Check Out Brenda La Vigne’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Brenda La Vigne.  

Hi Brenda, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve been taking pictures since I was in grade school. My favorite thing at family gatherings was to run around with a disposable camera and make sure everyone got their photo taken. While studying Marketing at Oakland University, I rented a camera from the student center and fell in love with capturing my surroundings. Soon after I bought my starter camera and would take photos of friends, bring it on trips, and really use it any excuse I had. I started a photography internship and soon after one of my friends asked me to shoot her wedding. I completely froze and thought she was joking, but it was an honor to do her engagement and wedding photos. Ever since then I’ve been shooting weddings, couples, and families, and never thought I could love my job more. 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It’s been a smooth road for my photography business. With that said every venture has its challenges. I think the biggest challenge for me is balancing my graphic design jobs with my business and ensuring my clients still feel like they’re my top priority (because they truly are). A lot of people dream of their wedding day from childhood and once they’ve fallen in love, it makes it that much more powerful and I want all of my clients to know that I understand and value that! My business has pulled my talent along and made me a better photographer than I thought I could be, in full transparency. It’s been amazing meeting new couples and discovering what makes their love unique. To get them feeling comfortable enough around me to truly be themselves. 

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I believe my bubbly personality, warmth, and attention to detail all set me apart from other wedding photographers. Detroit is home to so many amazingly talented people and it’s all about finding the professional you connect with and feel most comfortable with. I adore meeting new people and getting to know them and wedding days are perfect for that! I’m most proud of the relationships I’ve made through my work and with other professionals who are in the same field as I. The photography community in Detroit is truly so special. We work together, we refer each other and we build each other up as much as possible. I love cheering on my cohorts and watching them succeed and create beautiful, meaningful work. We all get better together and encourage one another as artists and entrepreneurs. It’s hard-working for yourself, but we’ve built an amazing community that has helped me develop into that artist I am today. 

Any big plans?
I’m looking forward to growing my business and offers that make my clients feel celebrated and valued. How that looks is still on the drawing board, but I’m excited to continuously be moving forward and developing my craft as well as my service. 

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.brendaleanne.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brenda_leanne/

Image Credits
Brenda La Vigne
Northern Native Photography
Jessica Perry Photography