I am not only capturing your family but also the beauty that surrounds you. Including the location, light and those beautiful sunrises and sunsets are so important to the photos as well. These can bring so much creative measure to the photos and help with the feelings that surround it as well. Being a photographer, you have to have an eye for detail which can include so many different elements in one photo, so being able to be creative with not only your subjects but the surroundings as well brings so many different artistic skills into each photo.
If you are just starting your journey as a photographer, I encourage you to be patient, take your time and truly focus on each detail; show your clients why you love what you are doing and take time to connect with each person. You may be capturing the relationships between family members but you are also creating a relationship with your clients, which is so important as well. Photography is an art of story telling and creativity, it’s an eye for detail and being able to feel that emotion through the photo, which is why every part of the process is so important!
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
I hear so often “Setting your own hours must be so nice” or “I bet you love being able to work from home”. While these statements are true, owning your own business does not come without the feelings of stress and being overwhelmed. There have been many nights I lay in bed and my mind cannot stop thinking about the ways I can improve, what I can do better for my clients experience, the messages and emails I didn’t get to answer that day and so much more. I’ve shed tears in moments of feeling like I’m just not able to do this or feeling the task load is just too much for me to handle myself. Feeling overwhelmed is an understatement at times.
During my time as a photographer I have had to learn how to handle these situations and feelings, how to organize my thoughts so that I can think clearly and get back to a place of peace. I have found that having a very organized planner has helped me to write out what needs to be done, but also see what’s to come. I have tasks lists for each day and I often carry around a note pad with me so when a thought does pop into my head I have somewhere to put it. Having these things has helped me to clear my mind so those feelings of being overwhelmed does not overtake me. As many of you know, I am also a mom of 3 young children, so between their school schedules, sports, appointments and just our normal every day life, my mind can become cluttered, and being able to organize my thoughts and days in front of me has been a huge help.
Another piece of advice and some of my biggest advice is ‘grace’. Give yourself grace! There is only so much that can be accomplished each day, even when setting a to-do list and doing what you can, some days not everything can get done. We are not perfect and this is where grace comes in, we have to remember this and remember to be kind to ourselves and be proud of what we are doing. I rely on prayer and leaning on God a lot and this has helped me realize just how to have grace for myself, not only in my personal life, but in my business as well.
But…through all of the tears, sleepless nights, and stressful days I have learned to face my challenges head on and find what works for me. Everybody’s success is different and our journeys are also different, so we must be proud of the things that we have accomplished and stay strong in the long run. Seeing where I started to where I am today has been so rewarding and only makes me want to work harder, not just for myself but for my clients! I value each client as if they were family and I do this for you! You are the reason I love what I do!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.gygerphotography.com
- Instagram: @ngygerphotography
- Facebook: @ngygerphotography
