This piece of seemingly fundamental, yet low key brilliant advice comes from photographerJessica Delaney. She used this exact method to grow her circle of clients in a direction that linked her love of photography and interior design. Keep reading to learn more about this incredible woman and glean another piece of superb advice at the very end of her interview.

Tell us about the path that led you to becoming a full-time photographer. Was a career in photography what you always dreamt of doing?

Well the path was a bit windy getting to where I am now! In previous lives, I was once a yoga teacher, and also in finance. I have always loved the story a photograph can tell, and as a child I could be found pulling out old slides and photographs of family at my grandparents’ home. Once I had my first child, I knew I need a change and found that being behind a camera, capturing my life and the lives of other families, was very exciting. After buying our first home though, I realized how much I loved design and wanted to find a way to bring my photography beyond portraits, and incorporate interior design. I will forever be grateful for an amazing mentor, and those first few clients that took a chance on me and helped me build my business to where it is now!

How would you describe your personal photography style and what influences have had the greatest impact in developing said style?

I would say my attention to all the minute details is something I take great pride in. An entire space needs to be considered when developing a photograph of a room. I have had an amazing mentor right here in Boston, and I study design publications as if they are books in college!

If I wanted to break into the interior photography business, what trade secret would you share with me?

Don’t underestimate the power of networking. If you want to meet people in the design field, go to trade meetings, parties thrown by local publications, reach out to people you follow to say hello, ask them for coffee! I met two of my very first (and now very long time!) clients as the event photographer for an industry party.

We often see the end results of a photo shoot. Can you give us a glimpse of what an interiors shoot day looks like for you?

Get ready to work! It’s definitely not all the glitz and glam that everyone thinks. There is crawling on knees to straighten bedding, cleaning up pet hairs, and a lot of moving furniture so the balance of a room reads its best in the photograph. So bring on the music and loads of coffee!

What passions do you pursue when you’re not behind the lens?

I love my yoga practice, and I’m working on learning French!

Do you have a mantra or mindset that has been powerful in your journey of being a business owner?

I’m working very hard on being present over perfect. It’s very easy to get caught up on what everyone else is doing, who is working with whom, but especially as we kick off the new year, I want to focus on the business I have built, the clients I have amazing relationships with that come back time after time, and have that be enough!

Like what you see? Take a peek at the talent behind the story… Photography: Jessica Delaney · Interior Design for Feature Image: Chestnut Grove Designs