Gina-and-Ryan McNulty
Owner & Photographer
Gina & Ryan Photography
Milestones
My road in life took a while to figure out.
Since we were young, we always knew we wanted to work in a creative, design-oriented field.
We went to college for Landscape Architecture, which satisfied our creative tendencies.
We worked through college in the restaurant industry (teaching us "control under pressure").
We got a camera for fun. We put a 'photographer' ad on craigslist & built a portfolio from the gigs.
We got married ('10) & graduated ('11). Job placement for Landscape Architects fell from 90% to 3%.
While applying for jobs, we designed & built our photography company, brand, and website.
We found our passion. As business picked up, we quit applying for Landscape Architecture jobs.
We went full time in 2012. (Couldn't have done it without our Landscape Architecture background).
Keep following my journey
Education
High School
Career
Owner & Photographer
We are Gina & Ryan, husband & wife Wedding Photography team based out of Los Angeles.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Entrepreneurship
Design
Being Creative
Day to Day
Typical Week Day: Coffee. Respond to Emails. Edit Photos. Write a Blog Post. Update Social Media Statuses. Make Client Phone Calls. More Coffee. Edit More Photos. Export Images. Package Photos. Ship Packages. Design a Wedding Album. Respond to more Emails. Meet with Prospective Clients. Shoot scheduled Sessions. Wedding Day: Prep Gear. Arrive on Location. 10-14 Hour Shoot Day. Leave. Triple-back-up all photos. Charge all batteries. Post Sneak Peek of Wedding on Social Media. Sleep.
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for professionals
Take advantage of all the free educational resources out there. Make an ad on Craigslist; build yourself a portfolio even if it means shooting for free. Get a domain name with a legit email address. Figure out the type of clientele you'd like to attract and hire a pro to design your website / brand / logo. Everyone's a wedding photographer nowadays; what makes you different? Keep in mind that a good portfolio helps, but there's only one "you". Emphasize it, and use your brand as a tool to do so.
Recommended Education
My career is not related to what I studied. I'd recommend this path instead:
Hurdles
The Noise I Shed
From Society in General:
"You need to graduate college, start your career job, then get married to someone who's done the same. Buy a house with a white picket fence and have a few kids... Complete this and have life figured out by age 25. - The American Dream"
