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Today we’d like to introduce you to Paige Vaughn.

Paige, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My professional photography journey began 10 years ago when I saved up every bit of money, I earned from my summer job to purchase a DSLR. My actual journey with photography began even before then – when I wouldn’t leave the house without my point-and-shoot or a disposable camera. I’d been raised around technology, with my dad spending his spare time building desktop computers in the late 90s and early 2000s. But nothing had been as exciting to me than learning the ins and outs of different cameras, conceptualizing images, and how to figure out how to create the work I so desperately imagined in my head. I spent the first few years with my “professional” camera not knowing what to do with myself – building a business was a happy accident. I somehow convinced college friends of mine to get in front of my camera, even though I still knew very little about how to create strong imagery. I hate to sugarcoat the experience (which was very much filled with anxiety and insecurity), but in an instant, I fell in love with human portraiture. The depth you could capture in a single image, the ability to bring out someone’s true self, the details in someone’s face/eyes/hands that were highlighted in an image, the LIGHT (oh man…the LIGHT). All of it. From there, despite being in the process of earning a degree in PR and marketing at Texas State University, I fell head-over-heels with photography. It wasn’t long before I launched my business focused mainly on graduates, which soon evolved into wedding photography in 2014. While I graduated with my degree in PR and went on to work at some of the world’s top PR agencies, I felt truly called to pursue photography full-time in early 2019 after years of working two jobs, little sleep, and constant hustle. Over the past 8 years, I’ve built a business that is focused on empowering my clients to not only look incredible, but to FEEL incredible. It’s focused on true human connection and building a relationship with my couples that allows them to truly let their guard down and, as a result, let me capture images that allow them to truly relieve their experiences. Since quitting my full-time job and transitioning to 100% photography in early 2019, I’ve brought on two other associate photographers in Austin to make up an all-female photography team. In mid-2019, I expanded the business to serve an additional market: the San Francisco Bay Area. We’ve built a business that cares deeply about inclusion and been able to use the financial success of the business to proudly give back to marginalized communities, with a portion of each wedding booked being donated to Black Lives Matter, the ACLU, the Trevor Project, and other related nonprofits. Since 2014, I have photographed 150+ weddings (and counting). Right as I hit the one-year mark with my business in April 2020, my business was facing total ruin when COVID-19 threatened to destroy the entire events and hospitality industry with so many of us losing up to 90% of our business overnight. I was forced to reevaluate my business and figure out a way to maintain our team. We were thankfully able to pivot to focus on print products and the plethora of “micro-weddings” popping up around the country to avoid having to shut down the company completely. I’ve been deeply inspired by my parents – my mom who is a successful real estate entrepreneur who taught me how to run a small business focused on serving others and being kind, even when it’s difficult; and my dad – a disabled Army veteran of 17 years that not only funded my education, but also taught me what true dedication and grit looks like. I’m the proud oldest child of 7 children (blended across two families), a fiancé to my partner Nikhil, and a proud dog mom to my corgi Paddington. I also attribute much of where I am today because of my fellow wedding vendor community who has encouraged me (especially my network of close photographer friends like Holly Marie Photography, Eryn Chandler Photography, Angela King Photography, and so many others), lifted me up, and believed in me even when I didn’t believe in myself, I was born in Northwest Austin and have lived all over the U.S. given my dad’s military background. Austin has forever been our favorite place and is my one true hometown.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
My path has been filled with growing pains, some of which feel so small compared to what all small businesses have been through this year. From the very beginning, I had to learn to define a niche for myself in an oversaturated market – aka Austin, “the Wedding Capital of Texas.” So many of my peers had been working in the industry to the decade when I first made my introduction to the wedding world in 2014. I had to learn how to hustle, stay in my own lane, and build meaningful relationships that kept me humble, grounded, and hungry for more. Balancing a time-consuming PR day job with my dream job of photography for 4 years nearly pushed me past my limit, I experienced extreme burnout for the first time in my life and I was forced to make the decision – give up my true passion or maintain a stable job. Not the easiest call for a then-25-year-old (I’m now 27) to make when a looming recession is on the horizon. Ultimately, I worked as long as I could, built a nest egg, and jumped feet first into the world of entrepreneurship. Just when I started to feel like I had my wits about me, my world was shaken up when my partner Nikhil was offered a job across the country in San Francisco. After one visit, I made a huge decision to split my business between the two places. Perhaps the biggest challenge I’ve experienced so far has been COVID – especially with travel being a huge part of my business and my whole business model being focused on photographing people gathering – has threatened my business’ literal existence. With very little outside assistance from government agencies, I was forced to figure out a game plan alone without a game plan or advice, given we were all unsure of how long this would last or what the long-term repercussions would be. One of more positive challenges I’ve experienced has been growing my team to include Alex and Rachael, my two associate photographers. Learning how to manage others, serve a larger volume of clients, and build a business that functions as a brand (versus just a solo-prenuer like me), has been such a positive experience, despite the challenges.

As you know, we’re big fans of your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Paige Vaughn Photo is a bicoastal wedding photography studio based in Austin and San Francisco offering vibrant, fun photos for laid-back couples in love through film and digital mediums. We offer wedding photography, engagement photos, bridal sessions, and boudoir photos. We’re most known for our client experience and our ability to take seemingly uncomfortable or “awkward” clientele and make them feel beautiful, confident, and showcase their features in the best light. I’ve established a process that allows us to deeply get to know our clients in order to establish a strong trust that we will take care of them and have their backs during one of the more busy and stressful times of their lives. I’ve worked extremely hard to create a consistent unique photography style, as well as a consistent client experience that provides couples everything they could ever need to know to have a picture-perfect wedding day, including countless guides, unlimited communication and support, as well as hands-on planning support. I’m most proud of the constant strides we’ve been making collectively to make ALL people feel comfortable with our presence on their day, since we excitedly serve all couples of all races, sexualities, genders, religions, and physical/mental abilities. Given the current climate of our country, there has never been a more important time to stand up for what we believe in – for me, that’s equality and inclusivity.

Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
For those just starting out in photography with hopes of growing it into a business one day – take your time. Fully learn your craft, hone in your style, and look for organic opportunities to grow by capturing those around you. So many of the younger photographers I’ve seen try to jump right into owning a business, without giving themselves the necessary time and space to grow as an artist. Don’t feel the need to copy what others are doing, seek white space, and look for opportunities to define yourself on your own terms. Be humble and be hungry to learn – I wish I wasn’t so determined to prove myself early on and I could have been more of a sponge to all the talent that surrounded me. When you are ready to start a business, make sure you put in the time and resources from the very beginning to set yourself up for success – whether that be registering as a business, getting insurance, having a legitimate contract, or setting up organization and processes to give your customers a stellar experience. And more than anything – value your people. Your clients who believe in you, your peers for believing in you, and your family for supporting you. Don’t get so lost in the hustle you forget who got you to where you are.