Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristen Giles, Taylor Lange, and Leah Leftwich.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
We are three photographers who became friends and quickly bonded over an urge to learn and grow within our community and our craft. The three of us discovered that we were able to experience exponential growth within our businesses when we worked to help and support each other.
We wanted to share that growth with other photographers and help them like we had helped each other. We saw a need for a workshop in the photography industry that would be useful in the businesses of budding wedding photographers.
We created the workshop that we all wish we could have taken when we were starting our own wedding photography businesses. We were mentored, and we want to pay it forward.
Has it been a smooth road?
Starting a new business is rarely a smooth road, but we started with a solid foundation which made the bumps a bit easier to manage. At our workshop, we speak about how important a strong foundation is when starting a new business and we wanted to make sure we practiced what we were preaching.
We took our time to create something that the photography industry had a need for. We definitely struggled in taking our time to launch because we were excited to get this out into the world, but we knew that we had to do it right.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Rooted story. Tell us more about the business.
Our workshop focuses on the building blocks of starting a wedding photography business. We will discuss the business building aspects and also offer guided shoots.
Many workshops offer styled shoots that are the ideal situation. And while yes, that is perfect for a portfolio, it’s not real. We choose to focus our un-styled shoots on situations that a photographer is likely to encounter at a real wedding. Difficult lighting, directing real couples, and dim indoor spaces are all factors that a photographer is likely to have to deal with at a real wedding. Also, our shoots are done with very intimate groups.
This means that there won’t be fighting for a chance to photograph the subject, but rather have a chance to work alongside us and learn how we deal with those real-life situations. We want photographers to walk away with an experience that will not only give them beautiful, honest and real portfolio shots, but also the tools to recreate them in the future.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
We hope to have built a strong community of photographers that not only have a passion for the craft but a passion for helping others grow.
Our goal is to establish Rooted here in Houston and then take the workshop on the road and teach in other cities. Keep an eye out for travel dates in the near future!
Pricing:
- Seats are $500 and spaces are limited to 10 per workshop
Contact Info:
- Website: www.therootedworkshop.com
- Email: hello@therootedworkshop.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/rootedworkshop
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/rootedworkshop
Image Credit:
Christine Gosch
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