Rising Stars: Meet Cindy Yeh

Today we’d like to introduce you to Cindy Yeh.

Hi Cindy, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Photography has been a hobby of mine since my senior year of high school when I purchased my first camera. I never thought about pursuing it as a career until a co-worker asked me to photograph her wedding.

That wedding changed my life.

It sparked something inside of me. I realized photography was what I was passionate in & that I could make money off of it too. So I started my side hustle of photographing weddings, couples, families, and whatever I could get my hands on. At this time, I was working at my restaurant job full time. So I would do photography here and there whenever I’d get a gig.

And then COVID happened. We went into lockdown.

I was unemployed for three months.

During those three months, I finally had time to slow down…

COVID woke me up, and I think it woke a lot of us up too. I realized things needed to change. I needed to change.

I felt lost & didn’t know what my purpose was in life.

It leads to me ending a five years relationship, getting my own place, and diving deep into discovering myself and going through a spiritual awakening.

Fast forward to the beginning of 2021, I decided to go part-time at my restaurant job & full-time on growing my photography business.

2021 has been the best year of my life so far. I’ve been able to grow my business and most importantly, myself as a person. I’ve come a long way since the beginning of 2021 and I’m just getting started. I’ve got so much to learn still but I am loving every part of this journey!

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definitely has not been a smooth road. I believe the path to success is not a linear or a clear road. As entrepreneurs, we are paving our own path everyday and it can be scary but so rewarding at the same time.

When I first went full-time with photography, I struggled a lot with imposter syndrome & lots of self-doubt. I had to really work on changing my mindset. I wanted to start embodying who I wanted to be, a full-time photographer. And every time I met someone new & they asked me what my job was, I’d start telling people I was a photographer and at first, I would be SO uncomfortable saying that. Like who did I think I was? But the more I did it, the easier it got. And today, I say it with confidence.

Being an entrepreneur, I’ve also struggled with feelings of loneliness and feeling disconnected from my circle of friends. I think it’s hard when you thought you’d have great support from your circle of friends but in reality, it has been strangers and new friends I’ve met that have been my biggest supporters.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a photographer & business owner at Cindy Yeh Photography.

With the photography world, it’s pretty important to figure out your niche and I am still trying to figure that out for myself. Right now, I am specializing in weddings and lifestyle (families, couples, seniors, etc.) photography. I would say I am known for my warm images that captures true connection & people just feeling good & being themselves. I want people to look at my images and be moved by it. My brand motto is “touching hearts one image at a time”.

What I’m most proud of is my courage to follow my heart and dreams. I’ve built my business from the ground up not knowing what I was doing or if I would actually stick with it. And it’s become much more than I ever thought it would be! I recently got my business license to legitimize my business, got an accountant, and hired someone to completely redo my website. I am loving every part of this journey and am so excited to continue to do what I love every day.

What’s next?
I would love to start traveling more for photography and eventually have my own studio & office space. As for any big plans or changes, I don’t really have any for photography, other than just continue to learn and figure out my exact niche that I like in photography. I feel like I am constantly changing and figuring it out day by day.

Outside of photography, I am super into fitness and I know I will definitely be pursuing something in that space eventually as well.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cindyyehphotography/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cindyyehphotography/

Image Credits
Cindy yeh photography