Today we’d like to introduce you to Meredith Hunter.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Meredith. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I know this may sound like a cliche, but I was born with a camera in my hand. When I was too little to own one on my own, I made one out of a cardboard box, “took pictures” with it and then sketched out the photos when I got home.
Flash forward 10 years and I was photo editor/editor in chief of my high school yearbook and then found myself loving taking photos at my cousin’s wedding. She ended up framing a few of the photos I took and she along with my whole family has encouraged me into wedding photography ever since.
For a while, I stopped taking pictures after my camera broke and I couldn’t afford to fix it or buy a new one (on a typical just post-college salary!) until my parent’s and brother’s chipped in and bought me a new one.
From there I did headshots and practically begged every engaged person I knew to trust me with their wedding. It’s very hard to have someone trust you when you’ve never done it before! I had always loved taking pictures of love.
I’m pretty sure it was my parent’s 45+ year marriage that always had me believing in it and capturing it with all of my friends. I had all but given up until another cousin of mine asked if I would be willing to shoot their wedding in Mississippi and the rest is history.
I wouldn’t have been able to take the leap without the encouragement and support of my family and (now) fiancé, Chris.
That one wedding booked me 8 the following year, which booked me 28 each year from then on out! I give a lot of the credit for success in utilizing social media to its potential and constantly taking the time to learn and grow in photography.
Once I really nailed my style (light and airy but in a timeless way) I started to feel like the “heart eyes” emoji… all… the… time!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I would definitely say there have been challenges. First and foremost was breaking into the wedding industry. It’s hard to gain experience unless you have experience and since I am not originally from Boston (I’m from upstate, NY!) I didn’t have that initial local friend group getting married to trust me to take their photos.
Since then the biggest challenge has been what most small business owners refer to as their biggest one. Suddenly you’re doing EVERY job that a typical corporation has teams of people doing.
The bookkeeping side of things was definitely a learning curve! The biggest takeaway I’ve gotten from this is outsourced where you can!
Please tell us about Meredith Jane Photography.
Meredith Jane Photography is a photography company with a primary focus on weddings. I shoot about 90% of our weddings (he’s quite the popular guy and gets asked to be a groomsman a little more often than I’d like) with my fiancé Chris. He spends the day with the groom and groomsmen while I spend the day with the ladies!
We specialize in weddings specifically for the sweet and giddy couple that is so head over heels in love and just as in love with planning all of the little details of their wedding. We are known for natural light photography that is “light and airy” but in a way that is timeless so the photos are treasured for a lifetime.
I would say we are most proud of the friendships we build with many of our couples. I think many couples underestimate the amount of time they spend with their wedding photographer versus other vendors and it’s the best day of their life. I think it is SO important that they like us!
From what I’ve heard from our clients, what sets us apart from other wedding photographers is their experience with us from start to finish. Just out of college, I was in various client and account management jobs that stress the importance of “white glove service”. I don’t want to give TOO much away for any of our future brides, so I’ll leave it at that!
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
If I could start over I would have started this adventure a lot sooner than I did! But, I always say that and then realize I learned a LOT from my previous corporate experiences… so I take it back! I’m not sure I’d be able to run as successful of a business without all of those previous lives and work experiences so I am thankful for all of the good, the bad and the ugly and don’t think there is anything I would change to this point.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.meredithjanephoto.com
- Phone: 617-707-0224
- Email: hello@meredithjanephoto.com
- Instagram: @meredithjanephoto
- Facebook: meredithjanephotographyboston
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