Rising Stars: Meet Colleen Winstead of Louisburg, North Carolina

Today we’d like to introduce you to Colleen Winstead.

Hi Colleen, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself
I purchased my first digital camera when I was in high school, around 2006, so I could take pictures and create memories of this huge family road trip my family had been planning across the country. I knew right then I had sparked a love for capturing memories!

When I went off to college at Appalachian State University in 2010, I discovered they had a photography program and just knew this was the path I should take for my life. The program initially began using black and white 35mm film and we learned how to develop our own film and print it ourselves in the lab. We studied studio work, fashion work, the history of photography, and so much more.

After graduation in the summer of 2014, I took a couple of years working retail and reception to get back on my feet before beginning my business Lily & Vine Photo Co., in 2016. From this point on, I have really truly loved getting to create and capture these once-in-a-lifetime moments with my clients!

Alright, 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?
It has definitely not been a smooth road to get to where I am currently! There was a tragedy in my immediate family one year after beginning the business that took me two years to mentally get back on track working with clients, shooting weddings, and building up my business.

However, this tragedy even further drove home my “why” for why I do what I do and why it means SO much to me. You truly never know how long you have with your loved ones, so to me there is no greater gift than being able to relive those moments and memories through those photographs.

Yikes, I know that was a little heavy, haha! But happy moments are seriously what I LIVE FOR. The anticipation of your wedding day, the moment the groom sees his bride for the first time, those hilarious best man speeches, dancing the night away in the middle of the dance floor, and so. much. more. These are the memories you want to last a lifetime!

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a professional wedding and portrait photographer based in Louisburg, North Carolina – but, yes, I do travel all around NC! I specialize in photographing weddings and portraits of all types. I love photographing engagements, anniversaries, announcements for all kinds of life events, families… everything!

What sets me apart from others is that I genuinely love to connect with my clients. Being a photographer, especially a wedding photographer, is such a personal profession. You know, on your wedding day your photographer will be with the bride and groom (or grooms, or brides) ALL. DAY. LONG. I definitely want to make sure you hire someone that clicks with you -pun intended- and I do hope that person is me! But if it isn’t, that’s totally OK too.

Speaking more on weddings, all of my wedding packages include a complimentary engagement session to give us a chance to work together *before* the wedding day so the couple can feel confident and comfortable in front of my camera on one of the biggest days of their lives. I also work with the couple to create a photography-specific timeline to ensure we have adequate time for photographing the parts of the day that are the most important to them.

I also create a family photo document to make sure that we have thought of all family photo combos beforehand so the couple isn’t scrambling on the day to think about what they want. On top of all of this, I’m always here to be a listening ear and calm voice of reason for my clients whenever they need it – I know planning weddings can be stressful and I want to help alleviate any stress that I can!

We love surprises, fun facts, and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
So, my style of photography and editing is mostly true-to-life color, a bit on what some would consider the “bright and airy” style. I actually tend to hire photographers with a completely different style to mine for my personal photos for a few reasons!

It’s fun to see how other photographers work with their clients and as a photographer, it’s even more fun to think through how I would personally shoot my own session, watch the photographer I hired work their magic, and then see their art come to life when they’re done editing! It’s such a beautiful process.

Pricing:

• Wedding packages begin at $2600
• Customized Wedding Photography coverage can be created! Just ask!
• Portrait sessions begin at $375

Contact Info:

• Email: lilyandvinephotoco@gmail.com
• Website: www.lilyandvinephotoco.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lilyandvinephotoco
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lilyandvinephotoco

Image Credits
Lily & Vine Photo Co.