Featured Showiteer- Leslie Ann Lejcar
There is an amazing section of LeslieAnnPhotography.com entitled “The Experience” in which Leslie, our Featured Showiteer, goes into great detail of what it would be like for perspective clients to work with her on their wedding day. The intro starts off saying, “After 15 years and over 400 weddings, I’ve seen it all!” which is a statement in itself. As you page through the site though, you begin to realize all the weight that statement holds. Not only does Leslie bring her photography experience to every shoot, she brings her wedding day experience as well.
In the video under the same section of her site, Leslie is adjusting a place setting, and then smoothing chair covers as she prepares to shoot what will soon be the bride’s and groom’s dinner table. Tiny details the bride might not even notice are being perfected through this veteran’s eye.
If you follow through to the reviews section of Leslie’s site, one client shares her love of her wedding images and then goes on to say, “Leslie also single-handedly kept the wedding from falling apart during the big day!” Photographer, perfecter-of-details, and wedding-day-saver, Leslie Ann Lejcar has found the exact spot she should be!
Like many full-time photographers we have highlighted, she did not discover her photography career until after college. After studying elementary education, Leslie landed a teaching job. “That ended pretty quickly after my first semester of actually being in a classroom with about thirty 6th graders!!” Realizing fairly quickly she didn’t want to spend her life in the classroom, she took an office job while she re-evaluated her career path.
“I originally didn't seek out photography. My sister pretty much twisted my arm when her friend was desperate for a free wedding photographer. I said “no” to them about 10 times before finally giving in with a ZERO guarantee clause! Well, she ended up referring me multiple times to people that actually wanted to pay me. I was a part time photographer and did that for 3 years (photographed 34 weddings) before quitting my “real” job and becoming a full time photographer.”
Fifteen years later, Leslie is still a successful full-time photographer and passionate about her work. Just recently, she has come to more of a realization about herself as a creative entrepreneur. “One of the mistakes I made in my business was not finding that photographer that influenced me. I found lots of photographers whose work I really liked but that's where it ended. I didn't even think to learn WHO they were as a person and what about them made them so successful, so likable. It wasn't till August of 2014 that I met Amy & Jordan who made me realize that I am what makes my photography unique… the way I interact with clients, treat them and genuinely care about them.“
As we learned from Leslie’s site, she has found great success in just being herself. It, in no way, happened overnight though. She shared just what she has learned from those 15 years for others who might be looking for their own creative niche. “Be intentional, set goals, find 1 or 2 photographers that you admire (not just a a photographer but a person) and learn from them, learn how to say no, hire a professional accountant/bookkeeper from day 1, make friends in the industry, try not to learn it all in the first month of business and be patient with yourself!!”
We are so glad Leslie was happy to share her experiences and wisdom with us! If you want to hear more from Leslie, you can pop in on her at her blog, Facebook, or Instagram.
If you know a Showiteer that has a learned a thing or two (and that’s all ya’ll!) shoot us their name so we can feature them here. Just drop us a line.