Today we’d like to introduce you to Chandler Collen.
Hi Chandler, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I started professional photography on accident when I lived in Denver, CO! I was in school for business and traveling to the surrounding mountains every weekend for camping, hiking, cliff jumping, etc. – so I thought to myself “someone should be capturing these adventures on more than just an iPhone.” So I ordered a tiny Canon Rebel series camera and started snapping pictures of everyday life!
Fast forward a couple of months and I’m interning in Youth Ministry in Dallas for the summer. One of my students sees I own a camera and asks me to do her senior photos – to which I replied “oh no no, I am not a professional.” BUT she was adamant! So I hopped on the internet and learned everything I could about shooting, editing, and post-processing. And after her senior photo session, I thought to myself “Wait… those are kind of good.”
Soon after that, I was back in Colorado to finish school and I took a leap by asking one of the couples I knew to model for me – and that was the start of it all! I then captured that couple’s proposal, engagement photos, and wedding and will one day photograph their little family (fingers crossed!) Over this time, I was also shooting with more and more people, and word-of-mouth was my best friend. People are so kind! I gained a client base in Denver & surrounding areas and was pushed deeper into this passion by my family and friends. My education in Business helped me feel confident in starting and running my own company, which I began in 2018, with one goal – celebrating others the way God intended!
In the summer of 2020, I moved to Dallas seeking a change in scenery, and I have loved my time here. However, it was so hard to move a small business during a pandemic. It took me no less than a year to build a somewhat strong presence here – but I worked and put myself out there and waited and cried and worked some more – and now here we are! I am so thankful for my Dallas clientele & the life I lead here. I often go back and shoot weddings & elopements in Colorado because that will always be an important place to me, as it’s where Chandler J Photo got its start! Now I have a presence in the Dallas metroplex and surrounding areas, and am also traveling half of the time for more destination weddings and elopements! This next year I’ll be in Hawaii, Georgia, Virginia, Cancun, Florida & Missouri – all for love!!!
Alright, 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?
Some struggles were definitely the pandemic – it all but decimated the wedding industry last year! We have all been feeling the effects of that, and it’s so good to have the wedding BOOM that is 2021 & 2022!!
I also struggle with just being a small business owner sometimes – handling all the business’s finances, marketing, customer relations, etc. – can be a LOT.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a professional photographer! I specialize in weddings (destination included), elopements, and couples – but I also do a lot of family shoots, creative headshots, and some product photography!
I am known for having an eye for the unusually beautiful – I will focus in on one moment or touch or look and expand it to show as much meaning and emotion as possible in my work. I am a sucker for overlooked details and the magic of the mundane. I am also known for being a big celebrator – if you’re excited, I am excited (and maybe even more so)!!!
I am most proud of the art within my work. I think God created us as artistic and beautiful, and I love that my work isn’t stale or typical. I see through the eyes of an artist, and I want my work to portray what I see.
I also think I am set apart by my mindset – we can all struggle with being prideful in our work – but I try, truly try, to see that my work is not for me – it is for my clients to feel loved and seen and known. It is so God can be glorified in our every day and in our celebrating.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
I feel the quality that has been most important to my success has been adaptability. I have heard from innumerable clients and wedding guests and planners, etc. – that my demeanor on a wedding day is very helpful. I am not someone to be thrown off by a change of plans or a new direction. I deeply enjoy being a source of calm and lightheartedness in tense situations. I believe God has gifted me with that demeanor (which can be used poorly or well), and I am thankful for the times I have used it well.
Pricing:
- Weddings start at $3,100
- Engagements start at $400
- Families start at $350
Contact Info:
- Email: chandlerjphoto@gmail.com
- Website: https://www.chandlerjphoto.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chandlerjphoto/
Image Credits:
Chandler J Photo
