Meet Carly Monson

Today we’d like to introduce you to Carly Monson.

Carly, So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I’ve always had a passion for photography. I took many elective photography classes in school and grew up around my mother and aunt, always holding cameras. I had never thought of it as more than that until I found myself needing a creative release. Carly Monson Photography was born out of the need to feel creative and inspired after a tough first semester of medical school. I gathered what little extra money I had and bought a basic beginner camera to practice on.

Before I knew it, my friends and acquaintances started asking me to take photos of them! I started out doing a lot of headshots, as many of my colleagues in medical school needed professional photos for websites and social media. I loved doing this (and still do!), but my real passion lies in photographing madly in love couples. I knew it would be tough to break into the wedding photography market without much experience. However, with a ton of late nights and early mornings working around my school schedule and practicing shooting any couple who would let me, I am extremely proud to now be a professional wedding photographer.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
In the beginning, I struggled a lot with even finding people who wanted to be in front of my camera so that I could practice. It is tough to photograph people when nobody wants to be photographed! After a few shots, I realized that it’s not that they didn’t want the photos. It was that they struggled with feeling confident in front of the camera. That’s when I realized that it was my job to make them feel calm, comfortable, and confident. I then dove deeper into the client experience as a whole and learned to love and serve my clients in whichever way they needed.

After this, business flooded in. However, with more business came more time that was required of me. Being a full-time medical student, I didn’t have a lot of extra time to spare. I completely struggled to find the balance between not only work and school, but also family, relationships, and personal health. My health declined as I was stretching myself way too thin in all areas of my life. I took a quiet step back and focused on myself for a few months, shooting couples here and there. The benefit of creating your own schedule is that you can say no whenever you want. I honestly have a very hard time doing that though, and that’s exactly what lead to me being completely exhausted. I still struggle to find the balance, but I’ve learned to take care of myself along the way.

Another major obstacle I faced was finances. I loved my little starter camera, but if I wanted to shoot weddings professionally, I needed better gear. As a graduate student living off of loans, there wasn’t really extra I could use to purchase the gear I knew I needed. I quickly found out just how expensive photography equipment is and felt very discouraged. I ended up finding an interest free credit card if paid off within one year and bought a used but higher quality camera body. I still had low-quality lenses and ended up being able to rent the ones I needed for wedding days. I made it possible, but it definitely required strategic budgeting and discipline.

Please tell us more about your work. What do you do? What do you specialize in? What sets you apart from competition?
I specialize in portraits and weddings, and my absolute favorite thing to do is capture love. Everyone expresses their love differently, and that’s what makes it so unique every time I photograph someone new. I have a light and bright style and definitely don’t shy away from colors. I love getting candid shots of the couple that they can cherish forever. I proudly create one of a kind client experience for my couples and aim to build lasting friendships with them for years to come.

What sets me apart is that I don’t just photograph you and leave. I am there cheering my clients on for all major milestones in life whether photography is needed or not. I get so excited to congratulate my new friends on milestones, whether it is getting a promotion, buying a house, or having a baby. I call myself and outgoing introvert, and photography has brought me some incredible like-minded friends and brought me out of my introverted shell, and I am so grateful for it!

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
I would definitely not be where I am today without the incredibly endless support from those around me. My partner, Brandon, has been my rock through every up and down. He consistently pushes me to go outside my comfort zone but is lovingly there to comfort me when I fail. I truly would have never had the growth or confidence in myself to get to where I am today without his support.

My parents and my aunts have always fostered my love for photography and words cannot express how grateful I am to them. My aunts allowed me to learn the basics of photography at a very young age developing film photos in their darkroom, which propelled my interest in this amazing craft. Both of them and my parents graciously supported me when I needed education or new gear and are always the first ones to say how much they love my work. My entire family has been incredibly supportive during both the wins and the losses, and I couldn’t have done it without them.

My clients and friends have played the biggest role in my growth so far. The trust and support I had from my early clients, the first couple who trusted me to photograph their wedding solo, and everyone since then has made a huge impact on me personally and professionally. I truly could not thank everyone enough for the continued love and support in this endeavor.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.carlymonsonphotography.com
• Email: hello@carlymonsonphotography.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/carlymonsonphotography

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