Meet Anna Loader | Photographer

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

Hi Anna, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
As a girl, I was constantly begging my parents to let me behind their hefty digital to VHS camera to film my brothers on our fake news channel broadcasts. I had an aunt 10+ years older than me pursue photography when I was 8 years old, and I asked her to give me photography lessons so I could learn, too. Her camera seemed so fascinating. The photos she produced brought magic to the world around me.

My parents started to identify my interest and bought cameras for me throughout my life. I would have playdates with my friends in middle school and direct photoshoots of us, including the classic self-timer portrait from the ground (pre-tripod or selfie stick era) featuring our double chins. I would print the photos and put them in my homemade scrapbooks and gift the photos to my friends. No post-editing was done here, but the passion continued.

When another aunt got married in San Diego during my youth, I brought my own camera to take pictures of them throughout the day and printed photos for them to bring home. Of course, they were masterpieces and heirloom treasures they would keep in their home forever! Joking aside, they appreciated the gesture so much and were some of the first people to give me confidence in my interest and – one day – skill.

I said for years I wanted to be a photographer/own my own photography business. But, I was scared! I made excuses forever because I didn’t have the funds to buy my own full-frame DSLR camera or to take classes on manual photography lessons. Once I entered high school and college, I would sign up for photography classes and drop out (before a “W” resulted on your transcript). It didn’t feel like it was an avenue that could provide financially for me in the future. I started giving up my dream in order to pursue a more traditional career path.

In college, at BYU-Idaho I studied Business Management with an emphasis in marketing. In my last semester of school, I took a digital marketing class where the only objective was to start a business online and drive traffic to the site using paid ads. I took this as my long-awaited chance to start a photography business. Well, I had NO professional photos to use. So, I bought a used, cropped frame Canon camera and began to ask friends to model for me for my website content.

From there, I realized I didn’t want to stop! I found a mentor who runs a very successful photography business in Idaho to this day. She taught me the ropes from posing to editing.

I moved to Utah after graduation and officially launched my business in April 2018. It was a dream. I made mistakes. I learned a great deal in the first few years. I’ve changed styles over and over. I’ve tested so many ways of being a photographer (strong to no presence on social media, blogging, vlogging, selling courses, etc.).

My main takeaway with continuing to pursue a creative career is that I absolutely love it. When I don’t put pressure on myself to do what the industry is doing, I feel free to explore new ideas and styles. I don’t have others telling me what’s best, but I do what feels the most authentic to me. It’s so rewarding to be my own boss and build the relationships I want with clients.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’m a north county San Diego Photographer and proclaimed storyteller. I love to capture magical moments through my lens and document stories of family, couples, and individuals in their current life state. I have a film-like style that showcases colors through their softer tones and brings out the creamy skin tones we all seek.

I included a lot of this in my initial question but, I say that the hardest thing about running my own business what to stop comparing myself to others. Once I did that, I was FREE. I had to stop using Instagram for a while to kick my mind out of a creative rut. I thought I had to do what other successful photographers were doing (poses, editing styles, ways to gain a following on social media) to also be successful. That did nothing for me and I always felt behind. When I stepped back and sought to find my true authentic self through my lens and understand my why for being a photographer, my business started to do well, too.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
This is in no one a comprehensive list! But, some of my favorite spots in North County San Diego include hiking, site seeing, experiencing local specific things, and eating.

Hikes: Sunset Cliffs, Annie’s Slot Canyon, Torry Pines, my weekly walk on the Encinitas Rail Trail with a stop a VG’s donuts

Sites: Superbloom in Del Mar coast during the spring, Seaside Tide Pools during winter, Legoland if you have kids!, view the sunset from a secret spot I love in Encinitas, (not North County but Balboa Park, Old Town, and Coronado are also my favorite places to take friends/family to if they have time)

Eats/Drinks: Bird Rock Coffee, Sambazon Acai Bowls, Cardiff Crack at Seaside Market, Bangkok Thai, Fish 101, Lil Jungle Java, Lofty Co Breakfast Sandwiches

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My original mentor from Idaho! She is incredible and her smaller following does not indicate her true success. She is a very experienced and booked-out photographer.

https://www.instagram.com/annachristinephoto/?hl=en

Website: https://annaloader.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annaloader/?hl=en