Today we’d like to introduce you to Claire Ware.
Claire, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
When I was a child, I used to spend hours going through photo-books my mother kept in her art studio. My father was an enthusiastic amateur photographer, and I used to create vivid stories in my head inspired by the photos of memories I wasn’t present for. When I graduated college, my father gave me his Canon AE1, and I spent the next few years learning how to take photos. I cold-emailed photographers, asking them to mentor me (shout out to the photographer who brought me along to my first wedding shoot), learned to develop my own film in a dark room under the tutelage of an ex, and took photos whenever I got a chance. I would even volunteer as a model to have the opportunity to watch other photographers’ work.
After the first wedding I worked, I knew that documenting the little moments that make up a couple’s unique celebration of love was what I wanted to be doing. Weddings and Elopements are such special, intimate moments in the story of a couple, a family, a close group of friends. I am a big believer in not forcing moments but allowing them to unfold naturally and paying close attention to what is happening around you. Blink and you might miss the mom, wiping a away a tear in the front row, the ring bearer playing with dinosaurs in a patch of sun before his big moment in the spotlight, the bride sharing a tradition with her closest friends. Over the next few years since my first wedding, becoming technically proficient enough that my camera was an extension of myself became a priority for me. Telling the story of love, and big romantic gestures had me hooked and I didn’t want to miss a moment. Things did shift through three years ago. I was at the office (in addition to running my own photography business, I am a Financial Analyst for a company in the MedTech space) working through a miles-long to-do list. I looked across at my coworker, and told her “I don’t feel so well.” and the next thing I remember was waking up in an ambulance. I suffered a massive, sudden and unexpected seizure that put me in the hospital for several days. During the next few months, I would fight to regain control of my life in a couple of ways, but one of the scariest impacts within this recovery period was my memory.
From short term details that didn’t matter much, too big moments of my life, even before the seizure, the moments seemed grey. I found myself struggling to remember my own history. The little moments that made up who I was as a person, unfiltered, un-photoshopped, imperfect, came to me in little snapshots in my mind, in a familiar smell, in the photos I had taken and the stories of my friends. Healing would come in little pieces so small I wouldn’t notice, and in big moments of progress, and the long term impact on my life would be minimal with the perspective of years, but the way I think about the process of creating and documenting life has forever changed. I still believe in documenting the big, romantic gestures, the wedding days, the elopements, but I also believe everyone deserves to hold memories in their hands of the smaller moments. Claire and Co. is just as much for documenting a special date night, a relationship milestone, the feeling of a couple in their first home, a road trip, your body and soul right now, not at a goal state, as it is for creating art for the big moments, the “I-do’s” wherever you choose to say them, the proposals, the graduations and moms-to-be. Claire and Co. creates artistic visual representations of memories for you to hold forever, for your children to thumb through and ask you about your story.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Ahh! This is hard. Of course, there are so many struggles but when I look back, I genuinely have so much to be thankful for. There are opportunities to give up on your dream all the time, and it can be a hard choice to do the next thing. I’m a bit of an introvert, so I find things like sharing openly on social media or putting my work out there more difficult than others might. When I think about the things I value the most right now within my work or business, two things stand out, and honestly, I think it is because those have been areas of genuine effort for me. The first is the community. As people, especially girls, we can be pretty hard on ourselves, and sometimes this comes out as putting others down to try to bring ourselves up. Sometimes this comes out as being self-deprecating, not creating healthy boundaries in our business, or not valuing our work appropriately. Find a community, a tribe and when you do, be the kind of person who creates community and friendship rather than competition. I am so thankful for the creatives in my life who have kept me going when I have wanted to give up.
The second thing that I have worked towards and am working towards is technical proficiency and professionalism. I’ve watched many of my male counterparts dive in and learn the technical specifications and I’ve had the experience of being intimidated, but ultimately gear is a tool, and if you know your tools well, you can create in any situation. I’ve never wanted to be the photographer that backed down because the light wasn’t ideal or the conditions were not as I expected. This has pushed me to focus on technical growth and put effort into mastery. You don’t always have to have the newest gear, but you do have to know your gear to the best of your ability, and if it is limiting you, don’t be afraid to take the next step. Finally, in the same vein, I would find myself lowering the bar through the way I discussed my business. I know better, I work in a professional environment, but I would say things like “Oh It’s just a side gig.” when I was booked out for the summer. If your goal is to have a creative business, it may be creative, but at the end of the day, it is a business. Speak professionally about yourself, speak professionally to your clients, learn about how to run a business, and don’t diminish what you bring to the table.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into Claire and Co. story. Tell us more about the business.
I am a Wedding, Elopement, and Lifestyle/Travel photographer based in Southern California. My work is intimate, moment-based, and intended to make you feel like you’re part of a big world. Stylistically, I am drawn towards warm film tones, bright whites, and true colors. During my time with a client, I want to create moments and memories that feel raw, honest, and true and I feel most honored when a client trusts me enough to share their passions with me. Sometimes that has taken me into creative studios, sometimes we go on treks to the top of mountains to catch the sunrise, and sometimes we are all getting soaked by the waves at their favorite hidden beach, but not always. Sometimes it’s just a breath that two people share who are deeply in love.
Do you have a lesson or advice you’d like to share with young women just starting out?
This last year I’ve done a lot of yoga, and something that is said quite often is “Find your drishti” which is basically another way of saying find your focal point. As a young woman, who is a few years into her career and running her own business, this has been the piece that when I get wrong, always gets me in trouble.
There are still days when I doubt myself, whether it is if my work is enough, or maybe in a specific situation with a client or colleague. During those moments, I have found the most helpful thing is to reframe my internal dialogue, find my focus point, and take the next step, even if the next step is setting a boundary to create space for my growth, or saying no to a request that doesn’t align with my brand.
Pricing:
- Weddings -start at $2495
- Elopements – start at $1595
- Lifestyle – Start at $345
Contact Info:
- Website: www.claireandco.com
- Phone: 15406799130
- Email: claire@claireandco.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/claireandco._
- Twitter: @wanderswithfilm
Image Credit:
Claire and Co – Claire Ware
Suggest a story: SDVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
