Small Business Feature: Laura Ryan Photography

Photo Credit Laura Ryan Photography

Today we are excited to feature a business that we both love and adore. More specifically we love the business owner! Laura Ryan Photography has captured a few special moments for our families and we just can't get enough. If you are looking for a photographer with passion, heart, and someone who is genuine, Laura Ryan is your girl. We hope you take the time to get to know and love her as much as we do!

Photo Credit Laura Ryan Photography

What made you want to be a photographer? (Or How did you get your start as a photographer?)

Why? I think the why is the most important behind everything that we do, and for me it is the foundation for my business; it is my heart. I want to capture real life – the raw, the messy, the good, the beautiful, and the story that is their story.

What is your favorite type of a photoshoot?

Photo Credit Laura Ryan Photography

This is hard! Each type of photoshoot tells a different story and I love it for that reason, but births certainly have a special place in my heart. There is nothing more special than the love that I get to witness during a birth. The way a mama embraces the pain because she know that it will be worth it, the way a husband comforts his wife because he would trade her places if he could, and the way they both embrace their baby for the first time. There is nothing like it in this world.

I still remember my first birth. I knew this family had struggled with 5 years of infertility so I knew that it would be emotional and that I could not miss that first moment. The nurses hand baby to Mama and she whispers, “I have waited for you for so long.” I was able to capture that moment for that family. A memory that sadly would have faded over time, but because they have those images, the family can remember that moment forever.

What is the most rewarding thing about your job?

Aside from being able to capture such precious memories for people, I think the most rewarding part of my job is the relationships I form with my clients. Because of the nature of the photos I take, I get to know my clients on a more personal level. I am with them through some of the most vulnerable times in their lives and it’s an honor to be part of it. I truly believe that God has given each of us a story and it’s my job to do that story justice.

Photo Credit Laura Ryan Photography

How would you describe your style of photography?

Technically speaking I am natural light lifestyle photographer. My sessions typically take place in either the client’s home, an outdoor location, or a hospital/birthing center and we utilize whatever natural light we have available to us.

I also use a different approach to “posing” my clients than the traditional “look this way, place this hand there, and this leg that way, and so forth.” I like to use verbal cues to bring out different emotions (I have to thank my mentor Jamie Clauss for this suggestion) in clients. To give you an idea, at a recent maternity session I asked Mom to just walk through the field for a few minutes and reflect back over her pregnancy and just be in the moment with her daughter. It was beautiful.

What advice would you give others trying to start a business?

As crazy as it sounds, I would give the same advice that my husband gave me. He told me,  “you love this and you could be good or even great at it, so do it or don’t do it because just thinking about it isn't getting you anywhere.” In that moment I decided there was wisdom in what my husband was telling me, and I ran full speed ahead with that and have not looked back.

After that I would tell you that it takes a lot of hard work. Do your research and then validate that research with professionals in your area. Know what it takes to own a business and how to run a business. Know that you will fail but also know that you will soar. Know that success takes time. Know that no dream is too big but also know your limitations. Know when to ask for help and know when you need to take control. Know your vision and know where you want to go.

Photo Credit Laura Ryan Photography

God Bless,

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