Meet Dori Enzler | Portait Photographer & Business Student

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dori Enzler and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dori, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
From as long as I can remember, I wanted to have my own business one day. As I was growing up, I looked up to my dad as a role model as he is an entrepreneur himself. When it comes to photography, when the pandemic first hit, I really lost all my motivation and didn’t have anything really driving me forward. I stayed in my hometown of Roseville, MN and missed part of my freshman year and all of my sophomore year at the University of Arizona, that’s when I started working at a JCPenny Portrait Studio which is when my photography journey truly started. I ended up buying new equipment and lenses to up my photography game outside of the studio and had my friends and family be my models, from there I was building my portfolio.

When I got back to Arizona in August of 2021 for my junior year at the U of A, I had it all planned out. I made business cards to give out to people, I even made a website with my portfolio and talked to anyone I met around campus telling them I was a photographer. I thought this was a great chance to learn how to be entrepreneurial and really put my marketing skills to the test.

I’ve always wanted to have my own business that not only provided happiness for myself but also helped others and was sustainable. I’m hoping that once I graduate college that my efforts in learning about photography, posing, photo editing and marketing will allow me to be a full-time photographer.

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.
Although my career is just starting, I am proud of what I have accomplished so far. It was always my dream to turn a passion of mine into a business and I found it in photography. I get so excited going to photoshoots, interacting with customers and seeing the smiles on their faces as they see the final product. I would say right now I am most excited to reach out to the Tucson community more and see how I can service them and be there for them. I don’t want to be just a photographer that clicks a button, I want to give people an experience and make them feel proud and confident in themselves. That’s my goal as a photographer and business woman.

To get where I am today, I’d say my job at JCPenny Portraits as a photographer/sales associate and my current part-time job as the lead project manager for Tech Core, has impacted me the most professionally. I learned about angles, posing and customer service at my studio job, and I learned about communications and leading teams at my current job. Both these jobs have helped set me up for success and I can put the two together and implement those skills into my own business.

What I want people to know about Dori Kay Photography is that in the one hour session that you spend with me as I take your pictures, I will treat you as a friend and a human. I want that one hour to feel special for you, not a chore or something you have to get through. I will always do my best to give you the best service, experience and final product, leaving you feeling confident in me, but most of all yourself.

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.
If a friend wanted to visit Tucson, I would take them around downtown Tucson, 4th Avenue, around the University of Arizona campus, and eat some great Mexican food, there’s too many places to choose from. Also, I know Beyond Bread and Eegee’s is a classic for anyone in Arizona. Another fun place is Centennial Hall for broadway shows if you’re into that! Oh and of course we would need to go hike up Mount Lemmon, that is a must.

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?
I would like to give a shoutout to my parents for raising me and mentoring me on my entrepreneurship journey. Thanks, mom and dad for always being there. I would also like to give a shoutout to some of my coworkers and dear friends that have supported me this past year: Evan, Jess, Ivan and Mohamad. I have learned so much from you and glad to have you all by my side.

Website: https://www.dorikayphotography.com/

Instagram: @dorikayphotos

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dorikayphotography

Image Credits
Evan Zavitz (Life in Rapture Photography)