By: Sophia Trischitta
Back in 2020, yes right in the middle of covid, I picked up a camera and everything changed for me. And I really do mean everything! I had some previous experience with photography, as I had a Canon Rebel T6 camera from 2017. I pretty much used this camera for vacations, pictures of me and my friends, and just lots of random things. In 2020, my friends suggested to me that I take people’s senior portraits over the summer to make a little extra cash. I immediately thought it was a great idea because I wanted extra money and knew how to use a basic camera. So I posted on my Instagram and told people that I want to take senior portraits, and ended up getting around 2-3 people who reached out to me with interest.
Fast forward a couple of weeks, I photographed around 5-10 seniors and really enjoyed doing it. I charged them $75 and air dropped the photos right after we took them. It is definitely quite humbling looking back at some of my old business tactics, but you live and you learn!
After I did all of those senior portraits, I asked some of my friends to model some creative portrait photoshoots to explore other niches of photography. I quickly found that posing, styling, and creativity was my favorite part of the whole process. I continued to do creative portraits with my friends using random props I found on TikTok, seeing other photographers do certain photoshoots, and anything that sparked my curiosity. That Christmas, I received a 35 mm lens, which in photography terms is a go-to lens for any kind of portraits. I also joined an education group online which taught me everything from clientele, taxes, building a website, and so much more valuable information.
In the Spring of 2021, I started booking graduation photos! I knew this was the best way to consistently book photoshoots and bring in that money. I lost track of how many I did because I was booking that consistently. This is when I knew that this passion of mine was something that I could really turn into a career. I decided it was time for me to invest in a new camera. This investment was scary to me as it really put a dent in the bank account, but I knew it would be worth it because I would have it for years. I purchased my camera in April of 2021 and was so excited to start using it. You could see the shift in my photos once I got this new camera because of how crisp and sharp the photos came out. At this point, I was photographing creatives, seniors, sometimes sports media days, and eventually my first couples shoot.
In May of 2021 I had the opportunity to photograph my first wedding. Let me tell you, I was insanely nervous about it. However, it was a great learning experience and I got some really great photos. I knew after this that I wanted my niche to be weddings and couples. That summer I worked hard to compose creative work as well as market myself on social media to attract all the clients I wanted. Soon came my freshman year of college, where I took a little hiatus from actively photographing and started to work on creating a website.
Once my website was made (sophialynnephoto.com), I was consistently booking photoshoots ranging from all types of photography. And I have been doing exactly that ever since! I shot 4 weddings this past year, and also have a couple more in my calendar for this upcoming year.
At the beginning of my sophomore year, I began my position as the Historian for WiB. This opened the door to so many learning opportunities for both my business and my education. I was able to photograph over 70 students at our headshot fundraiser this past semester, as well as talk about my business to all of you! Over this past winter break, I started a podcast, Caught on Camera, where I discuss all things photography and lifestyle. I'll chat more about that later! This semester I am serving a double role as the Historian and Blog Chair for WiB which I am so thrilled about. I am excited to learn more things about the business world through my education at UMass.
Overall, I never thought that when I took senior portraits in 2020 that this side business of mine would quickly turn into my dream and passion. I am so excited to share my experience with the world and can't wait for all the photoshoots and opportunities that are to come in the future!