Rising Stars: Meet Sophie Fabyan

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sophie Fabyan.

Hi Sophie, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
I always considered myself an unartistic creative person until I stopped ignoring my interest in photography and finally bought a camera. It was then that I finally felt like I found an outlet for my artistic desires and a way to creatively express myself. About four years ago, I started taking photos of friends for fun and then began taking couples portraits.

After photographing a handful of couples, I knew that something was sparked in me and that I wanted to keep exploring and learning about couples photography. This soon blossomed into my second shooting weddings and then finally taking some weddings of my own!

Then, as I approached the last half of my time at Michigan State University, I decided to study photojournalism. This dive into the world of photojournalism opened my eyes to the importance of photography and trained my eye to document people and moments as they are. Flash forward to graduation, I knew I wanted to continue with wedding photography.

So, after a year in the corporate world, I quit my job and decided to pursue photography as a full-time job. I really cannot imagine myself doing anything else or imagine going back to the 9-5 life. I’m so happy to be able to call wedding & elopement photography my full-time job and that I get to meet and connect with so many incredible people.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
When you become a business owner and make your hobby your full-time job, you can run into some challenges. There’s a lot of comparison with social media, always feeling like you could be better/doing more, and that you’re far away from the goals you’ve set for yourself.

So I’ve found that the mental challenges are the most difficult to overcome, but super important to do so. I know now when to take a break from socials and when it’s necessary to tune back into my “why”. If I focus on the clients I currently have and give them my best while also giving back to myself, I’m a much better business owner and an overall happier individual.

I also recently relocated from Michigan to Colorado which has had its obstacles. Moving a business from one state to another has been intimidating but I’m mostly just excited to get to shoot in a new landscape, meet some amazing wedding vendors & clients, and see where this change takes my business!

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My background in photojournalism informs how I shoot and the work I create. I’m much more interested in the emotion and connection between people compared to the technical side of photography. I believe having a connection with your subjects makes all the difference when you photograph them and it helps you know how to best document their memories.

I’m beginning to break into the smaller, more intimate weddings and elopements and it’s been super fulfilling. I love the intentionality behind weddings of a smaller size and how it’s more about the marriage than the actual event. I also do lifestyle work when I’m not photographing wedding days. This is a super fun way to change it up and stay creative.

I enjoy taking a slow, deliberate approach to family, motherhood, and portrait work. Like a lot of other photographers, I’ve been exploring film photography (super 8mm and 35mm) which has been super fun and I’m excited to continue exploring this new avenue!

What do you think about luck?
It’s hard to discuss the role of luck without acknowledging the privilege I have. I was able to live at home for the first six months of being a full-time wedding photographer which made it much easier for me to transition from having a set salary to the less stable income of an entrepreneur.

I’m super grateful to my family for supporting me during that adjustment! I think that I’m lucky to have entered this career at the time I did. With photography education being so accessible and being able to advertise my work through social media, it’s helped me get further a lot quicker!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sophiecatherinephoto.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sophiecatherinephoto/