Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren Crumpler.
Hi Lauren, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself
In high school and college I was always that friend in the friend group that had their camera with them. I took friends’ and family’s graduation and senior photos for fun but it wasn’t until my wedding day that I looked over at my now husband and said, “our wedding photographer has the best job ever”! I waited a couple of months to make sure it wasn’t just a fleeting feeling but kept find myself searching Instagram and Pinterest on different couples and wedding pictures. That July, my husband surprised me with my first professional camera and it has been a whirlwind since. I jumped in and partnered as an assistant and second shooter to several professional photographers and attended as many styled shoots as I could to start building my experience. I continue to attend multiple workshops, retreats, and mentorships a year and always find myself taking on work that is different than what I have ever experienced to push myself to grow. Now, here we are, several years later and I wouldn’t change or take back anything that led me to where I am now. I am so excited to see what the future will bring!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Definitely not. I was fortunate enough to be working in corporate America when I decided to create my business and was able to purchase gear, styled shoot tickets, and everything associated with initial business startups on my already established income. The photography industry especially as you niche down to weddings and adventure elopements is always changing and social media exposure and presence is critical. Keeping up with algorithms, when to post, what to post, reels, stories, etc. – it gets to be overwhelming! Struggling to juggle marketing, branding, and accounting is a full-time job in of itself and we haven’t even touched on the shooting and editing portion of being a full-time photographer. It was a bit of an adjustment period to determine what to outsource, what to do “in-house”, and what to prioritize. Another challenge that I feel isn’t discussed very often is the immediate criticism I received when I would tell close family and friends about starting my business. I am sure most people go through this to some degree; however, some family and friends were super supportive and some were absolutely not. I had some family members willingly be models whenever I wanted to practice posing while others told me that there is absolutely no way a full-time photographer could make a living. I had friends that share my social media handles and refer me to loved ones whenever possible and others who think I am just doing this as a hobby. The hardest struggle was finding out who was worth having in my circle and part of my support system and who simply wasn’t worth the energy.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a wedding and adventure elopement photographer that is based out of New Braunfels, TX but will travel literally anywhere. I am known for creating genuine connections with my couples and bringing the FUN to the party. Often featured in my social media is my sister and best friend, Hannah – whom also second shoots for me on weddings and officiates elopements. Our personalities are different but they complement a wedding day so well. We vibe with our couples so that they are comfortable in front of the camera and they are having a blast the entire time. We bond with our couples’ parents, hype up the bridesmaids, and banter with the groomsmen. By the end of the wedding day – it truly feels like we were an extension of our couples’ close friend and family circle. Many of my previous couples have come back and thanked us for getting down on the dance floor and making their day the most fun and relaxed day it could possibly be.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
Such a great question! I would say the most beneficial business resource would be books and occasional podcast (when I am not binge listening to True Crime). If I had to pick one book it would be “Building A Story Brand” by Donald Miller. I read this several years ago and it resonated with me that my personality is my brand and in order to attract couples that would vibe with me – I needed to put more of me within my brand. As for podcasts, definitely check out Rove The Podcast. This one really helped me break outside of my box and look at my business not only in the present but the direction I want it to take in the next 1, 2, 5, 10 years down the road. It also helped me feel more connected within the industry when I spend 90% of my time isolated in my home office.
Pricing:
- Wedding Day Coverage starting at $3200
- Elopement Coverage starting at $2600
Contact Info:
- Email: hello@laurencrumplerphoto.com
- Website: https://laurencrumplerphoto.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauren.crumpler.photo/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lauren.crumpler.photo
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