Check Out Aaron Aldhizer’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Aaron Aldhizer.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
To be honest, I’ve always had a passion and obsession for photography ever since I was young. From going through old family photos with my parents to taking disposable cameras to summer camp to getting my first point-and-shoot camera (a 12 megapixel Nikon P90) in high school, photography has always been on my mind. While I attended Kent State University for Visual Communication Design, photography was my minor and still had my heart. I graduated from Kent in 2014, a little unsure of what exactly I wanted to do within the photography industry. In 2015, I began second shooting weddings with a photography mentor and quickly became immersed into the wedding industry. I quickly found I had a calling for not only capturing couples but working with them and guiding them through the wedding day and the wedding process. One day it hit me, I wanted to work with people, on what’s one of the happiest days of their lives.

 And thus I decided to officially open up my business, turning my passion in photography into a career.

Regardless of what aspect of life we’re talking about, I do not like staying stagnant. I’m big on growth and having a growth mindset. I believe that anything is possible and that the more you work, the “luckier” you get! Over the last 10 years, I’ve continued to improve my process, my craft, my experience, and strive to be at least 1% better than I was the day before, in both my personal and business life.



In my business life, continuing my education (diversely) has been incalculably important to how I’ve gotten to where I am today. I’m a firm believer in if you aren’t good at something then you need to learn to do it better or find someone whom is better that can do it for you. Not sure how to be a better business owner? Find someone who is and learn how to run a successful business. Unsure how to add more value to your experience and or your clients? Find someone who does and learn from them! There is so much out there to learn!

To me, continuing my education has been priceless. Worth every penny I’ve spent to go to conferences, take seminars, work with mentors, etc and last but not least, and more importantly, my support circle. Having my entire family, that have always believed in me and supported me no matter what has been immeasurable. I attribute those things as the main reasons of me getting to where I am today.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Absolutely not. In no sense or way has my photography journey been a “smooth road”. But I think that is common for all creatives. It just depends on how you handle the challenges and obstacles as to what your end result becomes.

When you’re a creative or are in a creative field, it’s only natural to compare yourself to others. To get in your own head about something you’ve done or not done and to even suffer from ‘imposter syndrome’. This has been a challenge on and off for me, throughout my journey.



I’ve found that Ira Glass said it best, “Nobody tells this to people who are beginners, I wish someone told me. All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase, they quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know it’s normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one story. It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s gonna take awhile. It’s normal to take awhile. You’ve just gotta fight your way through.”



He is absolutely right. You just have to fight through it because eventually your work will start to meet and even exceed your expectations!

 But in the meantime, this is why it’s critical to have people and loved ones that truly, wholehearted, unconditionally believe in you and what you do. I know it has been imperative throughout the years for me. 

Giving up isn’t an option. Head down, work hard, have an amazing support circle and you’ll be amazed just how much things can change.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Simply put, I’m a photographer. I strive to capture candid, genuine, heartfelt moments for my couples, the way I see them and the world. While I photograph many things and people, I specialize in wedding photography.



I’m most proud of the amount of growth I’ve been able to achieve during over the years.
as mentioned earlier, I’m huge on having a growth mindset. I do not like being stagnant. I strive to be better and I feel that I truly have been able to excel and grow faster than I could have hoped for based.



What sets me apart from others is several things. One of those things is honestly pretty simple. I treat my couples like family. I treat them how I would want to be treated if I was in their shoes or how I’d hope to be treated if it was me on the other side of the lens. From start to finish I try to make the experience one they will not forget and that they will enjoy! More often than not my couples leave reviews or say after their wedding day that it feels like working with me was like catching up with an old friend. I strive to make their experience more than just posing for a camera. And I believe that’s been key in my success.

What does success mean to you?
To me, I define success in a few different ways.



Purpose. Impact. Resilience. 



To me success is feeling a sense of purpose, growth (there’s that word again), or happiness in whatever you strive to do and or achieve in life. Having an impact by positively contributing to others or leaving a meaningful legacy behind. And lastly, I was once told “Success doesn’t change your person. It simply just magnifies what was already there.” So if you’re able to overcome whatever challenges life throws your way while staying true to your values, to me, that’s also success.

Pricing:

• I photograph it all, couples, engagement sessions, family and newborn sessions, and more.
• I completely understand there is no cookie cutter wedding collection that will always fit every couples need, and thus that is why I customize a couple’s collection 95% of the time so that it fits your needs and wants perfectly! 

Contact Info:

• Website: https://aaronaldhizerphotography.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aaronaldhizerphoto
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aaronaldhizerphoto/