Conversations with Judy Marciniak

Today we’d like to introduce you to Judy Marciniak. 

Hi Judy, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I was a stay-at-home mom for 10 years. I was one of lucky moms to stay home with my two girls and enjoyed every moment and be there for them. My husband has been always supportive and we were doing so well at each role. 

One day, my husband asked me if I want to work since both girls go to school and I have more time for myself. My major is actually hotel management and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to work in hotel industry. Then he said “I think you are gonna be a great photographer! you are so creative and good with people.” Well… It was from middle of nowhere but I felt so right to do so I said “SURE!” 😉 

I was always an arty girl when I grew up! I am very creative and see things differently so I knew it would work out. However, I was a little afraid to start a new career in my early 30s. I felt old but I quickly realized that it’s better to start now than later! Again, my husband was super supportive and I got to the nicest gears to start my new career! 

It wasn’t easy at first (still not easy at all) but I took this job very seriously from DAY 1. I started to take pics of families and couples for free to build up my portfolio. I was so ready and put on myself all different kinds of education. “YouTube and chill” was my every night routine and my two beautiful girls were my best models. Since I started my career late, my mindset was learn faster, think quicker, and invest more. 

Not many months after I set up my LLC and website, the world shut down due to Covid19. Few weddings that I had booked got canceled and I couldn’t work for 6 months. Those 6 months were a golden time for my career and I did not waste it! I invested big bucks on education and business courses. I re-edited previous photoshoots over and over again to figure out my style. I found opportunities to go out and shoot as much as possible. In the meanwhile, I was very active in social media and it helped me to connect with lots of clients. With all the effort, I ended up having 20+ weddings and had a busy 2020! 

As a beginner, six weddings a month was hard but I knew my responsibility and didn’t have time to whine. I forced myself to experience and learn from the real world. I worked really hard for a few busy months and I cannot explain how valuable things that season of my life taught me. 

Because I was desperate and I built my solid foundation from the beginning, my work opportunities kept coming in 2021. I shoot 30+ weddings and countless sessions. I am so thankful my clients admire my hard work and I don’t take it for granted. 

Now I am so close to my goal for 2022! I am still learning tons and it’s been a great journey. I love what I do and so grateful where I am. I have a perfect balance between being a mom and business owner. I’ve got investing on bigger projects for my career and I cannot hide my excitement! I am rebranding and launching my website and it’s coming at the end of May! I am so looking forward to building a new chapter of my life and I won’t stop growing! 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I would say it’s been a smooth road. Thankfully the pandemic gave me a great opportunity to build my career strategically. I got to build a solid foundation to start the photography business. I invested money wisely on education and workshops and those carried me to another level. 

I could say my obstacle was my age is much older compares to other photographers! 

The photographers that I worked with or met were 5-10 years younger than me. I felt old but they thought I was their age so I am thankful for advantage of my younger-looking skin ha! 😉 

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a wedding and family photographer. I do specialize wedding and family portrait. I LOVE and so lucky to be a wedding photographer for my couple. How lucky I am to work on someone’s happiest day! I also love to capture true moments of family. As a mom, it’s so important to preserve the moment you cherish! Kids grows TOO fast and my job is making sure to capture their ordinary but special moment that they will talk about forever! 

I’m not a typical “fly on the wall” photographer. My outgoing personality shines out on the wedding day. I’ll be there pinning boutonnieres, bustling bride’s dress, helping calm her nerves, and trying to make her laugh! At the end of the night, I’ll be the one dancing alongside couple all to capture the true craziness! 

I genuinely love what I do and the people who I get to work with. The biggest compliment a couple/family could give me is looking at their photos and saying “That is SO US”. That is when I know that I’ve done my job! 

Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
So many of them but my favorite is the Children’s Day memories. I’m from Korea and we have this Children’s Day as a holiday dedicated for children. It is the best day ever as you can imagine! There are so many free events and gifts for kids everywhere. I remember my family typically participated in my dad’s work event all day and had a meal at the nicest restaurant in town. We finished our day stopping by the toy store to get gifts! It’s literally the best day ever! 

Pricing:

• Wedding collection begins at $3400
• Portrait session begins at $500

Contact Info:

• Email: judymarciniak@theirisphotography.com
• Website: theirisphotography.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/the.irisphotography