Hi babe, I’m Morgan! I am an intimate wedding & elopement photographer and educator based out of Minneapolis, Minnesota. I serve the adventurous and laid-back couples who are wanting to have a fun, memorable experience. Many of my clients have turned into my best friends; I absolutely love my job! I thought it would be a great time to introduce myself and have you meet the blogger behind Morgan Elizabeth Photography.
Top questions I get asked as a wedding photographer:
- How did I get started?
- How did I know this was the job for me?
- When did I know it was time to go full-time?
I’m here to answer all that and more!
Background
About four years ago, I was working at a local college as an admissions counselor (and really enjoyed my job!). As time went on, I began to feel like what I was doing as an admissions counsel wasn’t fueling me, and was suffocating my creativity. The cliché of “there has to be something else out there for me” became the epitome of how I was feeling. But I didn’t know where to start.
I began to pray about it, wholeheartedly. I asked the Lord to open doors for me and make clear what my next steps in life should be.
For as long as I can remember, I have had a love for photography. I was that girl in middle school and beyond that would always carry a camera. It was constantly attached to my hip. There was a feeling that kept nagging me to pick up my camera again. If I wasn’t able to be creative in my job, at least I could be creative with photography as a hobby.
So, I picked up my crop sensor Canon T2i and started photographing anything I could!
My journey as a photographer
I reached out to my friends and family to practice! By no means was I a professional at the time; In fact, I had no idea what I was doing. I didn’t know how to use manual, how to pose my “clients” or models, how to edit, what it meant to have an editing “style”, and I definitely did not have a website. In the meantime, as I continued to practice, I quickly remembered how much I loved being behind the camera.
Flash forward 6 months or so — Bradyn (my boyfriend at the time & now hubs!) and I were hiking in Arizona with his sister when all of a sudden, I blurted “I’m gonna quit my job on Friday.” I shocked myself. This was a bit out of character and truly was not planned. Looking back, and even at the time, that was mind-blowing for me to say something like that. In fact, I felt like I was an imposter to the field, but my passion was stronger than my doubt.
Was I “ready” to go full-time? Absolutely not. Was I experienced enough? Probably not. But I truly felt like this decision was 1,000% the Lord because I was covered in peace. Even though I was scared, I knew this was the direction for me. So, I put in my 2-week’s notice at my job and began the journey.
The best piece of advice I received
One of the best pieces of advice I received was from my sister. She told me to “work my ass off for six months” and “give it all you got.” So, that’s what I did.
Six months is manageable – I knew that I could do six months. When thinking of the rest of your life, it is intimidating. At first, I started questioning if I could be my own boss, have an inconsistent income, and be successful without having a traditional “team”. I clung to my sister’s advice and worked as hard as I possibly could.
The craziest part? I called myself a wedding photographer, before I ever photographed a wedding – wild, right? Here’s the deal… It’s all about having confidence. I created a business Instagram and posted everything I photographed. I practiced, failed, practiced some more, and failed again. But, I never quit.
After one month of marketing myself on Instagram, a gal reached out to me and asked me to photograph her wedding (you better believe I was doing the biggest happy dance as I received that DM!). Did I have experience photographing a wedding? No, but she trusted me as a person and I knew I had the skills to serve her well. I photographed the wedding without an ounce of nerves, intimidation, or fear. That peace and confidence was all from the Lord. I immediately fell in love with wedding photography.
As we start to transition to 2022, I am so proud of myself to be able to say that I’ve been fully booked for the past 4 years.
My encouragement to you
I love my job. I have been able to grow and scale a lot in my business as a photographer. My biggest encouragement to someone (maybe you) if they are wanting to become a photographer, is to START. Because, there is never going to be a perfect time. Similarly to my journey, I urge you to give yourself the space, grace, and creative freedom to start, fail, and start again.
I heard a quote by Marie Forleo once that said “Start before you’re ready. If you wait until you feel ready to do anything meaningful, you will be waiting for the rest of your life.” Let that sink in.
Pursue your passion, my friend. You absolutely won’t regret it. You got this!
Of course, if you have any questions about my journey, let me know below! Or, find me on Instagram @morganelizabethphotos – I would love to be friends!
Xx, Morgan
