Today we’d like to introduce you to Leah Ayvazyan.
Hi Leah, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My photography journey began in high school when I took a photography class, using a cheap camera that was collecting dust in my home. At the time I lived in Boise, ID. My love for photography quickly grew, turning into a hobby, and a creative outlet. At the age of 18, I opened up a business page, thinking it would not go anywhere. I was very wrong.
What started it out as a hobby quickly turned into constant portrait shoots for friends and acquaintances, followed by shoots for my first official clients, and finally my first wedding. Then another, and another, and one more after that. I felt like every client I met became a friend. This was important to me because for the first time I felt understood. Not through words, but by what I was creating. For someone who grew up struggling to communicate and make friends, I started making friends and building relationships within the industry very quickly.
When I get asked how I got into wedding photography, I simply say “on accident”, because it truly feels like a happy accident. What started out as a hobby, became a full time job very quickly.
From 2020-2022, I started gaining clients in locations that were hours away from home.
This was a dream come true because it allowed me to travel, which has always been a passion of mine, while expanding my portfolio, and earning income all at the same time. To this day, I have shot weddings in 11 different states, and abroad in Mexico as well.
In June of 2022, I called South Carolina home, while overcoming the fear of starting over. Even though I grew up being surrounded by mountains, and lakes, my heart always yearned for the ocean and coastal living. I settled in Upstate SC (Greenville/Spartanburg) But gained clientele in Charleston fairly quickly, most of them being destination couples who share my love for Charleston.
I’ve been consistently capturing weddings there from 2023-today, building friendships, vendor relationships, and trust, eventually leading to me managing a second photography/videography company called Zoom Wedding Studio, based in Miami, FL, with a branch in Charlotte, NC.
I find joy in capturing the smallest details, and telling a story, that I once wasn’t able to communicate well with my words, in hopes that someone will enjoy my photography, with the same passion that I enjoy photographing!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It was overall a smooth road. When COVID hit, 2021 felt like a post apocalypse year for everyone in the industry it feels like. It felt like there was so much tension, people were stricken with fear, and it felt like a year of crickets.
Bookings significantly decreased, and so did the morale, but over time things started picking back up, and we survived.
Besides that, I would not say I have had challenges. Even in the years post covid, because of the great relationships Ive built with other photographers, I was always asked to Second Shoot or Cover a wedding when there were emergencies. So despite the decrease in clients of my own, I still managed to stay incredibly busy.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a full time wedding photographer. I am most proud of the relationships I have built within the industry which have opened a lot of doors for me. For someone who struggled which socializing and making friends, being told that my personality is my selling point, has been one of my greatest joys.
What sets me apart from other photographers is that I ironically cannot stand posting on social media. It is something I have always struggled with, and not for the reasons of complacency like most people think, but mostly because in the past I struggled with comparison and following the trends of other photographers. I would compare followers, like counts, comments, interactions, and it hindered my creativity a lot. When I stopped making social media growth a priority and started focusing on building trust and professional relationships within the industry, my creativity soared.
I realized that the only way I could stand out was not by following trends, focusing on followers and likes, but by building on a foundation of things that truly matter.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
If I was to give any advice to those just starting out, I would say, pick up the camera, shoot, and keep shooting as much as you can. Build that portfolio. Don’t feel like you have to specialize in everything. Try different specialties in photography and see which one brings you the ultimate joy and satisfaction.
BUILD THOSE PROFESSIONAL RELATIONSHIPS! They really matter! Even if your own work is slow, you will stay busy helping others. Join photographer forums, local facebook groups, offer model calls (free shoots), but just keep building and don’t quit.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.leahmarty-photography.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leahmartyphotography/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeahMartyPhotography/
