Hi y'all! My name is Laney Scotch and I am the photographer behind Shelayne Scotch Photography. I just wanted to take a second a introduce myself a little more and give you a little more information about me and my business.
First off, I really appreciate everyone who has visited my site and who has encouraged me with this journey. Thank you all! I owe every part of who I am to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and absolutely love what I get to do! Photography is a way of life. It is not just a business, but the chance to capture moments that will wow hearts forever, moments we will cherish for life times to come, and moments that are so precious, we never want to forget them.
Tell us a little bit about yourself:
Well, hi again! I grew up in Colorado and lived there my entire life until I moved to Alabama after getting married in September of 2017. I am very happily married and enjoy every day life with Andrew. I grew up competitively showing all species of livestock and played many sports. After completing my junior market career, I went on to professionally show Boer Goats in college. I attended Colorado State University, where I received my Bachelor's Degree in Animal Science. I met my husband while dancing and we have been inseparable ever since. I love to lift and work out regularly. I feel it helps keep you motivated in all parts of your life. I am newly married and currently reside just outside of Nashville, Tennessee with our three border collies, Django, Blake, and Jewel.
What made you interested in photography?:
Growing up, I fell in love with the ring shots that I was getting while I was showing. Showing is a highly competitive sport. You literally spend months preparing an animal to walk into the ring and you have just seconds to get the judge's attention. While showing, certain pictures were captured of me and I could not get enough of these. I never thought I would go on to actually start a business of my own, but this is where it originated.
This last year, I spent time with a good friend of mine and our wedding photographer and fell in love with the idea of capturing a moment that someone would cherish forever. My family never did take family pictures, and after my mom passed away this last May, I knew that I could give something and use my talent for other family's because a picture is something people can hold onto forever no matter what the circumstance. They tell a love story, history; they share moments that we only can dream of envisioning when someone shares a story with us about those moments. I had very few photos of my mom, but I did have them! I went onto fall in love with all aspects of capturing moments like this and knowing I would get to do that for someone else just excited me. I didn't care if it was the accounting part, the marketing side, or editing the photos, I loved it all and knew that God had given me a gift. With this, I took a chance and bought my first camera last April.
Why did you start a business?:
I love the business side of photography as well. This question slightly ties into the previous question. I started my business mostly to be able to make a living doing something I really love. Business is competitive. Owning a business is competitive and the owner has to wear multiple hats. I also see so many people who have goals and dreams, but are too scared to take a leap of faith and just try. I recently learned that having faith is taking chances, even when it feels like you are jumping off a cliff. I get to say I've tried and I can persevere through all aspects. I love that I got to take something I really feel became a gift of mine and make a living doing it, so I can do it all the time. Not jut for fun.
Photography also has no limits. You can take it any where and do anything with it. As a photographer, you have your own style and no one can take it away from you. I also love how competitive it is. I am a very competitive person, so instead of denying my competitiveness, I can push it into my business and go as far as I want to with it.
What would you say your style of photo is and why?
Real, Romantic, Authentic. I want my photos to be as natural as possible. I don't like highly edited photo because, one: it is not real, and two: that is not what the moment was like in real life. People these days have been around so much fake stuff in the world, I want people to be encouraged by my work and fall in love with the reality of it.
What type of camera do you shoot with and why?:
I currently shoot with a Sony a 6000, I originally was going to go with a Nikon camera, but after much research, I fell in love with Sony. They are a mirror less camera and adapt quickly to different situations. They are a very versatile camera and with the mirror less imagine, little editing is required for all the pictures I take. I am a natural photographer. I like authenticity and this camera keeps my vision in my photo without a lot of alterations to the picture.
Who is your biggest hero?:
I would say Jesus is my biggest hero for sure. Without Him, I would not have even dreamed of taking chances. I have experienced things that have changed my life, like losing my mom and Minda Witt, a lady who started my show career. Without Jesus, I don't know where I would be today.
What bit of advice would you give to someone who wants to start their own business, not just a photography business?:
Be willing to take a chance. If you have a dream, find a way to make it happen. Only YOU are stopping yourself. If you feel uncomfortable about something, DO IT! You can only grow through making mistakes and taking chance. Also, whatever vision you have for yourself, keep it. Write it down on a piece of paper and keep it so you ALWAYS can look back and see what it is that got you started, especially through the difficult times. Also, don't compare yourself. Keep you idea original and go with your gut. We compare ourselves too much to other people and think we have to do it that way to be successful, that is not true! If you take a chance and follow the Lord, HE WILL BLESS IT!
What are you goals for the future?
Oh, there are so many to count. But generally, I would like to own my own home and have two kids. I also want to have a very high end photography business that will take me to many locations around the world. With our livestock career, I hope to become very competitive with our Border Collies and trial all over the nation, while aiming for national, and even world titles. I hope to one day, also have a competitive show cattle operation, but many years down the road.