Today we’d like to introduce you to Mara Williams.
Mara, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
As a child, my mom was always behind the camera capturing all the special moments in our lives. To this day, we have boxes and boxes of photographs, each documenting a part of our family’s story. When I had children of my own, I quickly realized how fast time passes and knew I had to do the same to capture every little moment of their lives as well. When my first child started to smile, I found myself missing it due to the delay in my camera. For Valentine’s Day, my husband bought me my first DSLR camera. (Funny story, he “hid” it on top of the washing machine while it charged and told me my gift was hidden in the house. Although I’m not usually one to snoop, I’ll admit I looked everywhere, except in the laundry room. It was a little embarrassing when he showed me the next day that it had been in plain sight the entire time.)
I first started by getting to know my camera. With time, I knew I wanted to truly learn to use it, so I enrolled in a course while on maternity leave with my third child. Once I started exploring manual mode, I never looked back. Yes, I missed many great shots, but when you miss something important you begin to really make note of your mistakes and how to troubleshoot them, especially in high-pressure moments. I took my third born’s newborn photos myself as my first official attempt at manual mode and began taking my camera everywhere to explore lighting, angles, and posed versus unposed photos.
I began posting my photos and memories for family and friends to see. In turn, friends slowly began asking me to take their photos. I was extremely hesitant at first, as it required me to push myself and step out of my comfort zone. I used to joke that I wasn’t in the business of ruining people’s special moments. Without knowing it, I had begun portfolio building. As more and more people started inquiring about sessions, I decided to officially do it on the side, as I teach full time during the week. The occasional weekend session became full weekends and even weekday nights. My holiday breaks from school became filled with sessions.
It started taking off, and with time, I realized it had become “my me time.” Yes, it does add to the stress of daily life when trying to juggle family life with three young children, a full-time job, the day-to-day routine, and also sessions and editing time. But I wouldn’t trade it for anything. My family is my world, but I found it easy to lose myself and my identity as anything other than being a mom. It became important for me to have something to call my own. I needed something that challenged me constantly and allowed me to explore my creative side.
In the past four and a half years my client list has grown. I feel honored that complete strangers trust me to document their stories, and create a visual representation of their journey. I love meeting new people, seeing their families grow, and having the opportunity to be a part of their lives. It’s always special to experience life’s milestones with return clients as I capture their engagement, wedding, maternity, newborn, the first year of their baby’s life, and the annual family photos. I love knowing that with each session we’re writing their story. The payoff, in the end, is that I get to see and hear their joy and kind words when they receive their gallery.
Has it been a smooth road?
As with anything new, there are always bumps along the way. Learning manual mode and instinctively knowing how to adjust my settings on a moment’s notice when lighting changed took confidence. It was easy to get rattled and doubt myself. Once I learned to focus on a few small things at a time rather than perfecting everything at once, it all fell into place.
Next came putting myself out there. The market is saturated with photographers, all with their niche. It was a little discouraging at first when potential clients chose someone else over me, but I had to remind myself that everyone has their own preferences and is drawn to different styles. Making sure I was a good fit to capture client’s memories was an important part of the process to get the best out of each session. I aim to make each client know that I am personally vested in their session.
Since I teach full time during the week, my evenings and weekends are time spent with family. Sharing this time with photography can create chaos, so I have to stay tuned in to what my husband and girls need. They can all be momma’s girls, so it does provide some one-on-one daddy time which they all adore. I’ve learned to set aside time for just family, regardless of what opportunity presents itself. They’re only little for a short time, so making sure I’m not stretching myself too thin has to be a priority.
The addition of photography in my life makes for many late nights. Once the kids go to bed, I grade papers and then edit. Depending on the time of year, some nights provide very little sleep. It’s gotten better with time, but it’s definitely a balancing act.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Mara Williams Photography captures memories including maternity, birth, newborn, milestone, senior, family, engagement, weddings and events. My newborn and younger milestone sessions are held in my home studio, while the rest of my sessions are held on location.
Finding the perfect location to make a client’s vision come to life is part of the excitement. Newborns hold a special place in my heart, as I love the extra challenge of capturing the first few days of life, while the milestone sessions with little ones allow their emerging personalities to shine through. Through the years I’ve tried to create a sort of photography family. When I look back on previous sessions I love to reflect on the memories we’ve created in such a brief time.
Everyone has their idea of what their session will be like. Sometimes weather or little ones involved don’t allow for that vision to play out. Through it all, I love being able to capture personalities and the smallest of moments that tell a story. My absolute favorite moments are when a session includes unplanned, chaotic moments but yield the best memories. The unexpected moments that truly capture a particular phase in life become images of what you didn’t know you wanted all along.
I’m most proud that I have been able to take my passion, and through hard work and determination, create a business I get to share with others. Every day and session is completely different than others, but that’s what keeps it interesting.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Houston is a melting pot of people and has countless locations for clients to choose from. There is truly something for everyone. Although the photography community is extremely competitive, there are many photographers that are willing to help newcomers, as well as veterans in the field. If you think about it, true growth comes from experiences and sharing of ideas. Some of my best sessions have been the result of collaboration with others.
My best advice for those new to Houston would be to get out and about and explore, know the city and what it has to offer, and not to be afraid of new experiences or to ask for help. It’s easy to get into a routine. No one ever gets better by doing the same thing over and over. Trying new things and stepping out of your comfort zone is the path to growth and success.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.marawilliamsphotography.com
- Phone: 832-736-4760
- Email: marawilliamsphotography@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/marawilliamsphotography
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com//marawilliamsphotography
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.
