Today we’d like to introduce you to Molly Hunter
Hi Molly, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Photography has been a hobby of mine for a while – since college probably. I never felt like I could make it a career because I wanted to travel and I thought I needed to be in once place to build up a clientele. I mainly did nature photography starting out and a few family or friends asked for photos, but I never took the leap to make it more than a hobby.
After the birth of my son, and going back to work after maternity leave, I felt drawn to trying to make photography a career. Nursing was my career, but it never felt like my passion. I wanted to show my son that it’s never too late to follow your dreams and it doesn’t matter what stage of life you’re in, you can always decide pursue something else with your life.
I felt drawn to motherhood, newborn, and family photography after the birth of my son. I wanted to capture every milestone of my son’s life and wanted to do that for other’s. In July of 2023 I also suffered a ruptured ectopic pregnancy resulting in the removal of my Fallopian tube. This was my second loss in two years. These losses solidified my desire to pursue motherhood and all it’s beauty. We go through so much as women and mothers, we deserve to have everlasting memories captured with our babies, no matter how that looks.
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?
It has not always been smooth, there have been multiple challenges I’ve had to overcome. The biggest challenge was learning the business side of photography. I knew how to photograph and I knew I was a good photographer. However, the challenge I was confronted with was learning all the details and skill sets involved in running a small business and being a small business owner. I had to learn how to bring in clients, showcase my skills, depicting what I wanted to portray with my photography, how to price my services fairly, and how to stand out in such a vast sea of other photographers in the San Diego area. I’ve also had to learn how to manage my finances, obtain business licenses’, file business taxes, and familiarize myself with profits and losses. Needless to say, the nuances of business has been a real struggle but one that I am overcame.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a photographer and I specialize in maternity, newborn & family photography. I am most proud of how far I’ve come in such a short period of time. In January of 2024, I decided to make my hobby a business and in just a year I’ve substantial grown my clientele, I’ve created a beautiful website with an impressive portfolio and I’ve learned the basics of running my business.
My unique storytelling style through my photos sets me apart from others. I tend to focus on the more candid, natural side of photography rather than the standing-there-smiling-at-the-camera poses. I’m also a nurse at heart and have been (and still am) for the last six years. The caregiver side of me has helped tremendously in my photography business to showcase that not only am I a reputable photographer, but I always want to put my client’s before myself. I want to make sure that my client’s are happy with the results of their session and that they are comfortable, this originates from my nursing background.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
The little things go a long way – following my social media accounts, sharing my posts or liking my posts helps me get noticed by more people in the area and helps me grow my business. I am always looking to collaborate with local groups and have collaborated on “Fall Mini’s” and “Christmas Mini’s” this year with a few mom groups in the area. I love meeting moms in every season of life, because as a first time mother, you don’t realize how hard it is until you’re in the throws of motherhood. Talking to other mom’s has helped me tremendously in my post-partum stage and has helped me not feel so alone through this new journey.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mollysimonephotography.com
- Instagram: @mollysimonephotography
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Molly-Simone-Photography/61556671125234/
Image Credits
Jordan Smith Photography
Molly Simone Photography
