Exploring Life & Business with Cassidy Doores of Cassidy Jo Photography

Today we’d like to introduce you to Cassidy Doores

Hi Cassidy, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Four years ago I was at a place in my career/life where I felt I wasn’t doing what I was called to do. I had left the field that I had gone to college for and was in an in between spot where I was working to just work. I didn’t feel a purpose or passion in what I was doing and had been praying hard for God to show me what was next for my life!

I’ll never forget the day I decided I was going to be a photographer! In November of 2020 I had taken some family pictures on my iPhone for my Aunt’s annual Christmas card. This wasn’t really out of the ordinary for me to be the one people asked to snap a photo on their phone for them, however I had never taken Christmas card pictures for my aunt previously! {This is an important part of the story for me, that i’ll mention later}. My Aunt Reese went on to post these “Christmas Card” photos on her facebook page shortly after! It was a Sunday afternoon and I was walking through home depot when a FB notification came through my phone…My Aunt Treva had commented on my Aunt’s Christmas pictures saying something like this…”These pictures are so good, Cass! Why is photography not your job? You are so good at capturing people and their moments.”
It was truly right there in the isle of Home Depot that it clicked…I was supposed to be a photographer! No other career idea had ever felt this right instantly and I immediately started reaching out to anyone I knew that was a photographer and asking for help to get started!

Long story short from there…on Black Friday of that year, I bought my first camera and started practicing on anyone that would let me! After many youtube videos later and asking lots of questions…. In May of 2021, I was ready to launch Cassidy Jo Photo! I can remember being so excited and hoping that maybe one day I could get good enough that I could do this part time instead of just on the weekends… Little did I know, that only a few months later in September of that year, I took the leap of faith and left my full time job to pursue photography full time!!

I am now four years in and I can’t imagine my life any other way! The opportunities that have come my way through photography have been so cool & the people I have met along the way have made my life so much sweeter!

My precious Aunt Reese who I mentioned above, unexpectedly passed away in December of 2023 from acute myeloid leukemia. From the day I was born through my journey becoming a photographer, she was truly one of my biggest cheerleaders! Her life left such a mark on everyone she encountered because she dedicated her time to loving on others, sharing her hope in Jesus, and making sure you knew she was your friend! I truly believe God allowed her to be the one, who unknowingly at the time, was setting me up for this beautiful career in photography! And I pray her legacy will live on in a small way through me to every client I meet!

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Owning a small business is the best and hardest thing you can do! Heavy emphasis on the, “YOU CAN DO”! 🙂
I think for me, and probably anyone who runs a small business is this…you have to start small! & that unfortunately comes with some not so small tasks! You’re kind of a one (wo)man show! Trying to manage it all can sometimes get overwhelming, but I was told once, “Working for yourself is hard, but working for someone else is also hard. Which hard would you enjoy more?”

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Cassidy Jo Photography?
I specialize in lifestyle portrait & brand photography! But that includes so much! I do anything from families to newborns. Seniors to yearly milestones. Headshots to small business branding!

I think what sets me apart, is my love for people and wanting them to feel as comfortable and at ease during their photoshoot as possible! Im an enneagram 7 and so I am all about the fun and joy and excitement of hanging out with my clients and making sure when they leave their shoot, they feel like they have a new best friend!

I know that posing in front of a camera doesn’t come natural to everyone and so my job as your photographer is to make you feel like you are a pro and that you leave already looking forward to your next shoot!

Im most proud of the friendships and relationships that this business has brought into my life! I love that my gift of photography gets to play a roll in each of their lives through capturing their favorite moments or bringing their brands to life through pictures! and I love that their gift of friendship and new opportunities for me has blessed me more than they could ever know!

Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
My best advice is to surround yourself with people who love and support you and will continue to encourage you when you doubt you can do it! I think surrounding yourself with other photographers who can cheer you on and share their knowledge and expertise with you is obviously such a blessing and super important for when you have those questions that you need a quick answer too!

I also learned so much from watching YouTube videos of educational photographers that shot and edited in the style I was interested in! Its a super helpful resource!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @thecassidyjophoto
• Facebook: Cassidy Jo Photography