The AWW Interview: Wedding Photog Casie Shimansky, Our 300th Twitter Follower!

I woke this morning to 299 followers on Twitter, and decided to take a huge risk. I tweeted in search of my 300th follower, promising a "special surprise" for whoever it turned out to be. I'd had it in mind to do an interview with my 300th follower, to bring him or her a little extra (and free!) attention and advertising. My fingers were crossed that I wouldn't get a spammer, scammer, or other such type. But I trusted that my wedding tweeps would not let me down.

Why can't all of our Twitter profile pics look this good?

Imagine my delight (and relief) when #300 turned out to be the fabulous Casie Shimansky of Rebel Belle Photography. Casie owns her own photography business and was a great sport about answering my numerous questions. She has some very valuable insights on how to start a business and make it in the wedding world, why she loves what she does, and how her Mini Cooper has won her heart.

The AWW Interview with Casie Shimansky

AWW: Casie, thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us today! What made you decide to take the leap to become a professional photographer?

CS: There are a thousand stories to how I got to here and now. The big decision came the summer after my 18 year old sister suddenly passed away. From that very first breath I took without her, I was literally learning how to live all over again. In the mean time, I found myself lost in images of Kellie, and the all new realization that – yes, while we were a family who had TONS of pictures together – there would now never be enough.  I picked up a camera, and that was it. I knew there was nothing else for me. There were no classes that could give me what I already had (which was a natural eye and love for photography dating back to high school) – and so, in a way, photography really chose me. It started because I didn’t want to forget, and it’s emerged into what is now, and forever will be, my heartbeat.

AWW: You are the owner and operator of Rebel Belle Photography. What was the biggest challenge in starting up your company?

CS: Everything. It is absolutely terrifying. I didn’t take any business classes, I hate numbers and accounting – there are still days where I wonder what I’m doing in those areas and feel like I’m staring at a brick wall. So I’ve had to do my research – and am continuously researching. I want it so badly though that those things really don’t matter to me, and I am insanely lucky to have people behind me who DO know (and love) things like accounting. I think they’re a little strange, but I still love them.

AWW: What are some advantages of owning your own business rather than working for another photography company?

CS: I started in a Children’s/Family portrait studio – so I know the other side of this pretty well – and it was a huge leaping point for me gearing up to go out on my own. There are SO MANY MORE advantages than “scary” parts of owning your own business. From making my own hours and editing images in my pajamas to KNOWING that the images I captured are 100% my own?! Those are just untouchable advantages to me. I get to be so much more creative, and at the end of the day if someone asks WHY I did something the way I did it? Well, because I’m my own boss and I make the rules. :-)

AWW: Do you have any strategic tips for growing your business?

CS: I don’t have a strategy, per say. I just go out into the world, make a friend out of everyone, and go from there. I do advertise, and have started getting more into that. I think networking and connecting with people is simply the biggest and best way to grow a business. The more people know about you? The more your name gets mentioned. From Facebook and Twitter to a friend of a friend who asks about photography over dinner? Those all help me to grow. Recommendations and “word of mouth” are my biggest (and most rewarding) ways of growing. 

AWW: There are tons of wedding photographers out there. How do you distinguish yourself in a fabulous but saturated market?

CS: I believe in getting to KNOW my clients, and sharing in their lives – not just their wedding day or one portrait session. It literally tickles me silly when I get a phone call from a bride who then says, “We haven’t told anyone yet – but – we’re having a baby!” Those moments floor me to no end, and that is what I set out to accomplish when I started this business. Clients aren’t just clients to me; they’re friends, they’re a part of my family – they get invited to BBQ’s at my place and invite me to their children’s birthday parties – and I think that makes a huge difference. These are YOUR moments, I’m just simply telling your story.

AWW: How do social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook help you with your business?

CS: They help me to STAY connected. The world is crazy fast these days, and if you blink you’ll miss the greatest moment. Social Networking has helped in every way from reconnecting me to high school friends who are now engaged and having me capture their wedding day memories, to blogs and wedding specialists I NEVER would’ve been able to find ten years ago. It’s a community, essentially, where we all come together for the greater good of creating and capturing these phenomenal moments in your life. We share ideas, what we’re working on, things we’ve heard or seen – new things, old things, funny moments, terrifying moments – EVERYTHING! I follow industry professionals from Los Angeles to India – I mean, how incredible is that?

... stay tuned for Part II of The AWW Interview with Casie Shimansky - coming your way tomorrow! 

Cheers,