It’s time to introduce yet another wonderful photographer to you, BP4U readers! Today we’re featuring Bailey Roberts, who just so happens to have collaborated with BP4U on “The Photographer’s Guide to Second Shooting a Wedding,” available in our store.
Bailey is a photographer based in central Indiana who specializes in wedding and engagement pictures.
A little more about Bailey in her own words: “I have wanderlust. I love to travel. I love to observe. I love to photograph and I love love. I am a collector of colorful earrings and there are few things that are better than a good road trip. I have been married to my awesome husband, Matt, for five years and we just had our first baby, Ewan, in February.”
An Interview With Bailey Roberts
When did you first realize you wanted to be a photographer?
I knew from the time I was 18 years old that I wanted to be a photographer. It took until after graduating from college to figure out exactly what I wanted to do with photography, though. I grew up in a very artistic home and I took up photography as my medium of choice, but it took experimenting with fine art photography, sports photography, photojournalism and portrait photography to realize that what I really love doing is photographing weddings.
Wedding photography really just fell into my lap. It wasn’t my plan, but it quickly became my passion. Thanks to one of my college classmates who asked a rookie to photograph her wedding, I was able to kick off my dream career.
When and how did you start out in photography?
I started out in photography my freshman year in college. My major was fine arts photography and I absolutely loved it. I learned on primarily 35mm film, as well as working with alternative processing. It wasn’t until after graduating that I finally made the switch to digital.
How would you describe your style?
I personally like to describe my style as photo-ninja-tastic AKA photojournalistic (with a smattering of composed and bling shots).
What’s in your gear bag?
I carry all Canon gear in my bag. I am absolutely in love with my 100mm macro and my 70-200mm 2.8.
What’s one lens you can’t live without?
Definitely the 100mm 2.8 macro! I’m all about the detail shots and I’d be lost without this lens!
How did know when the right time to start charging was?
Ha! The first time I charged for a session — which I think was early 2008 — I absolutely flipped out because I wasn’t sure if I was ready. I did promotional photos (on film) for a local punk band and charged maybe $50 because I had no idea what I was doing posing-wise. I knew what I was looking for technically, but stylistically I was just experimenting. I’d say within a year of that session I started feeling more comfortable with portrait sessions and confident enough to charge more.
How much did you charge for your first session and how much are you charging for the same type of session now?
I charged $50 for the band photos then increased my price to $75 within that first year. Now my portrait sessions start at $250.
How did you market yourself when you started out?
I marketed myself by displaying my photography in local restaurants and libraries, as well as by word of mouth. When I started photographing weddings, I didn’t market much. I photographed friends’ weddings and things kind of took off from there. Over the years, I have advertised on Facebook by posting every session I photographed and tagging the models/friends/couples to reach more people. I also advertised on The Knot and A Practical Wedding.
We are going to play a game. Name the first person that comes to mind when you think of:
- Newborn photographer: Rachel Vanoven (she just did my son’s newborn photos and I’m completely in love with them!) 🙂
- Wedding photographer: My idols are Susan Stripling and Kristen Weaver
- Lifestyle photographer: Brandon Stanton of Humans of New York. Even though most of his photos are simple portraits of people he meets on the street, the stories and captions that accompany his photos bring a much deeper element to his work.
- Most inspirational person: Kirsty Mitchell — her Wonderland series is incredible.
- Photography Book: Would I sound like a complete nerd if I said “The History of Photography” by Beaumont Newhall?
- Photography Blog: HONY
Did you go to school for photography or were you self- taught?
I majored in photography at Milligan College in east Tennessee, graduating in 2008. I then went on to earn my Masters degree in art history, specifically the history of photography, from the University of Edinburgh in Edinburgh, Scotland in 2010. I wouldn’t trade that education for the world. I loved the hands-on experience of developing my own film and printing in the darkroom. (Honestly, most of the photos on the walls of my house are still my film work from college because they are some of my all-time favorites.) I loved having regular critiques and working alongside other artists on a daily basis. I also loved learning more about the origins of photography and the photographers who had an incredible impact on the industry.
What has been some of the hardest things to overcome in your business?
The hardest thing for me in business has been networking. I’m a bubbly person, but am really bad about going up to people that I don’t know and discussing my photography business with them, whether vendors or potential clients. That is something that I have had to learn to develop over time.
Do you have any tips for photographers just starting out?
Learn your gear inside and out! Don’t rely on the LCD screen to show you whether you have exposed your images properly. In fact, find a film camera and practice with that. With limited exposures and no way to instantly view the images, you’ll be forced to learn about exposure and getting the camera to do what you want. Also, photograph everything from a variety of angles.
If for some reason you couldn’t be a photographer what do you think you would be?
If I couldn’t be a photographer, I would like to be a curator of the photography collection in a large museum.
What’s the best lesson in photography you’ve learned so far?
“If your images are not good enough, you’re not close enough. ” -Robert Capa
Find Bailey on the Web: