Meet David Enloe | Family Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with David Enloe and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi David, putting aside the decision to work for yourself, what other decisions were critical to your success?
Stepping away from social media.

I started my photography business four and a half years ago, and was convinced by everyone around me that social media would be instrumental to my success. It never felt great. Sometimes I felt like I was doing too little, other times too much. Before I let it go, I was personally feeling the pull of the algorithm and the loss of inner space that comes with avoiding any sort of quiet or downtime.

While I officially stepped away at the beginning of 2024, the process was in motion much earlier. I rebuilt my website in early 2023, and by then I was giving social media very little of my energy. This gave me the bandwidth to approach designing a website with the same intention that I would a physical storefront or studio, which is not something that very many creatives get the chance to do these days.

Think about how much energy and love you would put into creating a physical space in which you greet your clients. You would have to pay rent, make renovations, maintain inventory, and physically be there a lot of the time. And you would have to change things up seasonally to keep it fresh. It is a lot of work.

I put that much work into my website, and now I have a (virtual) space for my clients that I am proud of, and that serves as a foundation for building a portfolio and a content library. I have a place to build a brand that is absolutely true to myself.

I’ll finish this by saying that being off of social media has given me way more mental space to grow as an artist. My work feels more personal and unique than it ever has, and I’m finding inspiration in places I didn’t even have the time to look at before.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
The Enloe Creative is centered around family photography. My clients, mostly from San Francisco or the broader Bay Area, are wildly proud to live here. We sacrifice money, time, and often a little bit of sanity to make a life in this vibrant community surrounded by natural beauty.

People hire me because my photographs tell that story of connection to our home. Somewhere between lifestyle and documentary, artful and journalistic, I am trying to capture what it feels like to be part of a family as they exist here and now.

I also build custom picture frames. At the end of a session, these same families can easily commission me to craft a frame out of locally upcycled wood – lumber from trees that fell in San Francisco parks and neighborhoods – often sourced just a few blocks from their homes. It is all very full circle.

Getting to this point professionally was hard. I grew up on an island in the Caribbean where I was a big fish in a small pond. Starting a family photography business in San Francisco was a complete shock – I am now a tiny fish in a vast ocean.

The biggest challenge was getting in front of potential clients and connecting with them. Early in the pandemic when my business was just starting, I had the idea to begin offering a free photo booth at the local farmer & makers market. I started calling it the Popup Photo Studio and credit it largely with the early success of my business.

This was a totally free service for the families I met at these events. The only compensation was that they signed up for my email list, which is how I delivered the photos anyway. The combination of meeting them in person, offering something fun and free, and staying in touch over email is magic.

People value connection. Find a way to connect with them as directly as possible – in person is best – and then stay in touch.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I know this is an LA publication, but hopefully you all can enjoy my suggestions when you visit San Francisco. Bring your family and I’ll take photos!

My favorite days are the ones spent near home. I am so lucky to live in this mellow neighborhood near the beach called Outer Sunset, and I try really hard to appreciate what’s close. I rarely go downtown.

A likely itinerary –

We’d leave my house in the Outer Sunset district and stop by Andytown for coffee and scones. Andytown has my favorite espresso in the city, but even more importantly, they are open at 7 am. I’m a morning person, and I want to hit the trail early. We would drive to the Land’s End trailhead and hike to Mile Rock Beach to watch the sun rise over the city, the Bay, and the Marin Headlands.

By the time we’re back to the car, everyone is hungry and my go-to is always musubis at Other Avenues on Taraval Street. All of the combinations are great, but the sauce is where it really comes together. We’d get extra sauce.

We would likely head home at this point. I love blank space in my plans (and on my calendar) and late mornings are a beautiful time at my house. We would hang with the dogs, sit in the backyard, maybe even garden a bit.

After grabbing sandwiches or poke bowls to-go from the local market, it’s off to Golden Gate Park. JFK Promenade became car-free during the pandemic and has stayed that way, with art installations, public pianos parked in the middle of the road, a beer garden, and lots more. The redwood grove adjacent to the Rose Garden is epic, and the Botanical Gardens are world class.

And we would end the day near my house, in the dunes at Ocean Beach. There’s no better place to throw down a blanket and watch the sunset. It would be just a short walk to dinner – easy local seafood at Hook Fish Co.

Friends or not, I’m winding down and headed to bed early. With a baby to keep happy and a business to run, I’m always falling asleep by 8 pm.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I give my wife, Megan, a huge amount of credit for supporting me through multiple career shifts as I built a business that I love. One that took a lot of time, energy, and faith.

It was just 10 years ago when I informed her I would not, in fact, be attending medical school. I wish I had turned to photography at that point, but instead I became a pilot, flying airplanes and helicopters for the next 8 years. Finally realizing that this, also, was not a good fit I decided in 2020 to pursue photography as a side hustle.

What makes Megan’s support so meaningful is that I know how hard my success was for her to envision. From a family with little extra money and zero entrepreneurial experience, this must have looked to her like somewhat of an irresponsible pipe dream.

Yet she has spent the past four years learning about my art, my passion, and my business. During my late nights building a website or frantic wakeups at 4 am to edit photo galleries, she has always reminded me that my sanity matters more to our family than the money. There’s nothing more supportive than that understanding.

I also want to shout out to a group I am a lifetime member of called Fuel Your Photos. Ostensibly dedicated to “SEO for photographers” the owners – Dylan Howell and Corey Potter – have taught me (and many others) how to shape a business that is authentic, visible, and sustainable for the long haul. They are deep thinkers and they present their detailed knowledge in a way that photographers and small business owners can actually use. Thanks guys!

Website: https://theenloecreative.com/

Instagram: @theenloecreative

Image Credits
Alex Strachan (personal image only)