Today we’d like to introduce you to Felicia Marti.
Felicia, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I really never had any idea that I wanted to be a photographer. The first time I tried photography was in college, as one of my non-major fine art credits. I was getting ready to graduate with a BFA in Theatre Directing. I remember thinking I actually wasn’t very good at photography… until I was able to take photos of people. Then everything clicked.
What started as my final project for a class, turned into my actor friends letting me take their headshots, then engagement photos… and now almost 12 years later, it’s my full-time business.
Somewhere in the middle there, I worked for another photography studio as a photographer, editor, and album designer. These were the foundational years for me as I learned my craft. It was also here that I photographed my first wedding.
Weddings changed how I felt about where photography belonged in my life. It switched from being cool to something I was meant to do. I think it helped that weddings felt so similar to theatre. There are many moving parts, the stakes are high, and whatever happens, the show must go on. I realized that photographing weddings I can help couples feel like themselves in front of the camera and use my management skills to make sure we capture everything they hope for.
When it came time for me to move on, I knew I had to go out on my own because I had to keep photographing weddings. I didn’t know anything about running a business so I went in with very low expectations: make enough to break even on equipment, then see what happens. Somehow five years later, we’ve grown into a recognizable brand, and we’ve had so many amazing customers that we’ve really created our own Felicia Marti Photography family. It all feels quite surreal.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I wouldn’t say it has been a smooth road. The road has been winding and humbling. The biggest challenges come from not knowing the answer until you learn it from experience.
I’m the kind of person who’s very hard on myself. I’ve felt so compelled to try to make the “right” decision the first time, but I’ve learned there is no such thing. One of my newer mantras is: there are no wrong decisions, there are just decisions; and, you can make new decisions if things don’t work out how you thought they would.
For example, when I first started out, I would print tons of brochures not realizing how quickly I’d need to adjust my prices or redesign. I also struggled with trying to keep up with everyone else- I felt like I was late to Instagram, and not great at keeping up with my blog- basically all the things that great photographers were doing.
Working in a saturated market there’s a lot of noise and pressure, and I’ve learned to just look straight ahead and not compare myself to others. I know that what I want to do is be true to myself and the people who love what we’re creating, and if I keep focused on that then we’ll be ok.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Felicia Marti Photography story. Tell us more about it.
We truly specialize in Wedding Photography which includes engagement sessions too because that’s such an important part of the experience for our couples. What makes us different is how we handle pre-production. We work really closely with our couples to help them understand what they want and then we create a plan with them. The plan is the most important part of the wedding so our couples can actually BE a part of their wedding day instead of feeling like it’s one long photoshoot.
We’ve also just added a videography service to our offerings, which is so exciting to be able to capture photo AND video for our couples! Of course, our customers love it because they get two vendors at once which means less communication and work on their end, and they get the benefit of our team working so well together to get them exactly what they’ve been dreaming of.
While I absolutely love the photographs we take for our couples, I’m most proud of the experience we create from start to finish. We do a great job of communicating, making the wedding day really fun and relaxing, and then right away we begin sharing sneak peeks, delivering their images quickly, and helping them easily share their images with their loved ones so everyone can keep celebrating.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I feel like I’ve had really good luck in life and business. I’ve been truly blessed with amazing teachers, mentors, and connections that have led to endless opportunities.
One thing about luck is, it’s often created in what you do with what you’re given. I’ve had moments that could have been considered bad luck, but I’ve taken those as serious moments to learn from.
Every day, I choose to work hard and to always be of service to others which have led to us being lucky enough to be supported in return. We’ve built our business around being fair and treating others how we would hope to be treated. I believe this has been key to our success!
Pricing:
- Engagement Sessions start at $399
- Wedding Packages start at $1999
- Videography Packages start at $1599
Contact Info:
- Website: www.feliciamarti.com
- Phone: 303-263-0130
- Email: hello@feliciamarti.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/feliciamartiphotography
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/feliciamartiphotography
- Other: https://www.weddingwire.com/biz/felicia-marti-photography-arvada/8269d2130fe67f2d.html
Image Credit:
David Wood (for the portrait of Felicia)
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