Welcome back to Feature Friday! Today we have the pleasure of meeting Heather! Heather is a professional photographer with her husband down in Florida. She specializes in family and couple photo sessions, and her pictures are incredible! As part of their photography business, they have incorporated a blogging element that has transitioned and grown as they’ve discovered their passion for travel. Let’s see what Heather has to share with us about her business and her blog:
1. Thank you for partaking in Feature Friday. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
My name is Heather Hinson and my husband and I are photographers based in New Smyrna beach, FL. We specialize in creating portraits for families and couples who are visiting Florida’s beautiful coastline and attractions.
2. How did you first get involved with blogging?
Initially, we began blogging for our business. We began our blogging journey with the intent of reaching more people. Along the way, we fell in love with writing about our passion for Florida travel and sharing useful travel tips and information with our clients and readers. Our blog evolved to include a guide to our favorite beaches, places to eat and things to do in the area.
3. Have you met any interesting people while working on your blog? Who? Why were they so interesting?
We have had the opportunity to meet so many amazing people in our community that are doing incredible things. Everyone we meet for our blog is interesting because they enrich their local communities in a unique way!
There are brothers in our area that are one of the only producers of American tea. They make organic tea from a native plant and make hand crafted teas that are naturally caffeinated. Their story is so cool and their mission is incredibly impactful. We were able to see a behind the scenes look of their process and we would have never learned this much about them had it not been for our blog.
4. How would you describe your blogging style?
Our style is very informative. We really try to educate our audience about the importance of professional portraiture and make sure we can help them create the best memories of their Florida vacation.
5. What do you enjoy doing when you aren’t working on your blog?
We spend a lot of time on the beach, kayaking through mangroves, camping at Florida springs and we visit Disney on a weekly basis! We love to spend our free time hanging out as a family and spending time outdoors.
6. Are you a full-time blogger?
We are a full time Portrait Photographers and blogging is an integral part of our business.
7. What networking do you do that you feel helps your blogging business?
We feel like reaching out to business owners and writing about them is the best method for us. We form strong professional relationships with other business owners who share a similar vision and drive to provide great service to our clients.
8. Many people struggle with posting consistently. How do you keep coming up with material/content for you blog? Do you have any advice to address this problem?
It can be so hard to post consistently fresh and unique content! When we are experiencing writer’s block we love to take a day trip or go refresh at Disney World. Sometime stepping outside and away from your desk is the best way to garner inspiration for a new post. We also find that contributing helpful advice in forums and Facebook groups is a great way to grasp what questions people are really asking and what people are interested in.
9. What’s the best thing a blogger can give to readers?
I believe that the best thing a blogger can give to readers is information that is presented in a completely unique and refreshing way. When you are reading about travel, I think it is important to hear honest input from someone who really knows their stuff! Be an expert in your topic and inspire your audience with the information that you give them.
10. What was the most challenging moment in your blog development process, and why? How did you handle it?
Learning and implementing SEO practices that work. When we started our blog, we knew nothing about SEO and it was a serious learning curve.
11. What advice or tips would you give someone interested in starting a blog?
I would recommend that anyone interested in starting a blog should set realistic goals that are easy to define and understand that success takes time. Focus on publishing quality content, even if it means that you post less. Find your voice, your focus and your brand. Let your personality shine through and it will instantly make you stand out. Make great imagery and design a priority! Make sure that your blog is visually appealing with photographs that pull readers in. The hardest thing for me when we first started our blogging journey was realizing that no one was reading our posts. It felt a little like we were wasting our time but I am so glad we never gave up! Our blog is now such an important aspect of our photography business that I can’t imagine it any other way. Don’t give up!
Thank you Heather for sharing with us! I had a chance to take a look at your website, and your photographs are amazing 🙂 I love that you and your husband discovered this passion together, and allowed for the evolution of your blog. It’s so cool to see a blog grow and evolve with time! I definitely agree with your advice on setting realistic and easy to define goals. When I first started blogging, I had no idea how much time and effort would be put towards it. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the information out there, but just take it one step at a time! Thanks again Heather, for being a part of Feature Friday! We enjoyed having you on the blog 🙂
Did you enjoy what you read? Get to know more about Heather!
Heather and her husband were both born and raised in Florida. They are photographers and parents to an adorable little boy and a sassy chihuahua named Blake. They love coffee breaks and hanging out on the beach. They are always running out of wall space for more portraits and they can never seem to put their cameras down. They go to Disney World on a weekly basis and Splash Mountain is a family favorite. They can’t wait to travel the world together and photograph everything they experience. Heather is an artist and enjoys painting and drawing in her free time! Connect with Heather at the following:
Mmm kayaking is so much fun! Such a great way to be active- and gorgeous!
I agree! Although whenever I go kayaking, I seem to always get stuck on something. Haha…maybe with more experience, I learn how to be less attractive to rocks and such!
Love the interview! Those photos are great!
Thank you!
Very interesting post! I love how passionate you are, Heather, about your blogging and photography business. A lot of people I know hate their jobs and are just “surviving.” I want to be like YOU, and be passionate about my blogging and my day job, because joy and passion in one’s work is contagious. And I also like how you don’t give up. That is an important reminder!
Thank you for this awesome comment Patricia! I also agree with you, and I love Heather’s enthusiasm. It’s easy to fall into the trap of “just surviving”, as you said, but it’s important to remember why we started doing the things we do in the first place, and find that love again.
Omg they take beautiful photos. Now I know I can get their services next time I am in Florida.
By the way, I totally agree about SEO strategies, I am still learning but it is a huge different.
That’s awesome that you’re going to check them out the next time you’re in Florida 🙂 And haha yes, SEO can definitely be overwhelming. I’m still learning as well!