Meet Carol-Anne Myers-McCormick | Wild Creator & Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Carol-Anne Myers-McCormick and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Carol-Anne, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Well I will start with this… I never thought my passion for photography would flourish into this wild adventure it is today. Allowing me to provide for my babies and travel (two very things that ignite my soul and passion in life)! And it wasn’t until I had my beautiful boys that I realized the importance of capturing every ounce of their growing up with photos, as they grew fast and time most certainly robbed us.

What started out as a hobby that was simply an escape from a darkness that accompanied the postpartum depression I suffered after becoming a new mom to Irish twins. I quickly set my business aside to become a home engineer (stay at home mom) and then without a warning we receded to a family of three from four. This event in our lives awakened an importance of manifesting my hobby into what we know as Stay Wild Imagery today. This crossroad has humbly provided for the only two humans that I need in my life.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My art would not be successful without the charming people I get to capture daily. Hi! I am Carol-Anne and I am a wedding + elopement photographer and a lifestyle ,content creator. It is an honor to serve you. When you request my services, you not only gain a new best friend but I promise to go above and beyond from start to finish of your experience. I will always exceed an attention to detail. I capture more candid images over stiff poses.

To this day I am always learning how to improve myself professionally daily. If you are not willing to grow as your company does, then you are going to fail in areas of your business.

Was it easy? Absolutely not! I still face trials and errors constantly. Without a solid support system however I think it would be very hard to overcome these challenges. I also had to learn how to be content with knowing that while I run a business, I am also a mom and a human, so breaks are very important. I am always trying find new ways to ensure my business stays current, that I stick to safe actions when scheduling sessions, and more. If there is anything I learned when creating Stay Wild Imagery, it would be that you are capable of more than you give yourself credit for. If I would have listened to every person that told me I would never make it in this industry, well then I would probably still be working a 9-5 job I hated. My brand is all about adventures, and reconnecting with nature, your spirit, and loved ones all while I capture the transpiration that every session has to offer . I can guarantee we will share laughs, smiles and sometimes tears- no matter the emotion I will capture it and feel it wholesomely with you.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Time with my bestie friends is never a disappointment! We actually meet up annually for a girl’s trip. So great timing for this question, haha. Being from a small town in South Dakota, the girls and I enjoy some uncommon city site seeing. So when the area offers outdoor/recreation we really enjoy sticking to our roots! So honestly you would most likely find us all over the map doing anything from taking the ATVs out around Lake Pleasant to enjoying mimosas flights from Haymaker’s in Litchfield Park, followed with shopping in Scottsdale or the Tempe Marketplace. We often times say we bring the country to the city! So we could never miss an opportunity to hike a solid trail in Sedona, or find an energetic country bar to go dancing. We also much prefer to support a local bar over a chain restaurant.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My work along with everything I do goes out to my boys, they are the reason I live, breathe, and work as hard as I do day in and day out. I would love to take this chance to thank my parents. They have been here for every session and still are to this day without hesitation or question to scoop up their grandbabies so I could fulfill my dreams and gain an income for my boys as a single mom. Now lets fast forward to the man that endlessly continues choosing me and my boys every single day; my husband. This man deserves the upmost recognition as well. He is my biggest supporter that pushes me daily out of my comfort zones. Has selflessly allowed me the ability to travel and capture all the world’s most wanderlust and incredible humans I get the honor of serving.

Website: www.staywildimagery.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/StayWildImagery

Facebook: www.facebook.com/StayWildImagery