Today we’d like to introduce you to Anna Grace Campbell.
Hi Anna, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
My photography journey is still such a surreal thing for me. I’ve been taking photos since I was a teenager and it’s so wild to me that this is what I do for a living now! I remember getting a canon rebel t7i in high school and my friends and I would go around and take photos and edit them for fun on the weekends. I never really thought of that as anything of it and went on to get a degree at Clemson University.
While attending there, I started working at a business called Elkmont Trading Company as a sales associate. This role quickly transitioned into the role of social media manager as a result of my pleading with them to let me take photos and update their Instagram content. Thankfully, the owners took a chance on me because that job sparked a desire in me to do something creative and help people tell their stories through photos.
Once I graduated, I still didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life and would’ve loved something similar to this role, but I knew I liked the photography side of the job way more than the analytics and social media aspect. The real world was approaching quicker than I wanted it to so I took a job working in sales in 2019 and then covid hit!
I wasn’t really able to do much for my job since it entailed visiting clients and going into businesses and so I reached out to a friend who was doing wedding photography on a whim after lots of prayers for a job that I truly loved. The person I reached out to, Riley Young, who is now my best friend and colleague, took me under her wing where I got to learn the ins and outs of the wedding photography business.
Within that year, I was able to start my own wedding photography business and I’ve been learning and growing ever since! I thought this job would be a part-time gig, but it’s since surpassed that and I’ve been full-time for almost 3 years now. I prayed so many prayers that were full of doubt and fear because no one tells you your 20s are full of unknowns and a lot of paychecks to paychecks from a job you’re not passionate about, but he answered them with a job I love and a community full of fellow photographers that I don’t think I could’ve done this without.
Now at 25, I still can’t believe I get to help others tell their story of their most magical moments and I hope I can somehow help others the way that a community of photographers in the upstate helped me. I hope that I can somehow inspire others to not be afraid to reach out to people you aspire to be like, take risks on the crazy dream job that feels out of reach, and also pray and ask for things like a job even if that feels hard like it was for me.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I’m definitely still learning work/life balance. I think that’s been my biggest struggle because you truly can work 24/7 when you’re self-employed and a lot of the time I would/still do this.
Whether it be client calls, posting my work online, checking emails, or trying to find inspiration for upcoming sessions, it’s tough to set limits and boundaries so that I can be off the clock sometimes. At the end of the day, I can serve my clients best when I limit the number of weddings I take, allow myself breaks to go rock climbing or walk my dog for a few hours in between editing, and have healthy boundaries that implement rest in my life too.
I feel like this has been an overall theme in my life in general, setting boundaries and creating intentional rest so that I can be my best self for myself and others.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Anna Grace Photography?
I mostly do wedding photography, but I do a ton of family, maternity, engagements, bridals, and branding as well! I think it’s so sweet when I get to photograph someone’s wedding and then continue to be invited into more of their most cherished memories like newborn photos and family photos as their family grows. My favorite part about this job is capturing real-life moments and telling each individual’s story.
Sometimes this looks like sitting in their living room reading books to their children, walking and laughing with their bridal party on their wedding day, a grandma tearing up in the corner over the first dance between a bride and her dad, or even the giddy moments following the decision to spend forever with someone.
I always want to create a space for people to feel the moments when they look back on them and I would say that my overall goal with my business is to help show people how beautiful and unique their own story is so that they can share it with the world or simply admire it amongst themselves and those they love the most.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
One of the biggest pieces of my business that I could not succeed without is being able to lean into strength and confidence that I’m taken care of by God. When I was first starting my business there were so many instances where things just worked out beyond my ability, bills were paid in the nick of time, and was gifted a community of supporters time and time again.
With that being said, the community is another big piece that has been a tremendous help to me. I truly feel like Greenville is so full of noncompetitive, always welcoming, encouraging, and down-to-earth photographers and it’s blessed me in times I’ve felt overwhelmed or doubtful.
There have been so many instances where I’ve questioned things in my business, felt so weighed down, and God and my colleagues have lent a hand and a shoulder to lean on every single time. It’s been the key to my success, for me personally.
Contact Info:
- Website: annagrace.co
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annagracec/
Image Credits
Anna Grace Photography
