Meet Liz Friedli | Photographer

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

Hi Liz, we’d love to start by asking you about lessons learned. Is there a lesson you can share with us?

The most important lesson my career has taught me, is that I get to define my own definition of “success” in life. It does not necessarily have to do with my income, followers on social media, or the amount of friends I have directly surrounding me. Success, to me, looks like happiness, liberation, and connection within my community. Growing up, I always had the mindset that I would be a successful traveling dentist. I always thought I enjoyed having structure and being told what needs to be done. However, after graduating college, I gained a lot of anxiety when comparing my life to others, feeling as though I was behind everyone else. But one day, I finally realized that the structure and “routine” I was searching for was actually holding me back from a life of fulfillment and gratitude.

I, just like most other people in the world, wanted to figure out what hobbies to do when the coronavirus sent us all into quarantine. I went for walks, watched tv, FaceTimed with friends, and started attending a meditation support group everyday. With all of this new free time I had, I did a LOT of self reflecting and realized I no longer wanted to pursue dentistry. I randomly bought a camera off of a second-hand app, and decided I would take pictures for fun. Not knowing much about photography, I decided to reach out to community help pages and a few months later, I grew my brand into what it is now. Without the amazing community support that I have received, I wouldn’t be where I am in my business today. Nothing compares to the feeling I get when I collaborate with local photographers/creatives or when I send off galleries to clients. Ultimately, I am living everything that I wanted to be, ironically, since I was a young girl (told my parents I wanted to be a famous photographer when i grew up). I continue to live the free, fortunate, and crazy, beautiful life that I can and hope to one day become that famous photographer that the younger me would be incredibly proud of.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
The biggest thing I am proud of is that within the first few months of starting my business, I booked my first paid wedding. That is usually unheard of for brand new photographers and I am so proud to say I achieved that!!! Overall, my business has been more of a fun side-job than it has been a full-time business. With that being said, I have still faced some challenges. To name a few; having to figure out how to build a website, business logo, brand business plan, marketing strategies, etc. My degree in college was Biomedical Sciences, so I had no clue what I was doing!! But, since pushing myself to network with my community, these things have been way easier to execute! I even have a best friend who started up her small business, and she has been my go-to girl for just about anything! However, the biggest struggle I faced was figuring out my editing style as a photographer. I saw many photographers doing the same warm, orange tones. Although they are beautiful edits, I personally love a truer-to-color editing style. What better way to remember a special moment than what the day actually looked like? Sometimes imperfections are what make a fantastic story and that’s what my brand is all about. I love to capture moments that are created naturally, and not forced. Although I do like to direct my clients a little, I like them to create the masterpiece that is theirs.

Overall, what I have learned over these past few months is that asking for help is totally OK, and there are people out there who truly want to help (as long as you put in the work to make it happen)! Another thing I have learned is to say yes to all opportunities, whether it be my “brand” or not. For example, I market myself as a wedding/couples photographer, but I do shoot event photography on the side for local DJs or do general portraits. Also, I learned that although social media has a great influence on my business, so does networking with local photographers and small businesses. It’s important to support others as they do for you! My dream is to one day be a destination wedding photographer, as I love to travel and meet other amazing people!

What I want others to know is that I am a go-with-the-flow type person and can always have fun in any situation! On my first ever paid photoshoot, I took pictures of a couple and the boyfriend proposed WITHOUT telling me!!! Instead of getting upset or feeling overwhelmed like some other people would feel, I was so excited, took incredible pictures (that are now some of my favorites), and built an amazing friendship with them both! This is what truly sparked my love for couples and recognizing that people trust me with some of their most intimate moments in life , which is quite an honor and a privilege to have!

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.

OMG YAS!! Phoenix is only the COOLEST of places to visit and there is so much to do! If my BFF were here for a week, I have many places I would take them or have them check out while they were here! We would get a coffee and a homemade bagel or pastry from CopperStar Coffee! All of their syrups are made in house as well, and it is absolutely delicious!! Another great local business, just down the street is Sunshine Sunflower Studio! They have ceramics and workshops that are affordable and have fun events like “Wine & Wheel” on Wednesdays or “Mud & Mimosas Wheels” on Sundays, where you can BYOB! I would also HAVE to take my friend to a drag show at Charlie’s or Bevvy Uptown and support our local queens! For breakfast, I would take my friend to F`ame Cafe, where the coffee is delicious and there is anything from breakfast omelets, to salads or an afternoon kombucha tonic! For lunch, I would take them to Flower Child, a local American Vegetarian restaurant. They have the best salads and options for those who are vegetarian or have dietary restrictions! For dinner, I would go to either Harumi Sushi & Sake to get some delicious sushi rolls or I would go to Cornish Pasty for a more laid-back vibe, with delicious pasties and appetizers. Before a final goodbye, we would have to visit Lux Central to get a delicious coffee and hang out in Encanto Park before the flight back home!

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?
One person who has given tremendous support and helped me hone in on my craft is the amazing Kristy Velesko!! From the day I met her, she gave tons of information ,community resources, and infectious positivity! She even let me work my wedding with her!! She gave crucial advice about mistakes she had made when her business was growing and the best programs to use. But most importantly, she has been a great friend! She is always helping out the community and loves to get involved wherever she can!

Website: https://lizfriedliphotographyllc.mypixieset.com/

Instagram: @lizfriedli.photography

Image Credits
For the last picture: @palmshadepicnics @boardngraze @firstblushbeaurtyaz @sunandfern.photography