Meet Avery Walter

We recently connected with Avery Walter and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Avery with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
Work ethic is something I believe not a lot of people have nowadays. My parents have always taught me that I am not going to get anywhere without having a good work ethic. In this world, you aren’t just going to get things handed to you. I have always had an entrepreneur side to me and when I discovered photography, it kind of just grew even more. I recognized that if I worked hard enough, I could actually make something out of my photography business. I always saw, and still see, that my parents were able to provide for my siblings and I as much as they did because of how hard they worked. It made me realize that if I wanted to have nice things in life, those nice things weren’t just going to be handed to me. I am driven by the desire to be comfortable enough to help others and provide a good life for my kids one day. Having a strong work ethic is vital to making my dreams come true.

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?
When I started AveryMariePhotography, I always thought about how I wanted to do weddings one day, but really felt it was too far out of reach. After doing photography on and off for a couples years, I decided I was going to get serious about it. I started offering sessions to everyone and tried to get in as much practice as I could. I advertised and tried to get my name out there. After so many sessions, I finally started seeing that my photos were actually good and maybe I could expand into weddings. I was blessed enough to photograph 2 weddings in 2022 and 4 weddings/elopements in 2023. Going into 2024, I have 6 weddings booked and I plan to keep on growing that number. I am so excited to see what the future brings for AveryMariePhotography.

Aside from photography, I am also pursuing a degree in Speech and Hearing Sciences. I plan to graduate with my bachelors Summer of 2024. Although I love photography, it has always been a dream of mine to work with children and make an impact in the field of education. Sometimes I wonder about doing photography full-time, but I know my maker and He will guide me and show me exactly what I am meant to do. It may be photography full-time or a speech therapist with some photography on the side. I trust his plans, but in the meantime, I will keep working hard towards my degree and growing my photography business. I appreciate all the support I receive from those around me.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Starting out, something important to me was to keep practicing. You could tell I was a beginner, but everyone told me to keep practicing and I would get to where I wanted to be eventually. Practice truly is the only way to grow and get good at what you want to do. Going forward though, I still have so much more to learn and I think my pictures will only keep improving.

If I had to think of important quality to have in this business, I would say it is authenticity. People are going to want to book you for who you are as a person and not just because you take pretty pictures. I feel I get along with other people better when I am true to myself. Not only are people more comfortable with me that way, but I have more fun too. If I’m able to show up to a session or a wedding and crack some of my lame jokes, both me and the people in front of my camera will be having more fun. Always be yourself, even if that means you’ll lose some clients along the way.

Finally, understand that when you’re taking pictures, you’re not just taking a picture. You are capturing real, raw emotions that will be shown in one picture. I always smile like a big dork when I am editing pictures because I can just see the emotion in my pictures. It feels good knowing I am giving people more than a picture when it’s all said and done. I am giving people a fun date night, a memory to look back on, or the chance to see how much you love someone in one picture.

Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?
I love taking all pictures, whether it be a senior session, a family, or business headshots. If I had to pick one area though, it would 100% be western weddings or a good old country couple. I’m talking cows in the background, a cowboy hat and boots, or a pretty sunset in the pasture. I’m the type of person that like to take drives on the backroad with country music blaring. When I get to take pictures of someone who likes living life the way I do, it always feels that much more special. I also love seeing the way a couple looks at each other. When I photography weddings or couples, I can just see the love in the couple’s eyes and smiles. It makes me love what I do even more.

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