Today we’d like to introduce you to Anne Schmidt.
Anne, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My journey as a photographer started in the darkroom in 2001 when I was studying abroad in New Zealand in college. I was trained in film, learning to shoot, develop, and print my own work. From there, I was hooked. I worked at my university’s newspaper in Maine as a photojournalist and did some freelance job from time to time. It was in 2008 that I photographed my first wedding, and kind of by accident. Weddings were not even on my radar. But I connected with the process and slowly started to put a portfolio together. In 2009 I started my business as a part-time venture while working full time at my college administration job.
As the business started to pick up, I knew I wanted to make it my career, so in 2012 I left my university job and became a full-time photographer. Life took a very unexpected turn in 2014 when a job change for my husband necessitated a move to Houston. For the past five years, I have been immersing myself in the Houston wedding market and building connections here, rebuilding my business and growing my client base. Living here, in a market completely different from Maine, has helped me grow immensely as a photographer. I have gained new skills and developed a style that is reflective of my life experiences in these two states.
In addition to photography, I’m also a writer. I’m still in the process of fleshing this out and growing my voice further, but so far, over the years, I’ve penned a few op Eds for newspapers and write essays about the human experience. I’m currently compiling ideas for a memoir that I hope to make come to life at some point. You can read my essays here: https://medium.com/@anneschmidt_97309
Has it been a smooth road?
Oh my goodness, no! Owning a business is never an easy path to take. I have had a lot of ups and downs and interruptions along the way. Whether it’s been having kids, moving to a new state, and just general life, there are always things that have forced me to refocus and retool my business.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
As a photographer, I mostly specialize in wedding storytelling. I have always found peoples’ stories interesting, and it doesn’t matter if it’s a large wedding or a courthouse elopement. Although the latter is definitely my favorite. The more intimate the event, the more connected to my couples I feel. Outside of weddings, I also have a birth photography business that I started in 2014 after the birth of my second daughter. Birth is an experience that we hide from the world because we have been brought up to believe that women’s bodies are a mystery and dirty. It’s a rotten, evil lie that has persisted in our culture for too long. Birth photography is a way to normalize a human function that women have been experiencing since the dawn of time. It’s taking back our power and it is one of the things I’m most proud of as a photographer.
I think the fact that I do have a point of view with my photographs is the thing that sets me apart from a lot of other photographers in my industry. I’m not here for pretty pictures. I am here for honesty and realness. And the clients that hire me truly get that and they appreciate the value of what I can provide them.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Oh definitely. Houston is huge and there is plenty of work to go around. YOU have to do the work and get out there and connect with the right people and the right organizations.
Pricing:
- Wedding commissions start at $4,000. Complete collections with custom albums will range $6,000-$9,000
- Birth commissions are $1,599
Contact Info:
- Website: www.anneschmidtphotography.com
- Phone: 207-669-2523
- Email: anne@anneschmidtphotography.com
- Instagram: @anneschmidtphoto
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/anneschmidtphotography
Image Credit:
Headshot by Stephen Hebert.
All other photos taken by Anne.
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