Today we’d like to introduce you to Marissa Durham.
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?
I’ll start from the beginning of my photography journey: it’s 2014. I’m a senior in high school, back then we had non-smartphones for texts and calls, and I’ve upgraded to an iPod Touch for fun apps and taking photos. I loved taking photos of everything, from flowers that hung just right on picket fences, to freshly baked cookies right out of the oven. I discovered an app that let me make the background “blurry” on photos, something that I’ll come to learn can be done in camera with the right lens, and I was hooked. I loved this new hobby, and eventually bought myself a “professional” camera and lens combination, and started taking photos of anyone who would let me. From my friends to my boyfriend at the time (he’s now my husband – those are my favorite to look back on), everyone was a model in my eyes. I was constantly researching and watching videos on how to get better, joining Facebook groups filled with other photographers, and growing in my craft. For about 5 years photography was a fun hobby, and I charged a little for portrait sessions but never anything crazy or enough to make a living off of. Fast forward to 2019, my husband and I moved back to Ohio after years of traveling (military spouse life), but my passion for photography had dwindled. I was no longer feeling the itch to create, nothing was inspiring me to pick up my camera anymore, and I had called it quits. I didn’t do anything photography related for the whole year, and then something sparked my curiosity at the beginning of 2020 – a wedding photography workshop. I had previously photographed a few family and friends’ small weddings but never saw myself pursuing it full time because of the pressure to photograph such an important day and all many factors that went into it. But for some reason, I wanted to try this workshop out, and I’m so glad I did. I photographed two couples in wedding attire, and a beautiful table set up and details and I was in love. I have always loved photographing “pretty” things, and this was so much less stressful than trying to round up children and get an annoyed father to smile. Don’t get me wrong, I love kids, and family sessions will have a special place in my heart, but they were definitely the reason I got so burnt out. This new experience for me, a beautiful wedding-inspired shoot, had me thinking about all the what-ifs. What if I gave wedding photography a real chance, what if I could actually do what I love and make a legit career out of it, the possibilities seemed endless! But where to start… the internet, of course! At that point, I knew my camera back and forth, knew about composition and lighting and editing, and felt comfortable in that realm, but didn’t really know where to begin when it came to wedding days. So, I again started to research as much as possible, watch videos, and figure out how to get where I wanted. A funny little thing called the pandemic hit, so I had plenty of time to make a game plan. I knew I wanted to get the ball rolling, and not undersell myself, and not photograph for pennies, and make a liveable wage. I started second shooting for SO many photographers and learning from each of them and becoming comfortable in every different wedding day situation. I eventually started booking my own weddings and learning from those, and that has led to where I am today! 2 weddings a year turned into 10 weddings, which has turned into 15+ and a freedom to pick and choose what I shoot while still making an actual liveable wage- something I never thought was possible when I was photographing anything and everything for 75 bucks. I’m still learning and growing every day, but I am so happy with where this journey has led me and I’m even more excited to see where it continues to take me.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It’s definitely been a bumpy road – as I said before I was photographing anything anyone would hire me for, for basically nothing, and it was honestly getting very disheartening. When I took my break in 2019, I thought I would never pursue photography legitimately again. But I’m so glad I decided to give it a shot and try out one of the hardest (in my humble opinion) photography careers possible. It turned out, I do have a knack for wedding days, an eye for the candid moments and an ability to really put people at ease, and an overall adaptability that has came in handy for sure. All of these things have gotten me where I am today, and I’m sure there will still be challenges, but when I look at how far I’ve come it reminds me that I can take on anything if I put my mind to it.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Marissa Belle Photography is my wedding photography business, that began as a simple dream in 2014, and has now transformed into something legitimate and more fun than I could’ve ever imagined. I’ve photographed dozens of weddings all over Ohio and am now branching into weddings all over the United States and even Europe. This year alone I’ll be in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Indiana, and New York for weddings, and I couldn’t be more excited to see where else this job takes me. What sets my business apart is my timeless photography and attention to detail – I utilize film along with digital cameras to shoot and edit in a way that won’t ever become “just a trend” and will still look amazing 50 years from now. I love photographing the little details that so many vendors have come together to make happen, and the personal touches that each family leaves on a wedding day. I also excel in making people comfortable and adapting to anything that the day undoubtedly will throw at me, while simultaneously creating art out of every possible moment. I love seeing the beauty in others that they aren’t able to see themselves and revealing it to them through my photos. And I love making people feel beautiful and capturing the in-between moments that they don’t always get to notice throughout the craziness of a wedding day, and I truly hope that comes across in my work.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
I’ve worked with so many people now, and it was a lot of trial and error for me. First, I was 2nd shooting and reaching out to anyone that needed help. Then, I tried to focus on helping other vendors whose work I admired and therefore learning from them along the way. If we clicked and I also loved their personality, I made it my mission to always be there if they needed a hand, and in some cases signed up for the education they offered, really just ensuring that I was making every effort possible to learn from them and get a hands-on approach to seeing how they run their business. I’m still working on networking and getting better at it, I’ve found usually just reaching out to vendors and seeing if they are interested in working together on a planned editorial is a great first step, and then again if we click and I could see myself loving working with them again, doing everything I can to make that happen, even if that’s just hiring them again and again. That has helped me get visibility with a lot of vendors from all over.
Pricing:
- I create personalized wedding collections for each client, and that investment currently starts at $4800. I am happy to say I am now booking 2024 weddings!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.marissabelle.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/marissabellephotography
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarissaBellePhotography
