Big Mario Life ...

Last week I had the pleasure of interviewing Stephanie from the wonderful lifestyle blog, Big Mario Life.  Not only was Stephanie extremely gracious with her time, but she has such an interesting background that I was very excited to get to interview her.  See Stephanie was an attorney but realized her true passion was in photography.  After working as a lawyer for a little while, Stephanie realized that she needed to be true to herself and her passion - deciding to leave her job and start her own photography business.  I always admire a person who has the courage and determination to go after what they want.  As the great Oprah said, "There is no greater gift you can give or receive than to honor your calling.  It's why you were born.  And how you become most truly alive." Photography is definitely Stephanie's calling! 

Check out her photography site at the this link and her interview below.

1) Tell me a little bit about yourself and your blog.  

Big Mario Life is all about my quest to stay balanced in life (you can read the full story on my About page) as I navigate away from a legal career and towards a life of self-employment in a creative industry.  Which is really just a grown-up way of saying it's about food, fashion, photography, reality TV, and my guinea pig Molly. :)

2) How long have you been into photography? What influences your photography?  

I took a photography class as an elective my freshman year of high school.  It wasn't because I dreamed of being a photographer - it was because I needed something to fill my schedule!  I didn't care what it was.  In that class, we learned basic shooting concepts like exposure, composition, etc., how to process film, and how to develop prints in the darkroom.  Before I knew it, I was hooked.  I kept it up throughout high school, took another photography class in college, and continued shooting and printing my own work up until I went to law school.  I didn't even own a digital camera until late 2009!  Because of that, I'm very inspired by old school film photographers like Cindy Sherman, Richard Avedon, and Henri Cartier-Bresson.

3) How long have you been blogging? What do you enjoy about blogging?  

I've been blogging for a little over two years now and I love it!  I first started doing it for my own creative outlet without realizing there was such a huge and involved blogging community out there!  I've met - in blog land and in real life - so many kind, open, generous people through blogging.  It's the most personal form of social networking and really gives you glimpse into the lives of others.  It allows you to truly be friends with someone without ever meeting them in person - almost like having a lot of modern day pen pals!

4) Has blogging had an impact on your photography? Has blogging impacted your photography business?  

Blogging has definitely impacted my photography and my business but in a more indirect way.  I have a blogdedicated just to the business but I struggle with leveraging that into a client base.  However, I've benefited a lot from the experience of blogging and that has definitely impacted my business.  I'm much more comfortable with displaying my work to the world now than I ever was before.  I feel confident in what I'm doing well and I can be more critical of myself in identifying areas for improvement.  I also feel accountable to my readers and am constantly working to communicate and connect with others.  All of that has impacted my interactions with clients more than I ever imagined.

5) What made you make the transition from law to photography ... transition to starting your own business?  

After working in a law firm for a while, I realized that actually practicing law was not what I thought it would be.  I didn't feel fulfilled in the way that I needed to be fulfilled, to the point where I wasn't even fully comfortable just being me.  Every time I had a free minute, I found myself coming back to photography and toying with the idea of starting my own business.  So when I made the move to San Francisco, I decided to pursue photography full time.  I still want to practice law at some point in the future but in a more limited capacity - either through pro bono (volunteer) work or working with non-profits.

6) How has it been being self-employed and starting your own business ... highs/lows?  

Um, scary!  When you're self-employed, you don't have a reliable, steady paycheck.  You are solely responsible for generating business, providing your own health insurance, etc.  Add to that the fact that I'm in a creative industry with constantly changing technology and it's quite a lot to juggle.  But I love every bit of it.  There's nothing more rewarding than having a bride tell you that one photo you shot made her whole day worthwhile.  Or seeing the look on a woman's face when she's realizes how beautiful she truly is.  It's awesome.  Plus, I get to make my own schedule and work wherever I want, whenever I want so that's pretty sweet, too.  I've probably seen more matinee movies in 2012 than in the last 5 years combined!

7.) What can you take from your background in law that translates into your photography business?  Basic "lawyer" things like drafting my own contracts, interpreting relevant tax laws, and figuring out copyright and licensing issues are things I've been able to handle all on my own, but my background in law has also influenced how I interact with clients.  Maintaining a professional relationship while still earning my client's trust and putting them at ease can be a difficult balancing act, but it's exactly what you have to do both as a lawyer and as a photographer.

8) What do you enjoy the most about being an events photographer?  

I love seeing how people carry out an event like a wedding - so steeped in tradition & ritual - in a way that is unique and personal to them.  Someone asked me recently if it ever gets old going to weddings almost every weekend.  I can honestly say, not at all.  Despite weddings following the same basic timelines (the ceremony, reception, cake-cutting, bouquet toss, etc.), every couple still manages to put their own personal touch on the day and make it a unique experience for them and their guests.  Those details and personal touches give you a glimpse at the private life of the couple - it shows you who they are and how they love.  It's a beautiful thing to see.