Conversations with the Inspiring Amy Stephens

Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Stephens.

Amy, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I have always been an artistic, creative soul. I was a child who loved make-believe, pink tutus, writing voraciously in my diary, and stealing the spotlight. As I grew older, I received my BFA in acting/directing and spent my working years in digital media marketing – both very creative endeavors. I left my corporate job in 2005 to be home with my sons. I found myself taking my camera with me everywhere, capturing my boys as they grew up in the beauty of Colorado. I was also writing a “mommy blog” at the time called Tales From the Crib. It documented my motherhood journey, the challenges and the joys and the everyday moments. The more I documented with my camera, the less I wrote. Over time that mommy blog became almost exclusively pictures. I was honing my skills with my first DSLR (digital single-lens reflex) camera and was starting to garner some interest from friends to take pictures of their children as well. Since I had quite a bit of marketing knowledge and had been blogging for several years, I decided to create a website for my photography work and see what happened. Crib Tales Photography was born!

That was ten years ago and I have worked tirelessly to build my business to where it is now. I narrowed my specialty to focusing on capturing wee ones and their families both in studio and in the great outdoors. I set up my home studio in my walk-out basement in 2011 and that was a huge game changer for my focus on beautifully styled newborn and children’s portraits. I love creating a custom designed set up for each little one who comes to my studio!

It is my absolute joy to do what I do every day!

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I think the biggest struggle for me in running my own business was managing it all. I had come from a corporate environment where everyone had a role and a specific job and it was all about collaboration. Running a business on my own means there’s no one else to take on the varying roles, just me. From the creative to the numbers to technology maintenance to cleaning the studio, it all falls to me! I had to learn early on to multitask at a high level and keep really good records of every aspect of my business. I am also a mama to two active sons, so in those early years there were definitely times I felt like nobody was getting 100% of me.

I had another photographer once suggest to me that whatever I liked doing the least I should hire out. Once I was financially able to do so, I hired a bookkeeper for my business and cleaning service for my house – numbers and scrubbing, my two least favorite tasks! Now, I can focus on the aspects of my business I truly enjoy and leave the numbers to someone else. It enables me to really focus on the creative side of what I do and provide an exemplary experience for my clients. I definitely pass that same advice on to other new photographers who I work with and mentor. It may not be numbers specifically, but there’s always something that takes up a lot of time and energy but with little mental reward. Find that area of your business you would prefer to contract out and do so!

What should we know about Crib Tales Photography? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Crib Tales Photography is known for its whimsical and vintage-inspired style. I specialize in capturing unique and playful photography for wee ones and their families, including newborns, maternity, children, and families. I love to create customized backdrops and sets that really speak to the client I’m capturing. I provide not only beautiful and timeless portraits for families to remember special milestones, but I also provide an experience that families enjoy being a part of. The greatest compliment I receive is how much fun my clients have during their portrait sessions. Our time together is as much a part of the experience as the final product, and I’m so very proud of that aspect of my business.

Who do you look up to? How have they inspired you?
I am so fortunate to be surrounded in my life by strong, independent women – my mother, my sisters, my friends, other photographers, and the teachers who grace my sons’ lives! My mother is a retired teacher who raised my two sisters and me as a single mom. She was also the main caregiver of my grandmother during those years. I often ask her how she did everything she did during those years and she just laughs and says she did it because that’s all she knew to do. I never remember her complaining or lamenting the exhaustion she must have felt. Even now at 76, she is still working as a caregiver to the elderly in need. She’s amazing. She shows me every day to keep pushing myself because I am capable of so much more than I even think that I am.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.CribTalesPhotography.com
• Phone: 13035209188
• Email: cribtales@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cribtales/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cribtales/

Image Credit:
Personal Headshot – Amber Davis Photography, All others – Crib Tales Photography

Getting in touch: VoyageDenver 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.