It’s time to introduce you to another one of our amazing Hooray Directory members, Enya from Enya Photography.
Enya is based in Gauteng and describes her style as “a wedding photographer focused on capturing photos that look & feel like the real YOU!”
Enya shares a bit more with us today, including her inspirations, goals as well as how she got her start in the wedding industry.
So let’s hear more from Enya!
Hey! Please can you introduce yourself to the Hooray Readers:
Enya: My name is Enya and I’m a wedding and lifestyle photographer based in Gauteng, but shoot weddings all over South Africa.
Hooray: Tell us a bit more about yourself
Enya: I was introduced to many different foods, music and art as a child and always wanted to find my way of expressing art to the world. Living in a big city definitely encouraged me to try different things, but I always felt like I would see different details of things that others would miss and this, naturally lead me to photography. I enjoy making colourful and flavourful dishes, listening to music on our vinyl player and taking film photos of my dog Benji. My guilty pleasures include watching trashy reality tv while editing, drinking way too many red cappuccinos’, and not being able to resist a cheese platter.
Hooray: How did you get into the wedding industry?
Enya: I took a gap year in 2016 because I had no idea what I wanted to do after school. I then attended a beginner’s course to manual mode and used my boyfriend’s camera to start shooting. After the course, I started second shooting weddings for a few photographers in Pretoria and after my 30th wedding, I felt confident enough to take on my own first wedding (Type A much). I’ve been shooting as Enya Photography since 2018 and haven’t looked back since. Since then I’ve attained my degree in BA Communications and worked in corporate for over a year but I’ve always been drawn back to capturing milestone moments that people cherish forever. 
Hooray: What inspires you?
Enya: I’ve always tried to get inspiration from industries outside of my own. We have some of the most amazing wedding vendors out there but it’s so easy to get caught up in following a trend. I try to get inspiration from classic movies, like “Citizen Kane” – which inspired my love for black and white photography, also any movie by Wes Anderson, he just knows how to frame the perfect symmetrical scene and the “Secret Life of Walter Mitty”.
Hooray: Running your own business can be hard, do you have a daily routine?
Enya: I’ve been a full-time photographer for only a few months now and finding a daily routine in a pandemic has been very hard. Something that has been helping me is to make my to-do list and time block my schedule the day before. I’ll make a list of everything that I have to do and then allocate it to a certain time period. For example, edit Bride getting ready 10:00-11:00. Working from home hasn’t been easy though, it’s very easy to get distracted by dirty dishes or any other household tasks that I have to do.
Hooray: Tell us about your ideal wedding client.
Enya: My ideal client has always been someone that loves and appreciates my work. Because I have a very true-to-colour editing style I get different styles of weddings all the time. I try to emphasize the importance of candid prompts and authentic photos that actually look like them. My ideal client wants candid moments, they want the in-between shots and they want to enjoy their day and have me take photos of it all. 
Hooray: What do you love most about your job?
Enya: There’s so much to love about my job but I love meeting new people, learning more about relationships, hearing different stories, capturing real emotions and capturing people’s milestones. I realise that my job is extremely important because this is what they’ll look back on.
Hooray: Can you describe your style?
Enya: Classic, semi-documentary, a bit vogue-y, moment focused, true-tone.
Hooray: The mistake you made that has taught you the most valuable lesson?
Enya: I was extremely young when I got involved in the wedding industry and I wish I got more life experience before I jumped into it. A valuable lesson that I learned was that any situation can drastically change when money is involved. Stay professional, get a good contract and remember that the contract is there to protect you both.
Hooray: If there was one thing you could change about the wedding industry, what would it be and why?
Enya: There IS enough room for everyone to succeed. That’s all!
Hooray: If you had to get married, what would be the ONE non-negotiable?
Enya: One thing I’ve always been set on is that I won’t be inviting people to my wedding that I don’t want to invite. It costs you and them a lot of money to attend so it’s important to make sure that everyone wants to be there and you want them to be part of this special day.
Hooray: Where do you see yourself and your company this time next year?
Enya: With Covid, it has been very difficult for me to set goals, but I see myself shooting no more than 25 weddings next year, giving the ultimate wedding photography experience, helping my couples have the best day possible.
Hooray: If you could be anything else in the wedding industry, what would you be and why?
Enya: Definitely a florist. I would love to make magic with beautiful flowers.
Hooray: Tell us about your most embarrassing moment on the job.
Enya: I don’t have a specific embarrassing moment but I’ve fallen down a few times. I fell in front of the entire wedding party for the group shot, fell in a hole for the couple shoot, ruined my brand new white tekkies by jumping over a rock and into a puddle, etc. I’m no stranger to the floor.
Hooray: Do you have any friends in the industry? Tell us who and how they impact you in this beautiful business.
Enya: Oh there are so many! Some of my best friends are talented photographers in the industry. Natasha from Papercutlovestories has been my right-hand for so many weddings now, Courtney from Court Clegg Photography has been such an inspiration and has guided me in so many different ways, Maresha Lee has challenged me to this outside the box, Liandri from Liandri Lensley Photography has been my study buddy and is now my business buddy and I’ve never clicked with someone as quickly as I clicked with Rene from the Tiemensma’s photo and film. There are so many more people who have been mentors, who’ve encouraged and supported me. I’ve been so blessed.
Hooray: The wedding industry has been hit hard, and it has been a difficult time for all, what do you think vendors can learn from this?
Enya: I think the one thing I learned is that bigger isn’t necessarily better. I’ve realised the importance of spending quality time with your loved ones and how much more special would a wedding be if you have all your nearest and dearest celebrating with you. It’s not about showing off, it’s not about how expensive the day can be, it’s about celebrating your love with the people that love and care about the two of you. It’s about celebrating two people becoming one and becoming a family. The pandemic definitely changed the wedding industry and how people view it. People now tend to focus on the more important things in life.
Hooray: If you could go back in time to when you first started out in the wedding industry, and tell yourself one piece of advice, what would it be?
Enya: Slow and steady wins the race. Don’t be too hard on yourself and try not to compare yourself to everyone around you. Go your own route, work hard, fail, get back up and try again. This is your race and yours alone. Everyone is too busy focusing on their own journey to worry about what you’re doing.
Hooray: What is your favourite way to unwind after a wedding?
Enya: I take the day after off and try to spend as much time as possible with my boyfriend and dog. We’ll try to go on a hike, eat a nice big lunch and just soak in the sun and rest. 
Hooray: Tell us about the last time you were really, really proud of yourself.
Enya: I sent a gallery to a client and didn’t hear anything back for a while. After a few hours, I was getting quite nervous, I thought they hated their photos and started making some crazy scenarios in my mind. She then called me and I was very nervous to answer but answered the phone to her crying over how happy they were with the photos. She went through a rollercoaster of emotions, emphasising how I captured some of the most special family candids on the day and even wanted to tip me as she felt like I went beyond what they could’ve hoped for. I got so emotional over the phone and really realised how important my job is and how my job could bring so much joy to people. I’ve had so many happy clients but this day just stood out.
Hooray: Lastly, what is your favourite part of the wedding day/wedding planning process.
Enya: On the wedding day my favourite moment would be right after they’ve exited the ceremony and everyone wants to greet and congratulate them. This is always a favourite because the stress of the ceremony is gone, they see some of their loved ones for the first time that day and everyone is so happy to be there and celebrate with the couple. So many emotions are experienced here, from a granny that realises that her grandson is grown up now to a flower girl hugging the bride and looking at her with so much admiration. This is the moment where everyone starts relaxing and can just enjoy the day.
With the wedding planning process, I love seeing the answers some of my couples give to the unique questionnaire I send them a month before. It gets me so excited to see what new traditions they want to incorporate, what vendors they’re using and how they’re envisioning their dream day.
Enya, thank you so much for sharing more of a behind-the-scenes look into your life with us today!
If you would like to get in touch with Enya,
click here.
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