Today we’d like to introduce you to Grace Gruwell.
Grace, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Wedding photography snuck up on me like only a true love can.
Growing up in the Southwest US, my high school dream was to work for the National Park Service in one of the beautifully wild places my family backpacked- Capitol Reef, Zion or Great Basin- as a wildlife biologist or a geologist. However, once I started college, I found rather quickly that my love for the outdoors is rooted in the observation of nature rather than its quantification. More than anything, I loved watching the way shifting sunlight changes the way we perceive our world.
Cloudy days softly illuminate landscapes in a romantic or moody way, while the bold light of a sunny day strikes the same landscape with aggressive, passionate contrast. Light is unpredictable, changing day to day, season to season, location to location. Chasing light quickly becomes an obsession. But I’m not a landscape photographer- I’m a photographer of people! When I first picked up a camera in high school, I did what every teen does- I took a thousand selfies. (But that was 2005, so “selfies” weren’t a thing yet.)
Now, more than ten years after the advent of Facebook, there are dozens of studies linking the creation of self-portraits with adolescent identity construction, but I think Susan Sontag got it totally right when she wrote: “to photograph is to appropriate the thing photographed.” As photographers, we use the camera in an attempt to make sense of things or collect things or to communicate nonverbal emotions and narratives.
As I became more comfortable with my own identity, my passion turned quickly to photographing new faces I found more intriguing. What hooked me on photographing people (more than decor, interiors or products) was the wonderful feeling of fulfillment that comes with making individuals feel seen and loved. There’s no high for me quite like knowing I’ve created images that are emotionally authentic and evocative in the most encouraging and uplifting way for whomever I photograph.
In hindsight, growing into wedding photography was a natural progression as I followed my passion for photographing people and love of natural light. Wedding days are for the idealists, dreamers and optimists in us all. At the center of a wedding is a belief in the goodness of humanity and the celebration of the trust we have in our family and friends. Each wedding manifests uniquely through each couple’s blend of personality, culture, style and philosophical priorities… so each day on the job presents itself with new possibilities and fresh hope for the world as a whole. Who couldn’t fall in love with work like this?
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Yes and no! When I started my business in 2013, I’d only been out of college for a year. I had the energy that only a 23-year-old woman who’s just gone through a bad break up has! I was searching for a new future and work that would be fulfilling and sustaining.
The first couple of years full-time had stellar highs and lows. Each booking that came in felt like a minor miracle. However, because I built my business from scratch without a bank loan, even paying my sketchy apartment’s rent felt like a point of accomplishment. I worked hard for minimal monetary compensation in the beginning, but I had the confidence that every hour of effort and every dollar I put into the business was growing it into something sustainable and terrific.
Most of the “lows” were times of financial insecurity while waiting for the business to catch up and start paying a living wage. My grandfather, an entrepreneur and business owner himself, encouraged me time and again to give my best effort for three years before deciding whether to call it quits or continuing to pour my life into the work.
However, it was through these times that I discovered that there is no motivation like desperation. Whether it’s taking on a fluff assignment “10 Rad Spots to Take a Selfie in Chicago” for a feature website or arranging a day of mini-sessions, I know now that if there’s a will, there is definitely a way.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about True Grace Photography – what should we know?
“True Grace Photography” was a whim of a name that I picked without much thought or effort at the time, but it became the guiding light and mantra for my work as a photographer.
I specialize in honest photography that authentically reflects the reality of a person, moment or atmosphere. I don’t over process images or apply loads of filters to change the appearance of my clients or their day.
The late great portraitist Richard Avedon once said “All photographs are accurate. None of them is the truth.” While all of the photographs I create will inevitably carry the mark of my personal vision and interpretation, I strive to see and value the day as my clients do. The only way this is possible is to connect with each couple personally.
I book only twenty weddings per year to ensure my door (or inbox!) is always open for my clients who want to share their dreams, questions, hopes, concerns and vision. I believe that 90% of being a “good” photographer is in the preparation and knowing where to be and when. For example, if I know that the bride has a uniquely special relationship with a great-aunt (or another unexpected relative, I’ll be keen to look for and capture remarkable moments with her.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Mindfulness of each moment and awareness of other’s experience. As a photographer of weddings, it’s easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of the day’s events and lose sight of individual moments in the emotional bluster.
To prepare for wedding days and to find personal balance in the heat of the busy seasons, I practice yoga and meditation in an effort to acknowledge and quiet my own mental noise. By seeking to calm creative insecurities and personal emotional attachments, I find I’m better able to connect with my clients and capture the beautifully transcendent “in-between” moments that make the most special photographs.
It’s the pursuit and practice of observing and immortalizing these moments in photographs that continually gets me out of bed in the morning- and (hopefully) continually connects me with clients who value the same style and approach to photography that I do.
Pricing:
- Most couples invest between $4500-$5500.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.truegracephotography.com
- Phone: 630-442-4595
- Email: grace@truegracephotography.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/truegracephoto
- Facebook: facebook.com/truegracephotography
Image Credit:
Courtney Cimo
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