Today we’d like to introduce you to Ellie Fuqua
Hi Ellie, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I got my first camera after I graduated highschool in hopes of capturing memories with my friends but it turned out that I could never just capture the moment, I had to turn everything into an artistic vision, like my friend getting all dressed up to do a photoshoot in the middle of the street at night in Torrance, or dressing up like a mermaid at the tidepools in San Pedro. I was always creating stories through pictures and getting people to help me create the moment. It wasn’t hard to find friends and family to jump into the vision because they had some extra motivation knowing that they would get some great photos for their social media, which at the time was myspace.
Business really took off when an acquaintance asked me to capture their wedding. That was when I bought my first professional camera. At that time my sister jumped on board to be the marketer and business manager for our new company, Sun & Sparrow. Over ten years she and I built the business to be something really great and fairly well known in our community. We ended up shooting weddings, engagements, maternity, and Newborn, along with all sorts of family portraiture all over Southern California. It was amazing being able to support ourselves full-time doing what we love. These days the legacy of Sun & Sparrow is still going strong, building new clientele while continuing to capture beautiful moments for people that I’ve known for ten-plus years.
The ball was really rolling until covid. When everything was put on pause we had a lot of hours, days, and months to think about our lives and our business, along with where we were going. Soon after that my sister departed to start her own adventures with her new vision and I jumped into expanding Sun & Sparrow’s reach, all the way up to the Pacific Northwest.
It has been a huge journey with ebbs and flows, building relationships, and stumbling through many lessons about business ownership, but I would never go back to change it because Sun & Sparrow has completely shaped and grown me. It has brought me some of the most beautiful relationships that I’ve had and expanded my worldview to help me love people more deeply.
All in all, though photography is a technical art form, what it is for me is capturing the most beautiful connections and life moments for the most amazing clients who believe in my vision.
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?
When any road gets long, twists and turns appear. For example, wedding days are always filled with joy but planning for them can be complex. I have found that my role as a photographer is more than taking photographs on my client’s wedding days. It is also to be a therapist, planner, friend, and cheerleader. It is my job to help people know that they can trust me so that they can let loose and be fully present on their wedding day and I want to make sure that they can feel blissful after all of the planning that goes into it. So many opinions and desires go into a wedding day so I’ve learned that I need to facilitate compromise to bring out the joy everyone wants to experience.
I often have to navigate family dynamics at weddings. Everyone communicates differently and expects different things so learning about how to mediate for people has been a key component to Sun & Sparrow’s continued success. It wasn’t always easy, and I definitely learned the hard way a few times that clear communication about what my business provides is so important. These days I try to clearly communicate what a client can expect from me; listing exactly what I am going to deliver. Then I attempt to exceed those expectations. There is no way for me to know what anyone expects from me until those expectations are fully laid out, so I create packages and timelines, to map out exactly what to expect.
Beyond just the day to day aspects of being a photographer, working with real people and real weddings, having a business partner will hit you head-on with compromise. Compromise, though a beautiful and necessary thing, can be a struggle. My sister and I, like any business partners, agreed on some things and disagreed on others. Navigating a family relationship through the business world was not always easy, but I am proud of how we connected through our work and of what we created together.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a photographer. I have been photographing Weddings and families for over fifteen years, and I pride myself on my artistry. Specifically, I love creating soft and dreamy imagery that evokes emotions and captures beautiful memories.
I specialize in photographing Weddings, Families, Maternity, and newborns. Each specialty is a different skill and I love to bring that Sun & Sparrow dreaminess to all of people’s most cherished life events.
I am known for creating natural and magical fine-art photography and for my strong work ethic and clear communication. Many clients have said that I brought a special touch to their big day, and I have been blessed to photograph many newborn and family sessions for couples that I connected with through their wedding journey.
I am most proud of the work that I create. I love being able to deliver photographs that people are consistently excited by, Just to get that feedback where I see my clients’ kind and thankful words fills me up. I am passionate about creating a high quality service that helps people in ways they might not even expect. It fills me up to plan and problem solve for my clients; supportively navigating through challenging situations in ways that most people might not expect from a photographer. In short, I love caring for my clients by going above and beyond.
What sets Sun & Sparrow apart is our unique editing style and our joyful, whimsical approach.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
I love to work with other vendors to collaborate on a vision and see it come to life. I’m always open to new styled shoots or photo adventures, so just head over to sunandsparrow.com and send in a form or email me with your idea at [email protected]
Another great way that people can support me is by spreading the word, writing reviews, and sharing the photos I create. Like with any small business, every voice matters. Also, come back every year for our mini-sessions and get your family photos taken!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sunandsparrow.com
- Instagram: @sunandsparrow
- Facebook: https://Facebook.com/sunandsparrow
- Twitter: https://x.com/sunandsparrow
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/sun-and-sparrow-photography-torrance-11
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/SunandSparrow/
Image Credits
All images by Sun and Sparrow
