Vendor Spotlight On Olivia Mayernick w/ WildFlower Collective (Photography) in Little Rock, Arkansas
Tell us about your business
I’m Olivia, but everyone calls me Liv. I’ve been doing photography for more than 10 years now and opened my business in 2014. I started out focusing on all things family related. Over the years I eventually fell in love with just capturing people’s love as it is during whatever season of life they were in. Which led me to start educating myself on how to properly serve my clients in the wedding industry. I knew if I was going to dive into capturing such a big moment in someone’s life I wanted to do the absolute best for my clients. So I studied everything from posing, to communication, and so much more. Because of this I now know how to create and capture genuine moments rather than just posing people in front of the camera. I also strive to keep an open line of communication with my clients so they have nothing to stress about when it comes to my job. In September of 2019 I quit my day jobs and decided to dive in full time as a wedding photographer! Since then I have shot 48 weddings and elopements! I have truly loved working with every single couple that has trusted me to capture their big day, and I look forward to working with many more.I am local to central Arkansas, but I am a travel bug at heart! I’ve done weddings all over, from New Orleans, all the way to Nebraska and even during a hurricane on the beach in Florida. I genuinely love going above and beyond to make sure nothing comes in the way of my clients getting the photos they dream of.
What led you to wedding photography?
I have always loved and admired wedding photography, since it isn’t something to take lightly I knew I wanted to be able to provide high end service to my clients. So once I felt confident I could do that I decided to start offering wedding photography to my clients. I took several business photography courses before doing so!
What keeps you passionate about weddings?
The people! Seriously, I love being able to help tell someone’s wedding story through photos. I’ve met so many amazing people through this industry.
How long have you been in the wedding industry for?
I’ve been doing solo wedding photography for five years now.
Where do you find inspiration from?
I’m very artistic so I find inspiration everywhere, I can catch a glimpse of a random spot off the side of the road and dream up a session for it. I also am an avid pinterest user so if you need inspiration for your wedding my pinterest is where it’s at!
What should couples know before looking for a photographer?
I think it’s super important that couple’s meet their photographer before booking their wedding with them. It makes a world of difference. You will spend more time the day of your wedding with your photographer than any one else so if you don’t mesh well or feel comfortable with them it can really make or break your overall experience
What questions should couples be asking that they don't know how to ask?
I would ask about back up processes to ensure safety of their photos and what lighting situations the photographer is comfortable working in. I personally back up my photos to a second card while shooting the wedding, so right off the bat I have two copies of the entire day. Then when I get home I import all the photos to lightroom and a hard drive so at that point I have 4 copies of my clients photos. I don’t delete any of those backup copies until their gallery has been uploaded and sent to them. This ensures there is no way any of their photos are lost between leaving the venue and delivering their gallery.
As far as lighting goes, it’s incredibly important that your photographer can handle all potential lighting scenarios because lighting changes constantly throughout your day. I come prepared for all possible situations, from harsh light, to pitch black I can do it all comfortably and deliver photos that still represent my work well regardless!
What sets you apart in your industry?
I feel like the thing that sets me apart most is how I treat people. While this is my career and I feed my family off this income, it’s ultimately not about the money for me. I never want my clients to feel like all I care about is making money. I go above and beyond to make sure everyone I work with walks away from their experience with me knowing I genuinely care about their memories and telling their story.
Outside of wedding photography, tell us about yourself!
I am a mom of two wild boys, I married my highschool sweetheart in 2014 and we adore adventuring together. Whether that’s roadtripping to new places or hiking around arkansas we are always looking for a pretty view.
What is your best piece of advice for couples planning a wedding?
Aside from making sure you hire a professional to capture your day ;) Remember that this is YOUR day, not your mom’s, your sister’s your bridesmaids or any one else’s. When it’s all said and done the only thing left over is how you felt about your day, and your photos. So whatever your dream for your day is, do it. Don’t let anyone talk you into anything or out of anything that matters to you. Ultimately you’re the one looking back on this day for the rest of your life so make sure it’s everything you’re wanting. There’s no do overs!
What was the most memorable wedding you ever worked, and why?
This is tough for me because I have had so many wonderful and intentional clients over the years, but if I had to pick I would say it’s a tie between two. A wedding I did here in Arkansas last year, the couple was super intentional about their time together and truly made it a point to enjoy their day. It was the most peaceful stress free wedding ever, and of course I’ll never forget shooting a wedding in Destin during a literal hurricane. I had to amazon prime a weather cover for my camera and by the end of their portraits we were all soaking wet but we did it!
Where can we find you?
You can find me most actively on Instagram (_wildflower_collective) but I also have a business Facebook (Wildflower Collective) and of course my website thewfcollective.com