Today we’d like to introduce you to Gretchen Pruett.
Hi Gretchen, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am the owner/photographer of Wink Photography, located in Brooklyn Park, MN. I specialize in child and family portrait photography, which includes maternity, newborn, babies, kids, families, headshots, and seniors. I love the variety of working with sleepy newborns, chasing busy toddlers, and styling high school senior sessions. I work in my home studio as well as on-location (outdoors and in client homes). I offer my clients a mix of posed and casual/lifestyle images.
My interest in photography began in college when I registered to go on Semester at Sea (a study abroad opportunity during which you take all your college classes aboard a ship that sails around the world). Looking through the course catalog, I saw that they offered a photography class. In order to get into the class on the ship, I had to have some experience, so I signed up for a beginner photography class prior to studying abroad. I was hooked right from the beginning.
My first few years of photography were film-based, as digital cameras were not readily available, convenient, or affordable at the time. On one hand, that was a huge struggle because buying and developing film is expensive and extremely time-consuming. On the other hand, it was a benefit because working with film forces you to learn how to use your camera and be intentional about what you are doing.
I graduated college with a major in Elementary Education and a minor in Photography. After college, I got my first digital SLR camera and took a bunch of Community Education classes, where I got connected to others in the local photography community. I started shooting a lot of portraits and family photos and teaching a few beginner photography classes on nights and weekends.
I officially started Wink Photography in 2009. At the time, I was working at a local small business full time, but when I had twins in 2010, I started staying home with my babies and devoting more time to my photography. Since then, I have slowly and steadily grown my business through word-of-mouth, business partnerships, and continuing education. I shared studio spaces on and off in NE Minneapolis for a few years before building my own studio attached to my house. I aim to provide my clients with the type of photos that I want for my own family – genuine images that showcase connection, love, and fun.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Learning photography and running a business has been a long road with construction and stoplights along the way. I did not start my business and book up right away or understand HOW to run a business from the get-go. It took years to build up my understanding, skills and clientele. It is an on-going process.
I feel extremely fortunate to have a job that meets my personal needs for artistic fulfillment and personal growth as well as meets the demands of my family life. My work doesn’t physically take me away from my family for long periods and I can easily schedule sessions around my family obligations. It can, however, be a struggle to set boundaries and find a good work/life balance when it comes to editing and computer work. When you work from home, it can sometimes seem like you are always at work.
There is also the constant struggle of feeling like you are “never good enough”. Throughout my photography career, I have had feelings of inadequacy and wondered “When will I get there? When will I know that my work is good enough?” Although I am MUCH more confident and comfortable in my work now, there are still lots of days when the imposter syndrome creeps in and I get down on myself and my work. There are lots of photographers that have been doing this for a shorter amount of time and seem (from the outside) to be busier, better, more confident and more well-known. But, I know that, in addition to these perceptions being a tripwire of social media, these have been personal choices on my part.
One thing I have discovered about myself in this journey is that, while I am very motivated to continue to improve and develop my shooting/editing skills and please my clients, I am not overly attention-seeking and I am not willing to trade away more time with my family to increase my social media following or win any popularity contests, When I get frustrated or impatient with myself, I just need to be reminded of my priorities and things usually fall into place.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My goal is to create images with emotion and genuine expressions that emit joy and connection. I am proud of the fact that my work has continued to improve over time and that I have a high number of loyal clients. I love building relationships with the families that I photograph and watching/documenting them grow and change over the years. I am dedicated to making the process of taking family photos as fun and easy as possible for my clients and delivering high-quality images in a reasonable amount of time.
What were you like growing up?
I have always been a pretty loyal person, a bit of a perfectionist, and a social introvert. I have a competitive streak (more with myself than with others). As a kid, I was involved in basketball, gymnastics, diving and band/drumline and I loved art and science (still do!).
Pricing:
- Session fees start at $150
Contact Info:
- Email: info@winkphotomn.com
- Website: https://www.winkphotomn.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/winkphotomn/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/winkphotomn
Image Credits
Annette Pare Photography
Gretchen Pruett (Wink Photography)
