Meet Lynn Lewis | Big Sur Wedding and Elopement Photographer

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

Hi Lynn, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I am naturally a very risk-averse person – I love to plan ahead, do my research, and prepare for what’s ahead. So when it came to starting a photography business, I approached it in the same way I did everything. I held a full-time job for 3 years while doing photography in my free time. The year I quit my full-time job, I photographed 39 weddings and 24 weddings the year before. It seemed only natural to jump into full time photography at that point, but to be totally honest, I still held many reservations. Would I ever need to go back to a 9-5 job? What would it be like to no longer have the stability of benefits and retirement? What if I didn’t book as many weddings the next year? What happens when I get older? All of these thoughts made the jump all the more terrifying. But after weighing the pros and cons, I knew that the risk was worth it.

The year after I quit my full-time job to pursue photography, the pandemic hit. That was when I took my next big risk. Up until that point, I had primarily served the San Francisco Bay Area, where I had grown up and was living. When all my weddings were postponed, I started to pivot to Big Sur elopements. It was a location I had always loved, and had made many drives down Highway 1 just to photograph proposals there. My husband and I decided to move to Pacific Grove in 2021, right when my Bay Area weddings had started back up. I had only just started shooting Big Sur elopements the year before, but something about the towering redwood forests, the epic coastline, the mountainous beaches drew me in. It was an area that encompassed everything I loved about California. I decided to specialize in Big Sur elopements and intimate weddings, and started to turn down work in the Bay Area. This decision turned out to be one of the best moves I have ever made. I was able to truly hone down my niche, work with couples who were just as passionate about the outdoors as I was, and utilize my planning skills to help couples feel comfortable in planning a day in a place they have never been.

The last big risk that we took was my husband quitting his full-time job to join my business as an officiant, second photographer, and support system. This was and still is the biggest risk that still scares me every day. I can say without a doubt that it has been a huge blessing, allowing us the flexibility to do so much more than we ever thought we could do. We not only have been able to have better work-life balance, but also been able to pursue projects such as a house remodel. At the same time, we are now entering a new stage of life and wondering what changes that holds for us. Looks like a few more risk are in our future!

What should our readers know about your business?
Learning about the 9 Enneagram personality types has been one of the key factors in helping me understand what makes me unique as a photographer. The Enneagram is a personality typing system that focuses on key motivations and fears. I identify as a 5w6, often known as the problem solver. In a poll sent to a group of wedding and elopement photographers with almost 1000 votes, only 4% of photographers identified as a 5. And it’s easy to see the reason why – 5’s oftentimes are drawn to engineering, finance, and science fields. Early in my career as a photographer, I spent all my free time learning from others’ experiences. Though I never took any workshops or courses, I gleaned so much knowledge from joining Facebook groups where photographers’ shared their questions, struggles, and successes and reading blogs about topics like psychology for photographers. Browsing social media was not my escape from reality, but instead my source of knowledge and learning. This helped me to quickly grow my business in my early years, going from 10 weddings the first year I ever photographed weddings to more than double the next year.

My background in graphic design and psychology came in handy as well. My master’s thesis had been in finding your niche – a specialized career field where you could bring your very best skills to the table in unconventional ways. When I decided to specialize in Big Sur elopements, I learned everything I could about the area. I spent free weekends exploring each and every unmarked turnout on Highway 1, scouted out the exact locations where I could see myself photographing a couple, reached out to venues and state parks, and created planning checklists to organize all the information I had gathered. In doing so, I was able to fill a niche that was previously unoccupied – couples who were seeking to elope in the area but had little knowledge of the area or had never been there. While many photographers sought to travel to new destinations, I chose to specialize in one destination. Having in-depth knowledge about the area and being extremely responsive (I rarely left an email unread for more than 24 hours) allowed me to help couples feel comfortable and confident in trusting me to guide them on their once-in-a-lifetime day, a day where oftentimes I was the only witness.

And while planning was one of the key skills I brought to the table, it certainly was not everything. It never ceased to astound me how lucky I was to be able to be a part of these couples’ stories. While I have always been an introvert (part of what initially worried me about joining this industry), I found a deep innate passion for building close-knit connections with the couples I worked with, for being their supporter in a time that was often filled with stress and anxiety. Many of these couples became friends after the wedding day was long over, friends who I got to share many dinner parties with and watched grow as they entered new chapters of their lives. This journey has taught me that it is the people that make it all worth it. Many photographers say that photography is the investment that will last the test of time – that after the day is over, all that’s left are the photos. But I fully believe that it is the connections between people that will last the test of time. It is the way a photographer can go from being a complete stranger to the one witness in your wedding day, the way a photographer can make you feel safe and comfortable to be yourselves, the way a photographer values what matters to the couple, that will be left after the day is over. And the photos that remain? They are evidence of that very connection that makes being a wedding photographer so rewarding.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If there’s one place I always take people to, it’s the Big Sur coast. There is truly something so magical when you enter that portion of Highway 1 and see the mountains, cliffs, and ocean meld into one. And it never grows old – no matter how many times I visit, there is always something new to experience. Whether it’s the rare animal sightings – an otter swimming along the rocks or whales in the distance – or a cloudy day revealing an incredible sunset, I’ll never tire of how beautiful this area is.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to dedicate my shoutout to my husband, Keith Lewis. He is the reason I have been able to build my business to where it is today.

Website: https://www.lynnchanglewis.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lynnlewisphotography