Today we’d like to introduce you to Maddie Stokes
Hi Maddie, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I asked for a camera for Christmas in 2015, at the age of 16. Instagram & curated influencer feeds were becoming all the rage! I mostly just wanted it to document my life and of course elevate the quality of the selfies I posted on my feed. For the next year my friends and I were always taking pictures on our high school adventures and posting them online. I never intended to become an actual photographer, it actually didn’t even cross my mind. In 2017 people started to ask me to take their photos, I would do it free of charge because it was just fun for me! The first time I got asked to do a family session, they tipped me with a $75 check. This was the first time I had ever made money from photography and I was elated! $75 may not seem like much but for me (a 17 year old with no job just enjoying a fun hobby she started) it was everything. From that moment it just snowballed and I built a steady clientele rather quickly. Social media helped, but in the small town I live in word of mouth is really what made my business what it is today. Around graduation I started dreaming of becoming a wedding photographer that got to travel the world, and I have got to travel to quite a few beautiful places. 9 years later, and most of my work takes place in small town Utah with the same stream of clientele I’ve been shooting for years, and I realize I don’t think traveling for a living would have fulfilled me nearly as much. I love being a part of the same people’s milestones year after year, I love photographing my friends and family members every year. I love the secluded mountain locations I get all to myself. I love the intimate and supportive photography community we have here. Most importantly I love that I created a sustainable career that is a quick drive home to my sweet husband and beautiful baby girl that was born this year.
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?
Honestly it has been a really smooth road! It often feels like this career path found me without me even having to search, and for the most part that ease has been present for the entire journey.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I specialize in photographing weddings, families, portraits, couples, etc. I would say I’m known for making people feel really comfortable & pride myself on my attention to detail. I care so much about the people I photograph and understand the investment and intimacy that comes with getting photographs taken. Though I often make goals to up my prices or to stop offering discounts, when I take a step back I’m proud that I have been able to be accessible for a lot of people. I often think about what these images will mean to my clients in 20+ years and that is really what drives my passion for this work!
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
I have to attribute all of my success to the clients that have continued to choose me time and time again. It’s such an honor to know they loved my work enough to come back. My husband has also been by my side the entire time, he’s always there when I need fresh eyes to tell me if my edits look okay, he’s been my second shooter, he holds babies at sessions, he notices when someone needs to take the hair tie off their wrist. I really wouldn’t be here without him!
Pricing:
- Weddings start at $1500
- Family sessions start at $400
- Couples/portraits start at $350
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @MaddieStokesPhotography
- Facebook: @MaddieStokesPhotography
