Casia Fletcher, co-owner of Fletcher and Co. in Tucson, AZ, is paving her own path in our industry with her minimal approach to celebrating motherhood and we are absolutely in love. She has been a member of our community since we launched in 2018 and we have loved watching her work. Without further ado…

Hi Casia! Please introduce yourself and your business for our audience. 

Hello, I am Casia Fletcher and am honored to share my story with you! I live and work in downtown  Tucson, Arizona. Together with my husband/business partner Eric, we have been photographing modern families professionally for over 12 years. My motherhood division – Fletcher and Co Motherhood, was created after the birth of our daughter Nova who is now 5 years old and in kindergarten. I adore minimalism, plants, and slow living in our tiny desert bungalow.

Excellent! What was your initial inspiration to get into photography?

I took my first photography class as a freshman in high school, my teacher saw something in me and I’ve been hooked ever since. I started with film, the darkroom and have migrated to digital. My uncle is a  hobbyist photographer and sent me a professional Canon film camera to experiment with throughout school. That was the greatest gift and tool.

What an incredible gift. Now, if you could go back to when you first started, what advice would you give yourself?

I would tell myself to listen to my heart and do not compare yourself to what others are doing. Simple photography is always timeless, don’t get lost in the trends.

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

Don’t be afraid to take risks, scary ones. I am the type of person that always wonders “what if?” I wish I  would have jumped sooner to dream big. I am learning to live more freely and to just try. I now ask  myself “what is the worst that could happen?” When I vision it that way, it is not as intimidating.

Oh gosh, that’s a gem of nugget, honestly. What’s been the most impacting change you’ve made or implemented in your business so far? 

Having a separate workspace outside of the home. In the past I enforced policies and business hours from home, however having a dedicated space just for work, client meetings and photography sessions was a  game-changer. Now when I shut the door it stays clean, I turn off work and enjoy family time.

Absolute game-changer, completely agreed. Who do you look to as your inspiration? 

For the past year, I have been trying to solely focus on our photography style and not comparing to others.  When I am on social media I am there to connect and build a community. I am also inspired by those who create simple work. My husband and I love architecture, leading lines and lots of open negative space within our compositions. We are attracted to other photographers who do the same. For outdoor urban portraits ­ Sam Hurd is mind-blowing, he achieves creative photos in one shot, that seems to always be ahead of the curve in the industry. For minimal studio portraits ­ Suzi Mitchell of Little White  Photography achieves an effortless playful feel with children’s photography.

What’s your current goal for your business?

My current goal is to hustle, grow and give our business the attention it deserves. We have been in our dream studio for over a year and have already seen an increase in inquiries and bookings. I have also been diving into as much marketing education as possible. It’s overwhelming at times, but ultimately necessary. The marketing growth has been incredibly rewarding, especially with SEO and google reviews.

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

Organizing, tidying and to be debt­free. Have you heard of Marie Kondo and Dave Ramsey? When Marie debuted her Netflix series I binged watch in the first day. We have been living small and minimal for a  few years and are constantly simplifying. It’s made a huge change in the stress within our household.  Next, we are tackling personal finances and self­care. We put these on the back burner when our daughter was born, gave her 100% of our energy, and are now seeing the importance of healthy EVERYTHING.  Since she is obsessed with school and we can put our attention to life­long plans and goals.

Let’s see a favorite image (or two!) you’ve taken so far and explain why you love it so much. 

We specialize in urban family sessions and modern studio motherhood. Many of our photographs capture everything our business stands for … they are simple, in the moment yet thoughtful with composition.

Absolutely stunning, Casia! One last thing before we go. Tell us what your daily must is. 

My daily personal must is co­sleeping with our daughter, yep she’s still in our bed. I am soaking up every single moment as she may be our only. Waking up to her every morning and hearing what she dreamt about is super special. We also do stretches first thing to calm our busy minds. Bedtime and learning about what her favorite part of the day is something I’ll do until she no longer thinks it’s cool.

My daily business must is tackling as much as I can throughout the day, giving myself a lunch break outside with fresh air (one of the perks of living in the desert, it’s gorgeous for 8 months) and then knowing that it’s ok if I didn’t finish everything. That is what tomorrow is for, it can wait.

We absolutely adored getting to know Casia just a bit better with this interview. Her work inspires us and we are so proud to have her as part of our community. To see more of their awesome shipping container turned studio space, check out this blog.