Today we’d like to introduce you to Stacie Weever.
Stacie, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I have always been an entrepreneur; starting my first online business when I was only 16. I received a Bachelor’s of Business Administration with a major in Entrepreneurship & Strategic Management from the University of North Texas when I was 20. I opened Fermentations Premium Beer & Wine in McKinney in 2004 and sold it in 2007. Since then I have attempted various home-based businesses and pursued photography as a hobby. I was asked by a neighbor, a professional wedding photographer, to second shoot a wedding for him. I did it once and I was hooked. I started my own photography business and took every job I could get just to figure out what I wanted to specialize in. I now specialize in Senior Portraits that are bold, dynamic, and fulfill the vision of my senior clients. I still also photograph children, family, maternity and newborn portraits, but the seniors are where my heart is. My work has won awards and has been featured nationally. My teenaged daughter is my assistant and we thoroughly enjoy getting to build this business together.
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?
I had grand visions for Fermentations Premium Beer & Wine. I had received a “beer education” from The Flying Saucer when I managed the Addison location. I took my newfound knowledge and connections with distributors and turned them into the first beer & wine store to open in McKinney. I specialized in craft and import beer, long before it was popular, but was apparently too far ahead of the trend. I was struggling to make a profit and received an offer to purchase the store after 3 years in business. I sold the store, feeling defeated and discouraged. I went back to school and earned my Masters in Secondary Education before returning to teaching high school. Returning reminded me that I loved the kids, but didn’t love teaching. I am blessed to have found photography as a way to work with the high school kids I love, but avoid the daily grind of being a teacher.
Please tell us about Optical Poetry.
We are known for our bold, dynamic and authentic senior photos that fulfill the vision of the senior client we are shooting. Our experience and skills with Photoshop set our photos apart from the typical senior photographer.
Together, with our clients, we use a combination of imagination, wardrobe and makeup choices, posing, location selection and post-production to create remarkable images that stand out. These are not the cap and gown photos that you see in the yearbook. We take the seniors and create an experience and images similar to those they see in fashion and sports magazines. Most describe the images as “something they have never seen”.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
I had a wonderful childhood, so narrowing to only one favorite memory is impossible. I can remember, however, when I was about 7 or 8 years old, setting up a “lemonade stand” that sold my art instead of lemonade. I actually set a table at the end of the driveway and sold my drawings to the people who stopped for 10 cents! It seemed perfectly normal to me, but I realize now that I might have been a weird kid!
Pricing:
- Senior Portrait Packages start at $449. The average client spends $1000
- Family, Children, Newborn, Maternity, & Engagement Portrait Packages start at $449. The average client spends $800
- Wedding Portrait Packages start at $1499. The average client spends $3000.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.opticalpoetry.com
- Email: stacie@opticalpoetry.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/opticalpoetryphotos/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/opticalpoetryphotography/
- Twitter: twitter.com/optical_poetry
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/optical-poetry-allen-2
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas 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.
