May 17, 2017

Meet John Billingsley of Color Tyme Photography

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to John Billingsley.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
When I went to college in 2002, I was studying environmental science, and when I was there I had to take some electives. I chose to take a photography class. My professor was Mr. Byers and at the time I did not know he was going to have a major impact on my life. Two years in to college, I change my major to Photojournalism. The college that I was going to Brevard College, did not have a true Photojournalism Department at that time but they had an Art Department and a Journalism department. I had the privilege to work with the best minds the college had to offer to me in my education. I took many different photography class at that time. You have to remember at that in my college you started out learning about film photography and the different kind of film cameras and how to use them and to create darkroom prints from your film negatives. My favorite was to learn about alternatives process and learning how to make your own film. It was a wonderful experience for me. I also got to work on the college newspaper as a photographer and photograph football games, sporting event, concerts and editorials for the Clarion newspaper. My last two years of college I had a working internship with Lifetouch National Studios where I began learn more about working as a portrait photographer in the real world. Lifetouch National Studios is a school portrait photography company and is the largest school photography company in America. I enjoyed working for them and Lifetouch gave me the knowledge and skills to make myself a better portrait photographer.

When I graduated from college in 2008. I had the skills and knowledge to go in the real world to start working. I started my own photography company and started working as a freelance photographer. There have been many photographers along the way that have made an impact on my life and helped me become a better photographer. One of those photographers is a woman by the name of Debbie Wallas.

There are a lot of good people in the wedding industry, and they all want you to succeed. I have had a chance to work with some of the best photographers, videographers, wedding planners in the wedding industry. I try to become friends with everyone. I want to be the best I can be as a wedding photographer. I am always taking continuing education and learning new things, because the wedding industry is all ways changing for the better.

I have had the opportunity to photograph weddings in the Bahamas and all across America. My goal in life is to capture my clients’ true love story for one another, so when they look back at the memories of their wedding day it will bring tears of joy and love for one another to them. I know that in my heart that I have created a work of art. Every engagement session or bridal portrait is a piece of art that I create for my clients. The world is my canvas and my lens is my paint brush to create my masterpieces of life.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It is a tough world that we live in today. Today now everybody thinks they can be a photographer. You have moms and dad that go out and buy cameras, so they can take photos of their kids playing sports. Some of them think that makes them professionals photographers and they start undercutting the market. It was hard for me at first because I was an outsider and I was really young when I got in too the wedding photography industry and a lot of older photographers felt threatened by me. There is plenty of business to go around for everybody in Houston and the Houston Metro area. I had problems when I first started out trying to get weddings, no one would hire me because I had not proven myself as a wedding photographer. At that time, I had a very good friend by the name of Debi Wallace that I looked up to and she was very established in the Houston wedding and portrait photography business. She took me under her wing and I learned as much as I could from her and she made me a better photographer and a better person. Another person that became my good friend Danny Kallen with the Perfect Wedding Guide saw something in me and shows me the in and out of the wedding business and helped get to where I am today. I had angles that show me the way and to make me a better person and photography in the process. I was a long journey to get to where I am now.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Color Tyme Photography – what should we know?
Color Tyme Photography provides professional Houston wedding photography services. We value creating life-long relationships with our clients. From when they first met each other and get engaged through the time they get married, start their own families.

We are one stop shop for the wedding and portrait business. We have a team of photographers and videographers that are among the best in the industry. Color Tyme photography has its own print lab in house. We are able to make prints; canvas gallery wraps for our clients that are top quality and even better than some of the top photo labs in the country. We pride ourselves on creating top quality customer services.

Every wedding we photograph is a work of art. We use a mix of film and digital photography to photography our clients. We can do both. We are clean and modern.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Being professional and working very hard. I was very lucky to have good people around me that supported me along the way. I had good customers that loved my art work and liked me as a professional. Without good customers, you do not have a good business.

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