Today we’d like to introduce you to Erin Cheatham.
Hi Erin, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I believe photography is what I was truly meant to do, and that is part of me. My grandfather had a passion for photography and even built his own darkroom in a tiny closet to develop his photos. Looking through all my grandparents’ photo albums, I was in awe of the moments captured from the past and frozen in time.
For as long as I can remember, I too have always felt a pull and a desire to capture life in images. From seeing my mom with a camera in hand all the time to building scrapbooks and photo albums in high school using disposable cameras. I didn’t know it at the time, but this was my effort to freeze time and keep my memories alive.
I have a very interesting two-sidedness to my brain. I am very detail-oriented — I have always been great at math and numbers, but I also have a very creative side too. I cannot remember a time when I was not putting puzzles together, and have loved doing arts and crafts. I always had a new idea about how to make something old transform into something new – love DIY! I love thrifting and antiques!
My mom and I would go to antique shows, and I began photographing all the old, dingy, dirty artifacts and making something beautiful out of them. It was so amazing to me that I could make something beautiful out of something old.
I started my journey with a black-and-white film photography class in high school. I continued with earning a minor in photography at Baylor University along with taking a photography course while studying abroad in Italy.
I’ve been in business for almost 15 years now, and I strive to produce and deliver timeless images for my clients always. Carefully refining my shooting and editing style over these years has been rooted with timelessness as a goal.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
While in college, I was very nervous about pursuing a career only in photography. For that reason, I majored in marketing with a minor in photography. I figured a merging of those two avenues could potentially be commercial photography. Although I started my business in 2009, I kept it part-time while pursuing a successful career in Retail Marketing and Brand Management. It wasn’t until this past year that I have transitioned into running my photography business full-time.
My biggest struggle was making sure I kept an eye on my passion while also building a career that was thought to be more “stable” and “dependable.” Sometimes the decision to go with stability can help in the short term and to allow the flexibility follow your passion and dreams in the future.
Although it took much longer than I thought to build my business to where I had the confidence to jump in with full force, I do not regret the time. During that time, I learned a lot of the business side and what it takes to run a business. I also learned many skills that are needed, like how to work with different personalities, client relations, and project & time management.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I have always been inspired by beauty in unexpected places. It all started with making beautiful images out of ordinary and plain things. My craft and love for photography has evolved over time and has turned into capturing the love and connection between loved ones.
Some may say a simple glance, a squishy nose smile, or holding of a child’s hand are ordinary moments, but as I have started my own family and painfully watched as time has turned my babies into toddlers and now young boys, I truly understand that for my clients these “in-between” moments are everything and deserve to be captured and treasured forever.
I love working with families and learning their story and being able to make them realize and see that their “ordinary” family is actually truly beautiful and something to be cherished. Like I said, I believe beauty can be found in ordinary.
I’d like to think that my value on connection and authentic moments sets me apart from other photographers, and I hope that is evident in my images. The word “candid” is overused, but I put an emphasis on the real moments – the moments in between the smiling and posing at the camera…that little look that mom gives her little one.
I started my journey by shooting with film, so I understand the lighting concepts as well as crafting the right composition. These things come naturally to me at this point and allows me to focus on the connection and the emotion behind the shot. I want my clients to look back at my images and remember those little special moments and how they felt when it was shot. I want them to feel.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you, and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
The pandemic has had an immense effect on a lot of people and many small businesses. The best thing that has come out of it is the increased desire to hold dear family and connection. Connection – it can manifest in so many ways. It should come as no surprise that my favorite sessions to photograph are families, newborns and children, and couples, where I can highlight that connection.
Pricing:
- Portrait Session (Full): $550 (premium weekend dates); $500 (Weekdays)
- Portrait Session (Petite): $350 (weekdays only – 20 minutes/10 images)
- Newborn Sessions: Packages start at $500
- Branding/Commercial: Packages start at $450, but quote will be given after initial discovery call
- Lifestyle Portrait Session: Packages start at $500 (In-home)
Contact Info:
- Website: www.littlefigphotography.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/littlefigphotography
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/littlefigphotography
