Check Out Christopher Hughes’ Story

Today, we’d like to introduce you to Christopher Hughes.

Hi Christopher, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
When my wife and I were dating, she had a growing interest in Vlogging. I bought her a super expensive camera (to me at the time, anyway) — A Canon Rebel T4i. Shortly after I bought it for her, she left to do mission work and was told she wasn’t allowed to bring it with her due to thievery and pick-pocketing being such a big deal where she was going (France and Greece). Having just spent $500 on a camera, I thought to myself, “There is NO WAY I just bought this camera for it to simply sit around.”

So I messed around with it, had a few friends teach me the manual settings, and just continued to mess around with it. When my wife (then girlfriend) returned from her missions, I proposed to her and we began the search for a wedding photographer. We found ours, and I realized how important a wedding photographer’s role is. Not only are they curating the memories digitally, but they’re also serving you in a capacity nobody else really gets to on the biggest day of your life.

That was an extremely attractive idea to me. Getting to serve a couple on the biggest day of their lives? While building a lasting, strong relationship with them? AND get paid to do it? Count me in for that. Since 2018 I’ve done well over 300 weddings, with 75 in 2024 alone. I approach the wedding day with an attitude of serving the couple, not content creation for myself.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It hasn’t been the smoothest road, but it’s definitely been a rewarding one. There have been their main struggles as a wedding photographer:

1. Comparison. We, photographers, are business owners, we have families, and a lot of times we’re JUST seen as businesses. However, before all of that, we were creatives. Creatives are extremely prone to comparison and I would say more than lack of bookings, bad reviews, or broken gear, this is the number one reason people leave the career.

2. Booking Clients. This is an obvious one, but it’s so hard to convince people why your services are valuable, especially when they can get their mom’s-cousin’s-twice-removed-uncle who took their camera to a family vacation one time who’s volunteering to shoot the wedding for $50 (true story that happened to me one time– not bitter about it).

3. Over-saturation. With photographers popping up left and right, standing out seems to be getting trickier and trickier. My biggest advice for this is to stay consistent because too many people go one month without booking anything and think, “Well, I gave it a shot. This obviously isn’t for me; otherwise, I’d be more successful than I am right now.” and they walk away from it. We’ve all been there. Just keep your chin up and keep on treading.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe you can tell us more about your work next?
So, my specialty is couples, but I’m open to serving people however they need it! I often do maternities, families, and the occasional grad photos, but weddings and couples are really where I flourish. My ‘style’ is neither light and airy nor is it dark and moody. It’s very true-to-life with colors. I approach each shoot with the idea that when your grandkids or great-grandkids see your wedding photos, there shouldn’t be a ‘trendy’ color scheme to it.

I aim for timeless, true-to-color, and true-to-you photos. I’m EASILY most proud of the way I’m able to serve couples. I think a lot of wedding vendors see your wedding day as another wedding day. I see this as YOUR wedding day, and ten times out of 10, I’m just as excited about it as you are!

Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
Just be genuine and show a genuine interest in people. People aren’t stupid. We know when we’re being sold; we know when somebody’s only talking to us because they want something. Ask questions, and get to know the person. Try and figure out WHY they do what they do before you figure out what they do. Just love people well, and they’ll do the same for you in return.

Pricing:

• 6 Hours + Complimentary Engagements – $4,500
• 8 Hours + Complimentary Engagements – $5,500
• Black Smith Print Co. Wedding Album – $2,000
• Full Day Wedding Coverage + Complimentary Engagements + Wedding Album – $8,000
• Bridal Shoot – $500

Contact Info:

• Website: www.hughesphoto.co
• Instagram: instagram.com/hughesphoto.co
• Facebook: facebook.com/hughesphotoco

Image Credits
Hughes Photo