Today we’d like to introduce you to Brenda Winburn.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
For as long as I can remember, I had a camera in my hand. I remember the days in high school of filling up my binder cover with Polaroids of me and my friends. Taking photos was always fun and exciting for me. It wasn’t until about three years ago when my sister in law said to me, “You should take photos professionally!”. I have her to thank for nudging me to pursue my passion. I never knew I could do what I love and make a living doing it. Is it hard work? Absolutely. Is it worth it? Without a doubt. I’ve learned some of the hardest lessons of my life running a business. Lessons that I will take with me wherever I go.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Smooth road? Definitely not. I think it’s been a huge learning experience. No one ever tells you that when you start your own business you are going to be wearing multiple hats. You are a graphic designer one day, an accountant the next and somewhere in the middle you get to photograph incredible people. The biggest challenge I face is staying true to myself. There have been opportunities that sound amazing but ultimately weren’t on the same page with my mission.
The photography business is saturated with comparison. I figured out that what sets me apart from everyone else is just that, me! There are literally 1,000’s of photographers that can take a great photo, but we don’t hire photographers solely based on talent. We hire them based on personality and the experience they offer. Once I tapped into perfecting the experience and not just the final product, it opened so many more doors for me. Essentially, you are selling an experience of working with you, and your final product speaks for itself.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Brenda Winburn Photography story. Tell us more about the business.
I am Lifestyle Family Photographer. You’re probably asking yourself, “How is that different from just a family photographer?”. Lifestyle Family Photography aims to document real life events, capturing the art of everyday life. It’s about letting your family enjoy being with each other. There’s no pressure to look or act a certain way. The images I produce should highlight how beautiful your family interacts with each other. The laughs, smiles and sometimes even tears. That’s real life. I’ll take that over posing you like a pyramid any day.
How do you, personally, define success? What’s your criteria, the markers you’re looking out for, etc?
Success for me is measured by whether or not I feel fulfilled. I think there’s a fine line between people who love what they do but have tough days where they need reminders of why they do it. Then I think there are the people that love what they do, but the cons of the job start to outweigh the pros. I want to be the person who has tough days, gets knocked down sometimes, but she knows without a doubt that she wouldn’t want to be doing anything else- to be truly fulfilled in knowing that you’re doing something you’re proud of and the bonus of producing income for you to live the life you want.
Contact Info:
- Address: 2724 Blue Springs Dr.
Corona, CA. 92883
Servicing LA & OC - Website: www.brendawinburnphotography.com
- Phone: 9497064212
- Email: brendawinburnphotography@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brendamariewinburn/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Brendawinburnphotography/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/brenda-winburn-photography-corona?osq=brenda+winburn+photography
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/brendawinburnph/
Image Credit:
Headshot taken by Krista Winburn
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
