Okay ya’ll are blowing me away. I thought I was young, but dang Casey started her photography in 8th GRADE!!!! Yes you read that right. Can I just say before I dive in that this girl has a heart of gold, devoting so much time to other people and inspiring us all. Casey is a natural light photographer, covering everything from seniors to families, weddings to events, and athletics.

I usually put this question below in the Q+ A , but I wanted to share this because It spoke so much truth. I asked her what some advice would be that she would give someone else going through the same thing. Casey’s response is, ” IT TAKES TIME. Let’s be real this is also probably a big struggle. You are not going to be perfect over night. You are always going to be growing. Someone will always criticize your work, but there will always be someone to show you the light again. Whether you have 100 clients or 7 keep being you.”

As usual I did some creeping on her social media, and hello I could RELATE. Casey and I both are currently going through the first year of college transition and watching Jane the Virgin on our free time.

 

 

As I was reading the answers to my questions, and boy shes such a sweetheart :

 

Q: How did you get started, what compelled you to start?

A: ” I got started thanks to my 8th grade teacher asking me to join yearbook. Two years later I became the athletic and events photographer for my school which lead to people asking me to take their senior pictures and it snowballed from there! My love for my camera however stems way back to my mother and her love for nice cameras and photography. ”

Q: How has your age affected your business?

A: ” I often get the “WOW that is so cool” from those who are my age and want me to take their photos. BUT often then not parents are worried that my age effects my quality of work. However, I often get the emails after I deliver a gallery saying, “Wow I can’t believe I doubted you the pictures are so beautiful!”

 

Q: What is your favorite thing about your business?

A: “My favorite thing about my business is the people I get to meet. Not only my clients, but fellow photographers too. I live in a area where community over competition is very big, so we all work together on many projects! ”

 

Q: What is a struggle you face?

A: ” Yes, being young has come with its own challenges, but definitely finding my own style and being always confident in my work is where I struggling the most and continue to struggle with even though I have been in the business since I was 15. I also struggle with the social media aspect and wondering if I am good enough compared to some that I follow. ”

 

Q: What is one of the biggest goals you have when it comes to your business?

A: “My biggest goals in to dive deeper into weddings and to always be getting more clients that I was before. My goal right now is to expand to where I am going to college since I am 150 miles from home and would love to have some clients where I currently live. ”

 

Q: Biggest lesson you’ve learned

A: “The biggest lesson I have learned is to always be patient and not everyone is going to like your work, but there will always be someone who does like your work. ”

 

Q: 3 fun facts about yourself.

A:  First Fun Fact, is that I LOVE kids! But most importantly I work with kids for a living, but not just any kids. Kids who have special needs. My job is super fun and I love spending the summer getting to know all of them!

Second Fun Fact, is I had major reconstruction surgery when I was just 6 months old and had to wear a helmet! I have no eye brow bone above my left eye! In fact when I was 6 I had surgery part two where they took two ribs from my side to make them my “bone” WEIRD I know, but I think it is cool.

Third fun fact, my neighbors are literally my family. Many think it is weird, but I do everything with my neighbors. We eat dinner together once a week, have endless bonfires, and have been known to carry out a hundred dollars worth of food from the local Coney Island. They are some of my biggest supporters and honestly would consider them more of family than some of my actual family members.

 

Q: What is a goal you have that is NON business related.

A: “I want to become a travel nurse, hopefully working with children and spreading God’s goodness. However, another major goal in my life is to ultimately become a wife and a mother. I want to be able to do things with my kids I never got to do with my mother.”