Two businesses built from passion and creativity
ZANESVILLE – She followed her passion and built not one, but two, businesses.
“As a child,” recalled Paige Hough, “I was always creative and artistic. I loved painting, drawing and crafting with my grandma. I remember spending summers making jewelry or crowns out of flowers and wearing them proudly.
“In high school,” she continued, “I most enjoyed my time in art class or band. Both of these were fun creative outlets for me and put me in a space with other creative people where I thrived. I didn’t have a childhood dream of being a photographer, but I knew I had a passion for creating things and wanted to have a future in that space of art or design.
“What started with a point-and-shoot camera,” she noted, “taking photos of my friends for social media pages like Myspace and Facebook turned into an interest of photography. I found it fascinating to learn different angles, posing and editing abilities. At 15 years old I received my first DSLR camera as a Christmas gift and from there I was eager to learn everything I could about cameras and photography.”
Today, Hough is a professional photographer – plus.
“Since 2017,” she explained, “I’ve been a full-time wedding photographer through my business Paige Hough Photography, LLC as well as social media marketing manager through my business The Social Paige, LLC.”
Hough grew up in Cambridge, graduated from Cambridge High School in 2013, went to Ohio University in Athens for a time, then graduated from Zane State with a degree in business management.
“My business is mobile,” she said. “I serve Zanesville, Cambridge, Coshocton, Columbus primarily. I don’t have a brick and mortar studio. I just moved to Coshocton. I lived in Zanesville for six years and built my business there.
“I was lucky to discover my love for photography early on,” she continued, “and started booking paid photo jobs while still in high school. Although I held entry-level jobs out of high school, I knew my goal was to eventually grow a business that was sustainable with photography alone. Between 2013 and 2016, I worked very hard to build my own business while still working multiple jobs to keep myself in school.
“In 2016 I took a job at a creative marketing firm,” she added, “and quickly realized this field was also something I was passionate about. I felt many of the aspects of that job were relevant in my own photo business – learning how to identify and market to your ideal customer, organizing projects and launches, and strategically using social media to grow a business. These were all things I was already doing for my photo business and things I really enjoyed.”
In 2017 Hough left the marketing company and started her photography business with a focus on weddings.
“Over the years I’ve been able to work with Paige,” said friend Jenna McCarty, “and see firsthand how special her photography business is to her clients and to the community. She captures all the smallest details and true personalities of her clients while providing photos that will last a lifetime.”
“After 10 years of wedding photography,” Hough responded, “I’m still passionate about it because every wedding day and couple is different.
“I have such an appreciation,” she concluded, “for the human spirit and all the aspects that make people and businesses unique. I use that appreciation to serve clients in a way that’s right for them, and I think that’s what makes me feel fulfilled.”
This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: Two businesses built from passion and creativity
