Check Out Julie Chatham’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Julie Chatham.

Hi Julie, 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?
I’ve loved photography since I was 9 years old. I was fortunate enough to attend a high school that offered classes on photography and film development (I know, I’m aging myself). After graduation, I attended CU at Boulder where I double majored in Creative Writing and Fine Art Photography. After graduation, I didn’t know what to do with my love of photography so I had my boyfriend (now husband) build me a basic website and my photography business was born.

I’ve been working professionally as a wedding and portrait photographer for many years now and still really enjoy this line of work (for the most part). I think what I love about it the most is the challenge of capturing honest, beautiful images of people that really reflect who they are as human beings as well as the relationships and connections they have to their families and loved ones.. I think you have to love people and all their quirks and idiosyncrasies to do this job well.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No, I wouldn’t say that the road has been smooth – not with the advent of digital cameras, a massive influx of new photographers into the industry over the years, and now the dawn of the AI era – but my photography business has been relatively steady over the years and for that I’m extremely grateful.

Once I moved on from doing big weddings (I only photograph micro-weddings and elopements now), I was able to relax and lean into my portrait photography business and really focus on that. It’s been a godsend as I truly burned out on doing big, elaborate weddings that felt very high pressure and were quite taxing on my mind and body.

With portraits, I get to build a relationship and rapport with a family and document that family as they grow and change over the years. I’m now photographing the senior pictures of clients who I once photographed as infants! I love it!

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a documentary and lifestyle photographer primarily offering portrait photography services for clients in Boulder and the Denver metro area. My style is candid, loose and unobtrusive. I love capturing honest moments of my subjects rather than posing them artificially and having them say ‘cheese’.

I’m also known for my laid back and relaxed personality and for my ability to make my subjects feel comfortable and at ease.. In fact, I”m in grad school right now pursuing my Master’s in Counseling. I plan to have a hybrid career of sorts in the coming years by continuing to work as a photographer but also operating a therapy practice. I love people. They fascinate me, and I’d like to help them (especially women and girls) to have happy, healthy lives.

Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
If you want to be a photographer, you should be a photographer. Don’t follow the trends but rather your own intuition and instincts. Try not to compare yourself to others and try to make work that you’re happy with. Be good to people and they’ll be good to you. At least 50-60% of my business each year now is from repeat clients.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://junemoonphotography.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/junemoonphoto