Meet Alaina Miller | Detroit Wedding Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alaina Miller and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alaina, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
It wasn’t always the plan to become a professional photographer, let alone run my own business. The path to where I am currently kind of fell in front of me about three years ago. I have always been one to have a digital camera (ever since I was 13) and was always interested in the creation of imagery, though originally, it was motion imagery. I graduated from college in 2021 with a Film degree and began working on TV and commercial sets, working as a Camera Assistant. During these few years I worked on set, I had past co-workers and family members ask me to take photos for them. I realized I loved the creative control I had working more closely with my clients that I ever had before on film sets. My creative cup was being filled due to this reason, but also because I was able to preserve moments in time on a more impactful level – creating photos that hang on the walls of real families, photos that become heirlooms for future generations. While I mostly started with family sessions, I soon realized that wedding photography was becoming very dear to me. This is because I love working with couples long term (most couples book their wedding photographer a year or more out from their wedding date), which in turn, builds a deeper connection and results in wedding photos that truly capture the essence of their love stories. Now, my focus is on my wedding couples and providing an intentional photography experience that leaves them with documentary-style, timeless, true-to-life wedding photos – photos that withstand the test of time, because I understand the worry of having your wedding day turn into something you do not want, or disliking your photos ten years down the road. Instead, I give my couples the space to let their day unfold as it is while authentically, yet artfully capturing it.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
A photographer’s style is always adapting and evolving with each new experience they go through, but I have refined my style to be timeless and true-to-life. This sets me apart from other photographers because with each person’s unique shooting and editing style, I have landed on a style that will always withstand the trends and test of time. My vow to my wedding and photography clients is to deliver natural, true to color photos that print well for the frames on their walls. Professional photography is a keepsake – I always want to deliver on this promise I’ve made to them by ensuring a high-quality product that they’ll never grow tired of. It’s about knowing my gear like the back of my hand to always be ready for that split second moment of a dream photo to happen, because there are no do-overs at weddings, and so it is my duty to keep my creative cup filled and to give my clients the very best of me, always.

The goal is to attract the couples that align with my brand and rejuvenate my creativity by being their true selves, but this can be challenging for sure. Over the past six months, I’ve invested a lot of time into educating myself on SEO practices, reading more business/marketing books and chatting with other business owners to learn how to better talk to these ideal wedding couples, because when I am able to attract the perfect-match couples, I know that I am serving them just as they are serving me in our partnership. I always want every wedding couple in the world to find and book the perfect wedding photographer for them, their story, their budget and their creative preferences, so I’ve learned that I must do my part in finding those couples, for both myself and for them.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If a friend from out of town came to visit, I’d take them on a tour of Detroit, but I’d bring a camera to document it all, of course! I’d start our day at The Congregation, a church-turned-cafe, for our morning coffee and bite to eat. From there, I’d take us to Eastern Market to walk around the local vendor booths and pick up some fresh produce. I’d also take a pit stop to Vintage Eastern Market, an antique store in Easter Market, to hunt for some hidden treasures. Next, I’d take us to the Detroit Institute of Arts to walk through the museum for an hour or two. Afterwards, we’d grab some lunch at either Jose’s Tacos (back in Eastern Market) or Rocco’s Italian Deli. After lunch, we’d hit up Michigan Central for a self-guided tour of the old train station, and a few other iconic spots, like the revived Book Tower and the Fisher Building. These are all such gorgeous places, and as an architect lover of grand and elaborate buildings, I’d have to take my friend to see all these stunning places. Depending on the season, I’d take us to an afternoon Detroit Lions or Detroit Red Wings game. The entire state of Michigan has come together to root for the Lions, so they’re a must-see for sure! For dinner, we’d have reservations for Prime + Proper, home of the best steak and cheesecake you’ll ever have. We’d finish off our tour of Detroit by grabbing an evening cocktail or Old Fashion at Cliff Bells (a live jazz club) or the Apparatus Room (a modern chic cocktail bar), both of which have stunning decor and atmospheres.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I wouldn’t be where I am today without my significant other, Henry True. It is his desire to sit and listen when I have ideas or concerns relating to my business and his immovable love & support that has helped me carry on when running a business gets hard. It is also all of my clients who give me strength – their decision to welcome me into their lives and their trust in me to capture once-in-a-lifetime moments also provides unending encouragement and desire to do everything I can for them. Various business books have helped teach me how to lead and build a better business. While this is an ongoing process and I will forever be a student, a few of my favorite business books are “10x is Easier than 2x”, “Marketing Made Simple”, and “Built to Sell”. Lastly, I have to give a shoutout to my best photographer friend, Kali Steenbergh. It is her understanding of running a business, going through ups and downs, phases of wins and phases of creative ruts – her unrelenting friendship – that creates a sense of community and partnership in what otherwise is a single-member business. We each wear multiple hats to operate our respective photography businesses, so it’s always nice to know we each have someone we can relate to in each phase of business.

Website: https://www.alainamillerphoto.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alainamillerphotography/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alaina-miller-photo

Other: Google Business Profile: https://g.co/kgs/VgPJXeB