Today we’d like to introduce you to Audrey Neal
Hi Audrey, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Hi! I’m Audrey, a Cincinnati Wedding and Family Photographer. I started my business, Audrey Neal Photography in 2021. As an artist I’m drawn to beautiful things, especially people. I love tender interactions, captivating stories, and unique personalities. Every time I walk into a photoshoot, I’m reminded of what an honor it is to record someone’s memories. My vision during a session is to create timeless photos that bring out the beauty in every day moments. I aim to disappear completely, and for my client to feel comfortable enough to be themselves!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My road as a business owner has been an exciting but scary experience! Starting is the scariest part, I asked myself so many questions such as, “how do I market myself?” or, “what does it look like to be a successful entrepreneur?” or even “how do I share my voice through my images?”. Over time, I slowly learned through several different resources how to market myself, and what it looked like to be the photographer I wanted. It took time, motivation, and lots of self discipline! Another big challenge has been navigating social media, and learning how to use it to my advantage. Trends come and go so quickly, it’s hard to keep up! I found it better to offer a timeless experience that represents my clients, opposed to trends. Good composition, color theory and emotion never go out of style! This perspective has helped me be less overwhelmed with advertising on social media. In these past few years, I have had exceptional clients, all with beautiful stories. Capturing them was the easiest part of getting started!
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 specialize as a Wedding and Family photographer. My approach to shooting a wedding is like shooting a romance movie, documentary style! I’m the director, and the bride and groom are the main characters. There are times during the wedding day that I’m very involved in “setting the scene”, and others where I’m sitting back and observing all of the unfiltered, natural moments. Either way, my biggest priority isn’t to cast them as any other character than themselves! When my clients receive their gallery, they should be able to recognize themselves. My goal is that every photo opens a window to relive the beautiful memories my clients made. I take a similar approach to my family sessions. Young family sessions can be especially lively, and that’s why I love them! Authentic story telling is so natural with children, most have an easy time being themselves! I like to bring some sort of activity or prop for these, that way the family has something to interact with! One thing I’ve heard from both families and wedding clients, is that their sessions felt comfortable, fun and natural.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I am always open to trying new things! I love incorporating different ideas into my business to make it stand out from the rest. For example, I was previously a freelance artist. I had the idea to add my art into my photography business. I have tried Christmas specials, live wedding painting, and general commission work to see if I could somehow make both photography and art work together. This felt like a risk, because it’s something totally different. There are other areas in my business where I like to “play it safe”. That is because I want to give my clients the best experience possible. The risks I take are typically behind the scenes, and tested out before I apply it into my workflow. With that said, I’m still going to try new things, be inventive in my photoshoots, and think outside of the box!
Pricing:
- $250 Mini Session 20 minutes 20-30+ photos
- $350 Full Session 1 hour 50-75+ photos
- $1500 Minimal Wedding 6 hours 350-500 photos
- $2500 Traditional Wedding 8 hours 600-750 photos, engagement session, second photographer
Contact Info:
- Website: https://audreynealphotography.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/audreynealphotography/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100076443671316
