Today we’d like to introduce you to Paul Douda.
Paul, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
After discovering photography at about 24 years old, a good friend of mine (Paul) requested that I photograph her wedding. Despite nerves and inexperience at the time, I fell in love with photographically capturing this type of memorable event. Fun fact, that first wedding I actually shot in film. I only look forward and 13 years later I have honed my craft more and love everything I do. Extra fun fact, my partner in business and life, Crystal, and I met at a wedding I photographed. She was a bridesmaid at her brother’s wedding that I was shooting and I couldn’t resist! Now, we together run our successful photography business and are lucky enough to shoot dozens of weddings every year and also be featured in multiple publications. We are currently beginning our expansion into videography which Crystal will be the primary. Expect more details on this later this year!
Has it been a smooth road?
As is the case for many small businesses, many of the 13 years have been a labor of love. Weddings are a very seasonal industry so balancing slow periods vs. busy periods can be changeling. The relationships that I have built with my couples over the years have far surpassed any challenges that I have faced along the way. I have also been lucky to have many of my couples return to me for family portraits and so forth. For a lot of the years I was flying solo. Since expanding my team over the past 2 years, things have been much smoother and more fun!
We’d love to hear more about your business.
We are a wedding, engagement and life style photographer based in San Diego, CA. We primarily shoot weddings & engagements, also we shoot family, maternity and editorial photography. As a company, we are most proud of the annual increase of couples we get to work with year over year and also establishing new and familiar relationships with venues and other vendors in the industry. Our network has grown tremendously in the past year. What sets us apart from others is our personalization – you will always get me as your photographer and the artistic eye that is Paul Douda Photography. We don’t source out photographers for your big day. We also process all of our photos in house – nothing is sent out to other vendors for editing and you’ll see that consistency in every picture you see. Lastly, we offer more of a service beyond the sessions. Wedding planning should be fun and we strive every day to make sure our couples enjoy every minute and leave their stress at the door. Even if it means helping with coordinating other vendors and schedules!
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Absolutely! Although a majority of our couples reside in San Diego county, many couples also travel here for a destination wedding location. There are many wedding professionals, including photographers, who have established roots in San Diego and it has become a very saturated location to establish a new business in the industry. Starting out new would be very challenging!
Contact Info:
- Address: 3317 Niblick Dr.,
La Mesa, CA 91941 - Website: http://pauldoudaphotography.com/
- Phone: 619-456-1417
- Email: info@pauldoudaphotography.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pauldoudaphotography/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pauldoudaphotography/
Image Credit:
© Paul Douda Photography
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