Meet Courtney Harper

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Courtney Harper a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Courtney, 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?

Finding my purpose in photography has been a journey deeply rooted in my upbringing. Growing up my father was a photographer, which exposed me to the art of capturing moments at an early age. Even before I owned a camera, I had a passion for curating images that told a story. The first day when I bought my camera, I got an inquiry for a wedding. The bride said “If you can take pictures like the ones on your page then your hired.”

It is probably still my best job to date.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I am the founder and owner of Birth of Mars, a creative portrait photography business based in Phoenix, Arizona. The name comes from Sandro Botticelli’s famous painting “The Birth of Venus” where the goddess Venus, stands nude as she is born out of a sea shell. This masterpiece is still celebrated today for being one of the first non-religious depictions of a nude woman, marking a significant moment in the evolution of artistic expression. The “Mars” in my brand name reflects my roots; having been born and raised in Arizona, I have always saw my hometown as a martian landscape.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

I think as a photographer, being confident enough to direct your subjects is key. I have worked with a lot of timid photographers and I find that it shows in the final work. Dont buy anything cheap because you’ll end up having to spend more money later. And don’t take everything so seriously. Its important to have fun with it! As long as you just do it, you will be able to grow it.

Tell us what your ideal client would be like?

My clients typically are small business owners or people going through major milestones such as getting married or having a baby. I love to do both in the studio and out in the world/lifestyle work. I am prideful that you could put me in any situation and I will be able to capture beautiful images. Regardless of lighting conditions, age, or the number of subjects, you can trust that I will capture the moment beautifully.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.birthofmars.com
• Instagram: birthofmars