We recently connected with Marissa Weltin and have shared our conversation below.
Marissa, appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?
I am always on social media looking at what other people are doing. It’s great to take inspiration from others and approach their idea in your own, unique way. There are so many trends these days on TikTok and Instagram, and it’s so cool to watch how other creators and photographers use those platforms to share their ideas. Sometimes I’ll hear a song or see a template that I love, so I use that to get me started if I’m in a lull and can’t come up with something 100% original. I think sometimes just doing that helps get the creative juices flowing and sometimes that does lead to a really great idea!
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I am a professional photographer with more then 5 years of experience, particularly in sports and documentary.
This fall, I am re-branding my photography business and separating things into two. I now have Marissa Weltin Photography which focuses on portrait work (families, engagements, weddings, seniors), as well as Frames by Marissa which is dedicated to sports and events. This re-brand has been a labor of love over the summer and into fall, but I am SO excited for the benefits to my business with having separate websites to focus on the individual niches.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
My best advice for photographers just starting out is to just shoot. The more you shoot, the more you will learn. Try different lighting situations, indoor/outdoor, moving people, still objects, buildings. Just start shooting everything, and eventually you will figure out what you’re good at and what you like and don’t like to shoot. Coupled with that, I really think finding at least one other photographer who is a few years more experienced than you who can critique your work in an informal way is a great asset to have. You will get better over time looking at your own work, but it’s great to get another and different set of eyes on your work whenever you can.
I think ultimately in this profession, you have to be passionate about what it is that you’re doing. For me, my photography business is my 5-9 after my 9-5. I work 40 hours a week or more at my full-time job, then head home to work on editing, graphics, social media, etc. for my own photography business. You also have to know a little bit about everything! Taxes, Content Creation, Business Management, SEO and Social Posting, etc. It’s not like at a company where you have multiple people that are experts in their own way. It’s a lot of trying and failing to figure out what works and what doesn’t.
What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?
I think the biggest thing for me has been the development of my two separate brand identities. Really taking a look at what you want to offer, and who you want to offer your services to in order to determine which clients get put with Business #1 and which get put with Business #2. It’s taken almost a whole year to develop two individual brands, create two unique color palettes and logos. Taking on the tasks of creating social post templates, planning for holidays and national recognition days, etc.
It’s been no easy task trying to keep organized during this time and making sure that both brands are at the same level of quality. I have some great creatives and friends around me who have been instrumental to helping me make some of the big decisions during this season of professional transitioning.
I’ve learned a lot about branding and content strategy and although it was not easy, I am so excited for my two new websites to be launched in September!
Contact Info:
- Website: marissaweltinphotography.com
- Instagram: @marissaweltinphotography | Instagram.com/marissaweltinphotography
- Facebook: Marissa Weltin Photography | facebook.com/marissaweltinphoto
- Linkedin: Marissa Weltin | https://www.linkedin.com/in/marissa-weltin-64624618a/
- Other: Pinterest | https://www.pinterest.com/marissaweltinphotography/
