I am so proud of each and every one of the girls who attended Launch in February. These girls made a huge leap of faith coming to the first workshop; they had no idea what they were walking into but they took a chance and I am so glad they did. We had amazing feedback from the first workshop which helps so much so thanks girls!! I have kept in touch with the attendees, some more than others in fact I will be skyping with one of them in a few minutes. I feel a bit like a proud mama watching them grow I thought it would be fun to interview a past attendee and Shekira was kind enough to share her experience. She is as sweet as she is talented and I can’t wait to watch her business flourish. Thanks Shekira for being so willing to share your story with us!!

Where were you in your photography journey when you decided to attend Launch?

I guess you can say up until recently I was a non-practicing photographer. I shot with an old Nikon FE-2 all through high school and college. Being an older camera, there were no bells and whistles, no auto focus, and I guess biggest of all, it used film! Gasp! So needless to say, the instant gratification one can achieve now with today’s digital cameras was nowhere to be found. I ended up majoring in photography and web design in college and after college, not having a dark room or money for a high-end digital camera, I just sort of stopped shooting. I became a web designer instead and headed off in a different direction. It wasn’t until I became a mom 4 years later that I felt the urge to shoot again. So we scrounged up some cash for a digital camera and I began to get back into it. Before long I realized this is something that I really wanted to do, I knew I could do, and that I really could have a future in.  So I decided it was worth giving a shot.

Where are you now?

Now I’m a web designer by day and a photographer by all other hours available. Kira Derryberry Photography is a bona fide business and I’ve been getting a lot of positive results.

There are a lot of workshops out there, what attracted you to this one?

I won’t lie – proximity played a role in my decision. I’m in Tallahassee and so attending anywhere I could drive myself was a big plus. But that was only a small part. When I came across the website one of the biggest selling points was the line on “Is this Workshop for You” page. “You want to stop feeling like a phony and start feeling like a professional.” That was definitely me. I wasn’t feeling confident in my work and I didn’t have a clue where to start. So the idea of receiving mentoring and guidance was the key selling point for me. I wasn’t disappointed! Stacy has continued to coach me and give me advice when I’ve needed it since the workshop. She rocks my face off!

What was the number one thing you took away from the weekend?

It’s so hard to pick a number one because I really learned so much! I guess if I had to say the biggest thing, it was definitely the information about the business side of things: the products, the pricing methodology, how to sell, how to show quality products. These are all things that I was able to take off running with the second I got home from the workshop.

How has your business grown as a result of attending Launch?

My business is definitely on the rise! The workshop really put things in perspective. I was able to come back with a list of to-do’s that needed to be achieved to get me started and I’m happy to say that I’ve marked almost all of those things off. I’m getting inquiries, happy clients, and lots of exposure. I think once I get my name out there things will really move!

Do you think that coming to the workshop helped you avoid any mistakes, for example do you find you were headed in a different direction?

Absolutely! Before the workshop I had a few ideas that I thought would get me off the ground, but when I got there I found out that I was about to commit common rookie mistakes! That section of the workshop alone was worth the investment when I think about how much it’s going to save me in the long run!

Where would you like to see yourself one year from now? How about five?

A year from now I hope to be financially independent enough to spend more time with my sweet little girl, Lucy, all while continuing to thrive in the photography business. While I’ve always loved taking photos, at the end of the day, she’s the one that motivated me to take the giant leap! Five years? I’d like to have my own studio to do business in and maybe a staff person to help me with the day to day! I’m a control freak though, so when I think about it, I doubt I’ll be able to truly hand over any responsibilities. So how about let’s say I’ll be doing well enough to have a studio and have the money for a staff person, which I will never hire? That sounds more realistic.

And now tell us a little about yourself.  Married? Kiddos?

YES and YES! I am married to the most awesome, most hilarious, and most supportive man in the world. We’ve been together for going on 8 years now and I couldn’t have dreamed up a better partner. In 2008 we had our daughter Lucy and she is our everything. She’s a frequent subject on my blog. I’m starting to wonder if she’ll embrace her mom’s obsessive photographing of her or if she’ll rebel against it when she’s old enough. My mom constantly followed me around with a camera when I was a little and ended up plastering our house with the pictures. I totally ate it up! As I got older though, my friends poked fun at me saying that our house looked like a weird shrine to me so of course I started becoming more camera shy. Let’s just say there are a few “Glamour Shots” that I hope stay in storage. I’ll have to find some kind of happy medium with my girl!

Favorite midnight snack.

Chocolate chip cookies and (lactose free) milk. I’m convinced I am not lactose intolerant, but my stomach begs to differ.

If you could go anywhere and do anything tomorrow where would you go and who would you take?

I would scoop my family up and fly to Greece! I have a weird obsession with Greek mythology and I would love to go and see the ruins. I just think that would be an awesome vacation. I’ve never been anywhere truly ancient and I think it would be such an experience.

If you were a super hero who would you be?

Buffy the Vampire Slayer minus the blonde hair and mood swings. Killing vamps, snappy puns and making out with David Boreanaz wouldn’t suck. Plus I have a real fear of the undead so anything I can do to prevent the zombie apocalypse I’m game for. Vampires are like zombies only hotter, or so TV and movies would have me believe. See, when I’m a super in demand photographer I won’t have time to have such clearly thought-out ideas on such things.

Now let’s look at some of the beautiful images Shekira has captured in the last few months…