Pivoting From Wedding To Commercial Photography | An Interview with Amber Hughes

The ARC Creative Podcast: Educating + Inspiring Creatives to Excel as Artists, Entrepreneurs & Humans.

The Power of Pivoting: An Interview with Amber Hughes

For the past 16 years, Amber Hughes has been an acclaimed Vancouver-based wedding and portrait photographer. However, when the pandemic hit in 2020, 95% of her clients disappeared from either rescheduling or canceling, leaving her with 0% foreseeable income. What started as a period of existential questioning led to a sea change of opportunities. After reflecting, she made the pivot towards commercial and personal branding photographer which has reinvigorated and balanced her creativity with business.

Learn how she made the change in our conversation.

Amber Hughes is a returning guest on the podcast. We spoke about the importance of relationships and connections in photography. She is a maker of many things (including rainbow pillows), and likes to use her hands as much as possible in any given project.

In this episode:

• Rediscovering the joy of creating by getting offline
• The importance of self reflection and self care
• Leaning into community support to help you make powerful changes in your life
• Practical habits and practices to help you during moments of transition
• Impactful tactics to create more traction and engagement in your business

7:36 - “I had this pause to stop and reflect and realize that there's a whole life outside of my work that I wasn’t paying attention to and noticing that maybe I should be looking at a different way of doing my business.”

9:00 - “Having a clean break really felt like coming up for air, and I realized how much I was overworking myself.”

11:00 - “(Access) is everything. To have someone who is alongside you and has knowledge they’re willing to share and be there, and cheer you on as you make those steps.”

11:59 - “Doing things with my hands frees up my mind. And I find myself meditating while I’m doing these things. It’s an interesting way for me to ground and center myself while I’m creating. It’s a two-fold experience for me.”

24:14 - “[After making the pivot], not only have I been on my own power and made it through, I’m actually thriving.”

Connect with Amber on Instagram and her commericial site here.

[From the ARC Archives, Recorded in 2021]

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Photographers!!!

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