Meet Courtney Townsend | Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Courtney Townsend and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Courtney, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I’ve always loved taking photographs when I was younger & decided to pursue it in college. I was always told I had great drive to whatever I put my mind to and that helped fuel me. Once I graduated, I was taking retail jobs here and there to make money until COVID’s lockdown happened. I took that time to focus on what I wanted to do with my future and started learning new photography techniques and practicing self portraiture. As we came out of lockdown and things opened up, I saw the demand for photography rise and, even though I hadn’t had much of a portfolio to go off of, I started getting busier and busier. Once I realized I could make the same amount of money in my own business as I was at my regular 9-5 job, and be doing what I love, I decided it was time to take it full time and I’m so glad I did! The grind never stops, even working for yourself, and you need to be disciplined but if you love doing something enough, you don’t see it as a chore or a job to do, it’s just a fun creative outlet you get to experience every day!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My photography business started out very slowly. After graduating with a diploma in photography, I really didn’t know where to take it. I never wanted to photograph people, I was always interested in food or products because I always thought I was too introverted to ever deal with people. As time went on, I realized I really didn’t have the patience to set up a full lighting schematic just to photograph a piece of bread, and started practicing on my friends.

When the lockdown hit, I took that as an opportunity to invest in my business and learn the back end of things – invoicing, website design, mailing lists, etc. It definitely was not easy seeing some of my peers launch into their business seamlessly, making money and working with their dream clients. It’s always hard seeing your business and art as something of it’s own and not compare it to other people’s work.

I always had this one saying in the back of my mind – “fake it ’til you make it” – and that’s what I did! I attended a few styled photoshoots and workshops and learned new posing techniques and tricks, posting the photos in my portfolio until one day, I got an inquiry from my dream client who saw my images and booked me over a year in advance for their wedding! A friend once told me “you have great work, you just have to get people to see it”, and that really stuck with me, so I kept putting together styled shoots to showcase what I could do and showing up everyday online to saw I’m here. I connected with vendors in my community in my field for a wider audience reach.

One of the biggest challenges I think many creatives face is imposter syndrome. Is this really me? Can I really do this? What if I fail? You never know unless you try! I never thought I would be doing weddings and here I am booking out my summers capturing love stories! I definitely still get imposter syndrome trying to fit into this outgoing, bubbly wedding photographer mold but at the end of the day, staying true to you will give you and your clients the best experience!

On my journey, I’ve learned it’s okay to ask for help and it’s okay to think outside of the box! The right people will find you and whether you’ve waited a month or a year for that, it will be so worth it!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I live in the heart of Toronto, so there are definitely some great spots to visit!

I would take them to a few of my favourite places to eat, which include:
– Old School: an amazing small restaurant with killer blueberry pancakes.
– Cafe Landwere: a delicious cafe/diner style spot with great German influenced dishes, as well as American dishes.
– Pennie’s: for your evening drinks and light bites.
– Rosie’s: the ultimate burger joint!

We would visit the shops along Ossington Avenue, walk through graffiti alley behind Queen Street West, and end off visiting the outdoor markets along Lakeshore’s waterfront!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would love to shoutout my friends, photography community and my super supportive fiancé! While my business got busier and busier, and my peers saw my struggles of balancing my 9-5, my business and my personal life, I was always uplifted by their kind comments and encouragement. My fiancé saw me every day trying to make my clients happy while running on empty from my job and putting every free minute I had into my own business. He saw the good and the ugly, and I am so thankful for him for pushing me to take my photography business full time. If I ever need anything or it gets slow for me, her is there to hold me up and up be my number 1 fan. While I am so appreciative of my friends and this community I’ve rooted myself in, I am forever grateful to have such a supportive partner.

Website: www.courtneymarieimaging.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/courtmarieimaging

Facebook: www.facebook.com/courtmarieimaging

Image Credits
Photography: Courtney Marie Imaging