Meet Heather Gripka

Today we’d like to introduce you to Heather Gripka.

Heather, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Ever since I was in high school, I’ve wanted to be a photographer. Back then, I dreamed of working for National Geographic. I believed the world was full of unexplainable things; vast oceans, skyscraping mountains, colorful rainbows, magnificent animals, and breathtaking sunrises and sunsets. My passion was to photograph those moments that words can’t even begin to describe. However, I convinced myself that I couldn’t make a living as a photographer, and my chances of working for National Geographic were slim. I worried that this wouldn’t go well with my second dream, which was to have kids someday. Besides photography, I had no idea what I wanted to do. I gained dental experience working in an office in high school and knew that many hygienists who have kids are able to go part-time, so I chose to pursue a career in dental hygiene. What a difference from photography!

Soon after I started working as a hygienist, I found out I was expecting my first child. Once he was born, I was determined to take a million pictures of him, as any mom would. This is when I was gifted my first DSLR camera, and my passion for photography started to come alive again. Three years later, I had my second child, so I cut back my hours at the dental office and started practicing more with my camera and doing little “photoshoots” with my two boys. This is when I knew I wanted to beat the odds I was convinced of and pursue a career as a photographer.

My husband and I decided to move to Colorado where the rest of my family was living. With this decision, I put off pursuing opening my photography business until after we had moved. Then, surprise! We found out we were expecting our third child, and she was due at the time we were planning to move, but we didn’t let that stop us. We moved out-of-state with 3 kids, one of whom was only three weeks old. Once we moved and our youngest was a few months old, I hit it hard with starting my photography business. I was determined to work toward having a more flexible schedule and being able to stay home more with my kids.

Building a portfolio was my next step, and was easy for me. Having three kids gave me lots of opportunities to meet new people. I provided discounted sessions in exchange for using their pictures in my portfolio, which I continued for the next couple of years. I knew I wanted to keep working towards my goals, but let’s face it when you have three kids, everything takes you longer.

We then found out we were expecting our fourth child. I know, I’m crazy right?! With this said, I knew I needed to become a legitimate business. Luckily, I had my portfolio built up and it was time to start charging clients to bring in income for my family. In August of 2016, the month my fourth was born, I formed an LLC and registered my business, becoming the owner of Heather Gripka Photography.

It has been a long road, but when I reflect on my path and the decisions I made, I don’t regret any of them. Each one of them got me closer to my goal, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without them. I love using my passion to provide priceless images for my clients and enjoy the flexibility that comes with owning my own business because it enables me to continue playing a huge role in my family’s life.

Almost three years since I started my business, I’ve had several of my images published in a few different magazines along with receiving the top ten photographer award five different times from a photography group called Summerana. I’ve also had so many rewarding moments with the most amazing clients. I’ve had the pleasure of capturing a beautiful expecting mother who went through years of failed infertility treatments, the honor of photographing a family before the mom passed away due to her long battle with cancer, and helping a boy with autism discover his imagination by creating a portrait of him as a superhero in the city fighting crime. Moments like these remind me why I got into photography, to capture priceless memories.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Oh my goodness no! However, I believe that the path to success has several failures before reaching the end. I had many struggles along the way. Running a business is difficult, especially in the beginning, it comes with MANY responsibilities, and it can be hard to juggle them all. In addition, I had to learn the struggle of balancing life and work. I had to get creative with how I utilized my time so that I could make sure I was spending time with my kids, but still had enough time to work. Let’s face it, I can do more in an hour alone than I can in half a day with the kids around.

I will say that I couldn’t have done any of this without the amazing support from my husband, Brian. I have also learned that I can’t do it all on my own, and it’s okay to ask for help. I benefit from an extended support system of other small business owners, especially other moms. It is incredibly helpful to have a group of people who can relate to what you are going through, and with whom I can brainstorm ideas when it comes to how to balance it all. This helps me not lose sight of why I decided to start my business when I did. I want to be there more for my kids, not less, and this group offers support and advice when it comes to accomplishing that.

Please tell us about what you do.
I am a fine art photographer who is passionate about creating priceless pieces of art that my clients can pass down for generations. I love to use natural light, so I’m lucky that Colorado has so much of it. Though I primarily use natural light, I focus on creating the best portrait possible, and will occasionally use studio light when it’s a better fit for the look I’m trying to create. I love photographing people from so many different backgrounds and capturing their priceless memories. I chose to specialize in fine art because I want to offer something unique. As I mentioned before, my dream was to become a traveling wildlife and landscape photographer. I chose a different path, but I incorporate my dream by including authentic animals and scenery in the subjects’ images so they can imagine themselves in these scenarios.

Pricing:

• Seniors, Maternity, and Imagination Sessions start out at $349
• Children Portraiture Session start out at $449
• Family Sessions start out at $599

Contact Info:

• Website: www.heathergripkaphotography.com
• Email: hgripkaphotography@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathergripkaphoto/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathergripkaphotography/

Image Credit:
Heather Gripka Photography

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