Today we’d like to introduce you to Camryn Martin.
Hi Camryn , so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
There are so many things I could say about this past year, but the truth is that it has been both the hardest and most rewarding year of my life.
A little over a year ago, I made the decision to completely change my life. I sold my house, accepted a remote position, packed everything I owned, and moved from Tennessee to Florida in less than three weeks. I left behind family, lifelong friends, and everything familiar to start over in a place where very few people knew who I was.
At the time, photography wasn’t part of the plan. A few months after moving, I picked up a camera and started teaching myself everything I could. What started as a creative outlet quickly turned into a passion. I spent nights, weekends, lunch breaks, and every spare moment learning photography, editing, building a website, marketing my business, and serving clients.
While building Camryn Martin Photography, I was also working a full-time remote job. My days started early and ended late. I photographed families in the evenings, edited galleries long after midnight, and spent countless weekends working toward a dream that wasn’t guaranteed to succeed. For nearly a year, every bit of free time I had was poured into this business.
What many people don’t know is that while all of this was happening, I was also navigating one of the most difficult personal seasons of my life. In December, while I was home visiting family for the holidays, my father took his own life. What was supposed to be a joyful trip home quickly became one of the most devastating experiences I’ve ever faced.
That experience changed me. It reminded me that addiction is real, mental health struggles are real, and tomorrow is never promised.
There were days when grief felt overwhelming. There were days when I questioned everything.
But in the middle of that pain, photography gave me purpose.
It gave me something to pour my heart into when I felt lost. It allowed me to connect with families during a season when I missed my own more than ever. Having moved away from home, I didn’t realize how much I missed those everyday moments of togetherness until I began documenting them for others.
Every session reminded me of the people I love, the memories we create, and how important it is to preserve them.
In many ways, photography filled a void I didn’t even realize was missing. It gave me a sense of connection, belonging, and purpose during one of the most difficult seasons of my life.
Through it all, I leaned heavily on my faith. There were moments when I couldn’t see the next step, but I trusted that God was guiding me even when the path wasn’t clear. Looking back now, I can see His hand in every part of this journey.
Session by session. Referral by referral. Client by client.
What started as a hobby became something real.
In less than a year, Camryn Martin Photography grew into a fully booked business serving families, couples, and weddings along Florida’s Emerald Coast.
This experience has taught me that sometimes the biggest blessings come from the biggest leaps of faith. It has taught me the importance of resilience, hard work, and believing in yourself even when the outcome is uncertain.
Most importantly, it has taught me that life is too short not to pursue what truly makes you happy.
Today, I am taking the biggest leap of faith of my life and leaving the security of a full-time job to pursue photography full time.
I am incredibly grateful for every client who has trusted me with their memories, every person who has supported my business, and every challenge that helped shape me into the person I am becoming.
Camryn Martin Photography is more than a business to me. It is proof that healing, growth, faith, and perseverance can create something beautiful even in the most unexpected seasons of life.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Definitely not.
The past year has been one of the hardest years of my life, but also one of the most rewarding.
When I moved to Florida, I was starting over completely. I was building a new life, learning a new area, working a full-time remote job, and eventually trying to build a photography business from scratch. What people see now is the end result, but what they don’t see are the countless hours that happened behind the scenes.
Most week days were spent working my full-time job, then my evenings consisted of answering inquiries, editing galleries, learning photography, managing social media, and preparing for sessions. My weekends were often spent shooting sessions and then coming home to edit. There were times when it felt like all I did was work. I was constantly trying to balance my career, photography, relationships, family, and somehow still make time for myself.
One of the hardest parts of moving was leaving my family behind. Before moving to Florida, I saw them all the time. Suddenly, the people who had always been a part of my everyday life were hundreds of miles away. Instead of random dinners, weekend visits, lunch break visits, and stopping by to see each other, time together became holidays and occasional trips home. There were definitely moments where I felt guilty for leaving and guilty for not being around more.
Then over Christmas, while I was home visiting family in Tennessee, my father unexpectedly passed away. Nothing prepares you for a loss like that.
As painful as that experience was, it changed my perspective on life in a way I can’t fully put into words. It made me realize how quickly life can change and how easy it is to get caught up in being busy. We spend so much time thinking we’ll do things later, take the trip later, chase the dream later, spend more time with people later. Losing my dad reminded me that later isn’t guaranteed.
That realization played a huge role in the decisions I’ve made since. It made me stop asking myself, “What if it doesn’t work?” and start asking, “What if it does?” It reminded me that life is too short to spend it wondering what could have been.
Looking back, every challenge taught me something. Moving taught me how to be comfortable being uncomfortable. Building a business taught me resilience. Balancing two careers taught me discipline. Losing my father taught me to value time and the people I love.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned through all of it, it’s that life is short. Take the trip. Make the call. Spend time with your family. Chase the dream. Take the picture. Capture the memories. Don’t wait for the perfect moment, because sometimes the moments we think we’ll always have become the ones we wish we could go back to.
The timing may never feel perfect, but sometimes you just have to take the leap and trust yourself.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am the owner and photographer behind Camryn Martin Photography, LLC, serving families, couples, maternity clients, and weddings along Florida’s Emerald Coast. I specialize in natural, timeless photography that focuses on genuine connection and emotion rather than stiff poses or heavily edited images.
My goal has always been simple: create photographs that feel like the people in them. The quiet moments, the laughter between poses, the way a child reaches for their parent’s hand, or the look between two people who love each other. Those are the moments that matter most to me.
I think what I’m most proud of is not necessarily how quickly my business has grown, but the relationships I’ve built along the way. The fact that families trust me to document some of their most meaningful memories is something I never take for granted. Many of my clients are families visiting the Emerald Coast on vacation, and knowing that the images I capture will become part of their family’s story for years to come is incredibly special.
What I’m also incredibly proud of is that this business was built completely from the ground up. When I moved to Florida, I didn’t know many people, I didn’t have a client list, and I certainly didn’t expect photography to become my full-time career. Every session, referral, and returning client has played a part in helping me build something I truly love, and that’s something I’ll never take for granted.
As for what sets me apart, I think it’s the experience I strive to create. I’m not interested in showing up, taking photos, and leaving. I want my clients to feel comfortable, relaxed, and genuinely enjoy their session. Most people tell me they’re nervous about being in front of a camera, but by the end of the session they’re laughing, having fun, and often telling me it was much easier than they expected.
I also believe that authenticity matters. In a world of trends and filters, I’ve always stayed true to the style I love. My editing is natural and timeless, with true-to-life colors, beautiful coastal tones, and an emphasis on preserving memories the way they felt in that moment.
At the end of the day, anyone can take a picture. What matters to me is creating something that brings people back to a feeling, a season of life, or a loved one years down the road. After losing my father, I understand more than ever how valuable photographs become over time. They are more than images. They are memories, reminders, and pieces of our stories that we get to hold onto forever.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Growing up, I’ve always been independent and willing to take chances, even when I wasn’t completely sure how things would work out. I was raised by a single mother who worked incredibly hard to provide for our family, and watching her navigate life taught me a lot about resilience, determination, and figuring things out even when things aren’t easy.
I was also a competitive athlete for most of my life and went on to play college softball. Sports taught me some of the most valuable lessons I’ve carried into adulthood. Things like discipline, accountability, teamwork, handling failure, and learning how to keep showing up even when things don’t go your way. Anyone who has played a competitive sport knows that success rarely happens overnight, and that mindset has helped me tremendously in business.
Personality-wise, I’ve never been someone who was content staying in my comfort zone for very long. Looking back, that’s probably why moving to Florida didn’t seem as crazy to me as it did to everyone else. If there’s something I want to do or a dream I want to pursue, I’ve always been willing to take the risk and figure it out along the way.
I’ve always believed that some of the best things in life happen when you’re willing to step into the unknown. Whether that was playing college softball, moving across the country, picking up a camera, or starting a business from scratch, I’ve learned that growth usually happens on the other side of being uncomfortable.
At my core, I’m someone who values family, relationships, hard work, and making the most of the time we’re given. Moving away from Tennessee taught me just how much I cherish time with the people I love. I went from seeing my family all the time to only seeing them on visits, holidays, or when they come to Florida.
I think that’s a big part of why I love what I do. Getting to spend time with families, watch them interact, and capture those moments together reminds me of my own family back home. In many ways, it helps fill a void. After losing my father, I understand more than ever how important photographs become over time. They’re not just pictures. They’re memories, pieces of our story, and moments we can never get back.
That’s why I love capturing them.
Pricing:
- Family Sessions begin at $300
- Couples / Graduating Senior Sessions begin at $250
- Maternity Sessions begin at $250
- Small Weddings / Elopements begin at $500
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.camrynmartinphotography.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/camrynmartinphotography
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61580636458942
