Today we’d like to introduce you to Courtney Wyrick
Courtney, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Growing up, I was picture obsessed. As kids, I loved being in photos. Through high school, I would force my friends into photos with me and download any free online editing programs I could. I found any little thing to edit on every photo.
I never thought photography was something I could do well enough to make it my career. So, running down the list, I went to college for sign language interpreting but never finished the certification. Photography was just always my calling. I started working full time in a medical facility. My dad gave me his old Sony camera to play with. Yes, SONY. I joined online facebook photography groups. I spent hours looking at the photographer photos and reading the comments. Soaking in all the knowledge I could off of just being an observer. My co-worker asked me if I would take photos of him and his son to send out for Christmas presents one year, and gave my first “official shoot.” I did free sessions for people just to gain experience after that, but had no idea how to work a camera outside of “automatic.” A couple of years later, I married that same co-worker and became pregnant with my first. The thought of working full time and being away from my baby when he came broke my heart. My husband encouraged me to find a way to pursue my dream. I found a group of ladies in one of the photographer’s groups that were all moms. They did meetups and brought their kids and everyone just had fun photographing each others kids. I really owe so much to those ladies. They taught me how to shoot in manual and all the tricks and “do’s and don’ts” of photography. I ended up purchasing my first “real camera” used from one of them, and it was a full-speed downhill roller coaster after that. I started running cheap mini sessions and building my clientele. I took online classes from other photographers and continued learning from the other photographers I had met. At the end of 2015, I was at a point where I couldn’t handle working full time and my regular clientele base. My husband encouraged me to take that leap. It was very scary with a family and the big unknown, but I did it. I left my full-time job, and went out and rented a studio with another photographer in the same week.
Running with my eyes closed basically, I jumped right in. I really owe it all to God, because since that day I have been blessed beyond measure to grow, build, learn and achieve so much more than I ever realized I could. About a year after, I went full time I found my true love really centered around babies. I took all the online mentoring and classes I could to learn everything I could about newborn photography. I STILL watch swaddling videos all the time. Photography is always evolving, therefore, there is ALWAYS more to learn. I now center most of my practice around babies, from maternity to birth to newborns and all the way through milestone packages and cake smashes. I love my job so much and can’t thank God enough for allowing me to live my dream.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I don’t think anything in life is ever 100% smooth all the time. I have definitely had my ups in downs, from finding the right place for a studio, to learning who you can and cannot trust. There are so many photographers in our area, and we all have our own look and our own style. The competition is steep. Now that my business has flourished so much, I have also had trouble managing my time. I work full time again, ha, I just love what I do, but finding the time and managing it is hard sometimes, especially because I have a family that needs my attention as well. I have definitely learned to say no at times lately.
What do you do? What do you specialize in?
I specialize in pretty much anything that centers around a baby. Maternity, Birth, Newborns, Milestones, and Cake Smashes are where my heart really lies. I spend a lot of time planning for each of my sessions to make everyone’s images unique. I will never do an exact same set up for a cake smash, it will always be different even if the theme is the same. I also do almost monthly mini sessions. They fill up extremely fast and sometimes even close to a year in advance. They are usually centered around the nearest holiday, but I am always looking for ways to make a little kids fairy tale come true, whether it is a having a unicorn to themselves for a while or turning them into a mermaid or letting them being in photos with dinosaurs chasing after them.
Do you have a lesson or advice you’d like to share with young women just starting out?
Don’t give up. If this is truly your dream, keep on keepin’ on. I look back at pictures from when I started and literally cringe, but you know what, some of those same people have stuck by my side, believed in me and are still my regular clients. I also think that customer service and personality is a HUGE part of success in this business. I strive to make each “client” I meet a friend.
Contact Info:
- Address: 200 Camp Creek Rd. Rockwall, TX 75032
- Website: www.courtneymarie.photography
- Phone: 214-734-5915
- Email: wyrickc84@gmail.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/court_marie_photo
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/courtmariephotography/
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.
