Meet Tori Chapman

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

Tori, so happy to have you with us today. You are such a creative person, but have you ever head any sort of creativity block along the way? If so, can you talk to us about how you overcame or beat it?

I find that my creativity comes in waves. I go through periods where it just flows, and periods where I am stuck in a rut. I’m sure you could ask any creative, and they will tell you that creativity blocks are very real. I find that for my photography specifically, when I do projects for myself, it helps get me out of that rut. When I started photography, it was just for fun and then I realized that I could turn my passion into my full-time job. I love that I am able to say I can do that; but, sometimes it can block my creativity by having a monetary value. So, I always plan “just for fun” shoots to really let my creativity flow and get me back in my groove. I’ve also found that when I am using other creative outlets, like drawing or painting, it reflects in my photography as well. All together, I try not to be too hard on myself when I am in a rut, as I know it won’t last too long.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

Hi! My name is Tori Chapman, the owner of Obsidian Photo Co. I specialize in creative photo shoots; specifically, branding, portraits, and couples! I have always had a passion for photography, from taking photos on my mom’s digital camera growing up, to taking yearbook in high school, then photography classes at my local community college. I decided to turn my passion into a profession in July of 2023. Now, a year has passed and I have quit my full-time to commit fully to my growing business!

Before my interest in photography, I have always had an eye for anything artistic. I feel this reflects in my work as I love the creative, edgy, and emotive side of photography. I get excited for every shoot I book, but I get extra excited when they let me lead artistically.

I think the most rewarding aspect of my work is the reaction my clients have when receiving their galleries. I love being able to create memories for them to always look back on and fall in love with. I love knowing that they enjoy their photos as much as I do. Being a photographer has been so rewarding.

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?

One of the best feelings is looking back to when I started and seeing how far I’ve come and how much improvement has been made. I believe alway being open to feedback and trying something new was one of my most impactful qualities. I was, and still do, ask for constructive criticism and learn from that. A good skill to have is being able to communicate efficiently. There’s a lot more that goes into photography and you want to make sure you can communicate with your clients clearly to make their shoot go as smooth as possible. Making sure you give a good client experience will help your business go a long way. When I was ready to start charging for my photo shoots, I made sure I knew the details that go with turning it into a business. Having knowledge in how to do contracts, invoices, and all of the other little things that go along with this, made my transition a lot easier.

If you are starting your journey, I highly recommend joining photography groups and doing research on the business side of photography. It’s also always good to do shoots for learning purposes to experiment and learn from those. If you can, I would recommend working with other photographers as well. I was very lucky to have such a great mentor, and without her, I wouldn’t be as far as I’ve come.

Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?

I absolutely love this question. There are so many great people that have helped me get to where I am now. Macee Hilliard, owner of Tru Vintage Creatives, has been there for me every step of the way. She has been doing photography professionally since 2019, and she has helped me overcome so many challenges and has answered every question I’ve had, and there’s been a lot. We continue to work together and she still helps me with problems I might face.

I also give credit to Justin Adkins, my boyfriend, to being so supportive throughout the whole journey. He pushed me to get back into my photography, and helps me when I have imposter syndrome. Not to mention the endless props taking up room in our house.

This list could go on and on, but I truly appreciate everyone who has pushed me to get to where I am. My parents and my friends who help with set designs, being my guinea pigs, and looking over my work when needed. I am thankful to have such a good support system.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Obsidianphotoco

Image Credits

Obsidian Photo Co.