Paige Overturf Photography
Is it really already Thursday again? Goodness, this week has completely flown by! Today, we’re featuring another beautiful lady from our Delight group; a photographer from my own home state in North Carolina. Seriously, this girl is such an inspiration and has quite the “creative eye” in photography! Take a few minutes of your morning and get to know Miss Paige Overturf!
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Paige, would you share with us a little about yourself and how you began your photography adventure?
Well, let me start out by telling you, I am a BIG dreamer. It was never a question of what to be. The desire had always been there, I wanted to be an opera singer and a photographer when I grew up.The dream was kindled when I was five, and it’s grown into a passion and a way of life for me.
Growing up, we moved a lot due to my Dad being a Naval officer. The opportunity to travel and see new places was incredible! But the constant change was hard for me, so I documented as much as I could with my camera. Little did I know, that was the springboard to my future, traveling everywhere from Pohnpei to New York.
Graduating from high school in 2010, (I was home schooled) I got right to work starting my photography business. At the time, we were living in Guam. There were no photography classes or photography mentors that I knew of on island, and I didn’t have the money to pay for online courses. But I was desperate to learn photography and business skills. So I did all I knew to do: GOOGLE IT. And when I say desperate to learn, I’m talking clicking through 20+ pages in the Google search.
I wanted as much experience as possible, which meant never turning a job down. This eventually led to photographing everything from a funeral to a World Bridal shoot for the main magazine on Guam – and everything in between.
Now, it wasn’t all sparkles and glamour. It was a lot of hard work with hours of research on the computer, most times until 3am. There was failure after failure. But, I believe failure is our friend, I believe in dreaming big, and I believe in living passionately. Like they say: where there’s a will, there’s a way.
I am extremely grateful to see how God orchestrated events in my life, paving the way for me to serve Him through a job I love!
How would you describe your style of photography?
Timeless. Fresh. Bold. Romantic. Energetic.
What is one of your all-time favorite things about being a photographer and documenting other peoples special memories?
It’s the little moments that sweep by without notice. The small moments in life we take for granted. A girls laughter when her man whispers in her ears. A child’s eyes light up with awe. A man’s eyes when he looks at his girl.
It’s all these moments in life that slip by us so fast, unable to grasp them. I wanted to be able to remember places, people, and the small moments in life that are constantly shape who I am.
Photography is my way of remembering. Capturing. Freezing these moments in time so that I can remember them and pass them down to children and grandchildren. A second means a second. But a second caught on camera means generations.
What is one thing that you wish you had known about photographing portraits (or weddings!!) before you did your first ever session?
It’s not all about getting the right photos.
Now, you’re probably thinking, and this girl calls herself a wedding photographer!? I know, crazy. ;) When I first started out, I was so concerned with getting the right shots. The shots I saw on blogs of photographers I idolized. So, obviously those were the shots I needed to take, right? But no, I had it all backwards. FIRST, I have to love my clients and see them as my friend, get to know them and their personality. It is only through loving our clients and truly knowing them that we can genuinely capture their special day. The result is, having photos that tell a story of who that person is. When we, as photographers, can capture a photo that sincerely portrays who someone is, then we have succeeded in our job.
What is one thing that you would like to say to the girls reading this post that are seriously considering being a professional photographer and starting their own business?
Passion trumps logic. Dare to dream. Go against the tide. Let your creativity shine. Read. Ask questions. Get together with other photographers. Network. Your work is a reflection of who you are and what you advertise: post photos that really show your brand and style.
Photograph all the time. Try different lighting at different times of the day. You can read your camera manual, but unless you put some of the knowledge into action, it won’t mean anything. Practice makes perfect.
Look at your potential. Face your fear. Go get your dream.
Do you have any other words of encouragement, etc that you would like to share with the readers of Delight before we end the interview?
Never underestimate the power of a smile!
Check out more of Paige’s amazing portfolio here:
