Today we’d like to introduce you to Lexi Truesdale.
Hi Lexi, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Hi! I’m Lexi Truesdale, owner of Lexi Truesdale Photography. I’m a 24 years old traveling wedding, elopement boudoir & branding photographer. I’m from the Northern Virginia area and now reside in Washington, D.C.
A bit about how my photography journey started – In 2017, I decided to travel to Tanzania with a volunteer group called “GIVE”. Before my trip, my lifelong divorced parents came together to buy me my first DSLR camera, a moment of which I will never forget. During my two-month volunteer trip through Tanzania, I took that DSLR everywhere, photographing the places we went as well as my students along the way.
Upon returning back to the US, I submitted my work to a travel magazine called “Photographers without Borders” and to my surprise and delight, wound up winning a full spread of my work in their publication.
Once I returned back to school, I started to take photos as often as I could, taking shots of any friends that would let me. In 2018, I went to my first wedding photography workshop cross-country in California. During that time, I started photographing couples and weddings, and it was in those moments that I found my true passion; love. It was in that workshop that I realized that wedding/couples photography was what I wanted to do, it was my calling.
Throughout my last year in college, I photographed an initial batch of “real” weddings, only charging a few hundred dollars. It was then that I graduated and the job and boss I thought I had lined up told me that she believed in me, my abilities and talent, to start my own business.
The rest is history. Almost 3 years later, here I stand. I own the photography business of my dreams and get the privilege of photographing couples from all over the world. I am so thankful for what photography has given me.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Being 22 (now almost 25) and owning a business has many struggles. Not only do some individuals not take you seriously in the beginning, but I also found self-doubt at the start of it all. I believe that’s the hardest part – if you can’t believe in yourself, how can you expect others to? I truly believe in the “fake it till you make it” mentality for now, here I am almost 3 years later – confident in myself and my work.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m Lexi, with Lexi Truesdale Photography – I’m a wedding, couples, boudoir & brand photographer based in Washington, DC. I would say that although I am based in DC, I travel 70% of the time, which is one of my favorite parts of what I do! Places including Ireland, Hawaii, Joshua Tree, Colorado, Montana, Utah, and many more are just some of the places my photography has taken me.
What I’m most proud of is how far I’ve come in what seems like such a short amount of time and my background within the business. I was never told that being a “business owner” could potentially be in the cards for me, but this all happened for a reason. To be honest, I am just grateful to be here owning my own business and having the opportunity to do what I love to do.
A noteworthy mention: I won “Best Photographer in DC” this year, 2021, in the midst of a pandemic no less. It was not only shocking but it is something I can honestly say that I’m truly proud of myself for. What sets me apart from other photographers is that I am myself, a human being behind a business – I’m raw, authentic, and I care. Sometimes too much, but that is another quality I am proud of. I am more than just a business owner, I take the time to get to know my clients. I nurture the relationship so that ultimately, we become friends. Say what you want, but I am a believer in taking that deeper look into the ones in front of your camera and allowing them the opportunity to do the same. It allows me to better tell their story.
How do you think about happiness?
I think of happiness in a variety of ways from connection and traveling to old photographs of my grandparents and my kitty Rhino. Happiness is ice coffee in the morning (and 24/7, who am I kidding haha) and long walks. It’s in the leaves crunching under my feet and living in the city to candles, nostalgic feelings of my childhood and so much more.
These things come to mind anytime I think of “happiness” and being a photographer I think that’s the “why” behind what I do. I find myself “romanticizing” or at least attempting to romanticize all aspects of my life as often as I can.
Contact Info:
- Email: lexitruesdalephotos@gmail.com
- Website: lexitruesdalephotos.com
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/lexitruesdalephotos
- Facebook: facebook.com/
lexitruesdalephotos - Other: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Lexi+Truesdale+Photography/@38.0320278,-81.576918,7z/data=!4m7!3m6!1s0x89b641f924320741:0x7e13f0ba711d84d8!8m2!3d38.0533479!4d-79.333561!9m1!1b1
Image Credits
Lexi Truesdale Photography – @lexitruesdalephotos
