December 5, 2018

Meet Joshua and Kariss Farris in Dallas

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Joshua and Kariss Farris.

Joshua, Kariss, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Josh began Pharris Photography at Baylor University. He shot for Baylor as a student photographer and became the campus go-to for photographing graduation sessions and events for little to nothing. During this time, Joshua and I met and started dating. We even did his first engagement session ever together. Josh did the shooting and I posed and gave direction. Josh gave the business it’s huge head start by spreading the name and putting in work to get it off of the ground at our college campus!

When Josh graduated college in 2012, he couldn’t do both the business and a full-time mechanical engineering job at NASA so he was going to call it quits. Since I was still in school, I stepped in and said “don’t quit! I’ll help!” It turned from being his studio manager and handling emails/bookings/consultations, to posing during shoots/weddings, then to us shooting together at weddings.

Eventually, because of the workload on Josh and my own desire, I began shooting lifestyle and engagement sessions. In 2014, I went full-time Pharris Photography and at the end of 2016, Josh did as well! There were a lot of late nights of Josh editing after work and long weekends! When you are working for yourself, there’s an invisible drive that keeps you going full steam ahead. That invisible drive, my passion for photography and couples, and Josh’s insanely excellent work ethic and business savvy got us where we are today.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I think it’s safe to say that very few if any, successful businesses have a “smooth road.” We had lots of struggles! Balancing creative visions for the company, business decisions, work ethic, priorities, and client relations just to name a few. Oh, and let’s factor in the fact that we are married, which always adds an extra layer in there! lol!

Most of our struggles come from two people who love the business and what it has become and want to see it succeed. At the end of the day, we remind ourselves that we are on the same team, we both want what’s best and we choose to make thoughtful decisions together for the business to move upward and onward.

Pharris Photography & Philms – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Josh and I are known for two different things, but together as a company, it makes us who we are. Josh is known for his laser-sharp precision and technical eye when it comes to photos. When he takes a photo, you can bet your bottom dollar it’s going to be perfectly in focus, beautifully framed, and well lit. (He’s a beast with off-camera flashes). When I take a photo, it’s going to be posed to perfection, the best light is found and masterfully edited.

All of these learned traits and art forms together make us who we are as a business. We are known for crisp photos that are well lit (whether naturally or artificially) and colorfully edited. It makes us proud that most of our business comes from word of mouth. Happy clients who are so excited about their photos they have to share! What sets us apart is our customer service and teamwork! It’s rare to find a husband and wife team to both bring different and equally excellent things to the table.

What is “success” or “successful” for you?
To us, success is being able to do what you love while supporting your family. As a couple, our number one priority is making sure that we are setting an example for our 2-year-old daughter and 8-month-old son. We want them to know and see what all is possible with a lot of faith and a couple cameras.

Pricing:

Wedding starting rate is $3,200
2 hour Engagement Session is $500
Associate Wedding and Engagement pricing available

Contact Info:

Website: https://www.pharrisphotos.com
Email: info@pharrisphotos.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pharrisphotos
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PharrisPhotos
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PharrisPhotos

Image Credit:
@PharrisPhotos

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