"Kind of big things happening for this photographer these days."

Above is a direct quote from my personal Facebook page. People have always told me I have such a way with words, ha, so let's use them to tell you all about my summer. This is the summer I stopped trying to be like other photographers, the summer I completely took AI out of my process, the summer I slowed down, the summer I really started to understand who I am, not only as a business owner, but as an artist.

When I first transitioned out of shooting weddings, I felt lost. I was following what everyone else was doing on Instagram, I was using ChatGPT as a crutch, almost as a business partner. I fell into a pretty normal routine of constantly scrolling through social media to see what all these other photographers were doing after they gave up weddings. There was a big shift to go from a decade of photographing weddings to whatever the hell "brand" photography was. It worked for a while, but brand photography didn't feel right either. I was still just treading water.

And then a tourism board fell into my lap. I mean, I made a whole presentation, showcased my work, and wrote a cover letter, but yeah, it essentially fell into my lap. I didn't even know about this kind of photography. My photography turned into not just fitting someone else's vision, but businesses and bureaus wanting my vision.

My style of photography has always been based on feelings. I don't just document what's happening around me, I seek out the feelings around me. This is honestly something I didn't even realize I was doing. I've just always taken photos how I've taken photos. But collectively over the summer, as I started doing more and more work that I felt passionate about, it got attention.

"I just always know when it's your photo." - Will H.

As a Pacific County hospitality and destination photographer, that line means everything to me. It's the whole point.

August's Recap

Last month I photographed a hotel, a restaurant, a musician, a local event, essentially an entire island, including things to do, places to eat, where to stay, a destination, if you will. I photographed a vacation rental, and I had time to photograph my hairstylist's family on the beach. I got hired by our local tourism board, I took photos and video for another local tourism board, I had a meeting with our local school foundation, and I squeezed in a week-long vacation. I also posted on social media daily for six different businesses, because if you hire me for monthly photos, I do offer social media assistance.

Now I'm not saying everything I did in a month to brag. I mean, isn't the goal these days to not be so busy? And I didn't even mention any home life responsibilities, and lemme tell you, there are a lot of them. This recap is a reminder that even just a year ago, I had no idea what I was doing. I almost gave up and went back to weddings. But my nervous system is so regulated now. I'm happy with the work I'm producing and it shows. Of course I still have my off days where I want to throw my laptop out the window and quit and get a 9-5, you know, as any small business owner or creative does, but what I'm doing now just makes sense to me.

Hospitality & Destination Photography, Explained

And now you may be wondering, what the hell is even hospitality and destination photography? Because even when I claimed to be a hospitality and destination photographer, I wasn't even really sure what it meant. I just knew it fit.

When I say destination photography, I feel like it makes more sense to call it a journey. I take photos of places and events, yes, but it's about the feeling of a place. Sometimes it is the journey, not just the destination.

The point of my photography for hotels, restaurants, rentals, and tourism boards is to not only showcase these places, but what it feels like to be there. The details, the mood, not just a landscape or a listing photo.

"You don't just take a photo, you tell a story." - Eddie H.

What's Next

It's been a really busy summer, but I'm ready for it to be a busy fall. I have room for one more annual client, seasonal work or a monthly retainer, up and down the Washington and Oregon coast. It can be as easy as reaching out to me.