Julie Sheriff has been an educator and member of The Motherhood Anthology since we launched the membership in the summer of 2018. Today, we would like to share an interview we had with her about her business and goals. We hope you enjoy getting to learn more about her just as much as we did.

Hi Julie, please introduce yourself and your business to our readers! 

Hello! I’m Julie and I am a lover of God, Beautiful Light, Health & Wellness, Taking Pretty Pictures, All things Parenting, and sharing my passion with others. I am a mom of 3 boys, age 24, 10 and 7. I call myself the “Old Mom, New Baby”, meaning not just old(er) in years, but old in experience, and doing it all over again.

You’ve got your hands full! Tell us, what was your initial inspiration to get into photography? 

My Kids! Aaaand my DIY mentality. I’d see all these documentary images of kids and think “I can do that!” so I went to Costco and bought my first DSLR (Canon 50D w/ a kit lens), and it all started there. I know first hand how fast kids grow up, and I just wanted more than anything to capture all the little things I didnt know I was going to miss. Like the little cabbage patch dimples they have for knuckles until they grew into real boy hands. The way toddlers ran straight legged, swaying hips side to side because they havent mastered knee bending. The sweet fuzzy halo that resides over their bald head while they are learning how to eat by themselves. The way they eat peanut butter sandwiches straight down the middle of the bread, leaving PBJ marks up their cheeks to their ears. I just wanted to capture their childhood in a bottle and store it in my heart.

Oh goodness, those sweet little moments truly are the ones we don’t realize we love until they’re gone, you are exactly right! Let’s show our members your first “professional” image and we would love to see a critique of it now that you have years of experience under your belt. 

This was my first pro photo, my 10 year old had just turned one and I had been shooting for about 6 months. This picture is best friends first grand daughter (yes, while I’m having my second set of kids, my friends are having grand kids). I posted it on facebook and everyone raved saying I should “Go Pro”. And it was the first time I thought to myself “Yeah, maybe I can be good enough” CC: It’s out of focus so I over sharpened the eyes ( but that was okay back then, alien eyes was the style 9 years ago, so I was good 😉 ) I like the composition, even light, background, and even the skintones, but the thing I liked most of all is it was not a traditional “Pose”. It was an authentic moment, something I still aim for when I shoot today. Funny Fact… I still use the same “Actions” today as I did when I first stared out. These “Lily Blue Actions” were the first set I ever bought and are still my favorite, I just don’t apply them at 100% anymore.

The ‘alien eyes’ comment is too funny! If you could go back to when you first started, what advice would you give yourself? 

Gosh I’m not even sure. It has been such a fun fulfilling journey, all the bumps and lessons are part of what makes me who I am today. Learning is endless and sometimes I wished I was a faster learner, it took me 10 years to get where some are in just 1 (although I’m not sure about that, I learned everything I could in photography, not just one thing. THEN I specialized in what I loved most, where some just dive in and specialize but can’t shoot Outside the Box) . But I never gave up. Giving up was not an option for me, and there is a sense of feeling proud of myself for not giving up when so many people I stared with just took off and I struggled so much along the way. I still just kept swimming! So to have people reach out now and ask to mentor them, ask to use my work in advertising, ask to interview me 😉 It is such an honor and hard earned accomplishment. I guess if there was one thing I could say to me when I was just starting out, that was – dissect the elements of the images you love. Figure out what that recipe is. Because it is now in that, that I can go anywhere, look for those elements, and create someting that people identify as My Work, before they even see my name attached to it. Oh one more thing I would have told me – Don’t spend so much money in Actions! hahaha! While Lily Blue were the first actions I ever bought and are the ones I still use today, I did purchase every single action out there available to man, and I could have bought me a new set of gear at that price. Save your money and learn to shoot and clean edit! Then apply a signature touch of fancy if you wish!

What’s the biggest business lesson you’ve learned so far? 

I, too easily, get caught in comparison and trying to do what others do to be a success. I have had to learn to find my own voice, discover and be my self, and do what is right and best for me, my family and my clients. Most photographers I associate with don’t have the same challenges as I do (we each have our own and they have tailored their business to best suit their challenges), so I have needed to step back and look at what I’m up against, be brave and not be afraid to be different.

We couldn’t have said it better! Can you share with us what the most impactful change has been that you’ve either made or implemented into your business? 

To soul search who I am, brand myself to that, shoot what I love and love what I shoot. My business is now set up to allow me to do that. I rebranded, provide wardrobe, a very personal experience, I raised prices so that only people who love my work hire me. I’ve had the most amazing experience with my clients because they “get me” and they trust me. I have the opportunity to pour my heart into my work and I believe that it shows, and that’s what attracts MY clients to me.

Who do you look to as your inspiration? 

Oh so many amazing women (and Jose Villa). Kellē Sauer is a big one for me with her use of light, shadows and movement and the way her images evoke emotion. Even though our styles are so completely different, she is a true artist and she inspires me to look within and fearlessly be myself the best I can.

Her work is absolutely beautiful. Will you tell us what your current goal is for your business? 

To run a sustainable business that I love, so I can stay home with my kids and be the one to raise them.

And now, what goals are you working on in your personal life?

To be the best mom I can be. To create a loving warm and safe environment to nurture my children, teach them about the love and beauty of god and how to live in Gods light, and to create as many amazing memories as possible.

We love this so, so much. Now, we are all busy moms/wives/business owners and we love a good life-hack. Would you share with us a life hack that’s been a game-changer for you? 

VidAngle! It’s a app you install on your smart TV and devices, It’s like 7 or 10 dollars a month and you can custom filter R movies and make them kid friendly, I mean… who doesn’t want to watch Forest Gump!

That’s awesome! One last question before we go! Please provide your absolute favorite image you’ve taken so far and explain why you love it so much. 

This one Hands Down is my all time favorite. I call my kids “Norman Rockwell Kids”. It’s not like a fancy PRO photo, but it gives me all the feels and tickles my soul! It is a perfect display of their childhood, the one I want to never forget.

We truly loved getting to know Julie a tad better during this interview. If you would like to follow Julie to see more of her work, you can find her information below.

Website: http://www.juliesheriff.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Juliesheriffphoto

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