Meet Colleen Scott

Today we’d like to introduce you to Colleen Scott.

Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
Three years ago, I was working as an administrative assistant in the office of a school. Although the most extensive traveling I had experienced at this point was a weeklong cruise to the Caribbean, my heart told me I should be out seeing the world. So, I packed my bags and moved to Rome, Italy for a year. Returning to the United States was incredibly bittersweet. The sweet: Reuniting with friends, family, and endless Tex-Mex. The bitter: The looming question of “What on earth am I going to do with my life?”

With a background as a hobbyist photographer, my father suggested approaching some real estate agents about photographing their listings. Although I was hesitant about his idea, this actually turned out to be fairly lucrative. The learning curve was significant, but if you’re willing to invest the time, the online community in this field openly shares an incredible amount of knowledge and insight.

About six months after starting my business, I was approached by an interior designer to photograph her home. This was a perfect and low-pressure situation because she was just starting her business and this would be my very first time to work on a project like this. (But, as an artist, I was still stirring with anxiety!)

Fast forward a year and a half, I am now photographing for multiple designers in the Houston area. What started as “this sounds like a good way to make a little cash” has evolved into an extreme passion of mine. The artist inside of me constantly pinches myself because I am doing something that allows an extensive amount of creative freedom. For the first time in my professional life, I feel like I am right where I am meant to be.

Please tell us about your art.
As a photographer who specializes in interior design and architecture, it is my responsibility to capture my client’s art in a way that is truly reflective of their talents and what they have to offer. The greatest part of my job is that I get to work with people who are also artists. My clients understand and appreciate my type of art and vice versa. Although I would love to just be an artist, the reality is that I am also a businesswoman. As a businesswoman, I understand that the point of my service is to provide a way for my clients to grab the attention of potential clients for their business. We are the missing puzzle piece to each other’s success.

I am a perfectionist to the core, so I put a lot of pressure on myself to ensure that every single lighting setup, symmetrical furniture arrangement, crop, edit, you-name-it, sizzles down to the perfect photograph. Instead of letting the fear of disappointing a client get in my head, I have learned to channel that pressure into an optimistic adrenaline rush. When I approach a job with confidence, I can visibly see my client feel at ease. I often tell myself, “I am human. I am innately flawed. I must always be content with the best of my abilities.” Everyone has to begin somewhere (even looking at my work from just a year ago feels a little cringy). I find so much grace in this quote by Zig Ziglar: “You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.”

Do you have any advice for other artists? Any lessons you wished you learned earlier?
Although this is not the norm for many artists and creative types, I am an extreme extrovert.
Three things that help me cope with this:
1. I socialize myself to the point of exhaustion on the weekends. I hang out with friends, go to festivals, watch college football, and attend anything that will place me around other people. It’s like charging a phone. I fill myself to 100% by Sunday afternoon, slowly lose power through the week, and am able to plug-in and recharge on Friday.
2. I bought a laptop. Cabin fever is not a joke and my desktop computer was chaining me to my desk. Get away from your house, go get some work done at a coffee shop or a bookstore. I don’t typically do my editing away from home, but I can catch up on emails, work on my social media presence, or watch video tutorials.
3. Join Facebook groups that pertain to your art. The ability to communicate with others who deal with the same issues and celebrations as myself has been a massive breath of fresh air.

How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
If you or someone you know are in need of a photographer to capture any type of design, I would love the opportunity to be part of that project! Referrals are always encouraged.

If you would like to feature my work and think your platform would be a good fit, please reach out!

If what I do does not pertain to you, simply sharing my work on social media to spread the word of my business is a perfect way to help support me.

Contact Info:

• Website: collscott.com
• Phone: (409) 679-0456
• Email: collscottphoto@gmail.com
• Instagram: Instagram.com/collscottphoto
• Facebook: Facebook.com/collscottphoto

Image Credit:
Interior designers: Veronica Solomon, Lacey Michalek, Nikole Starr

Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.