The story of a photographer
While on an outreach trip with their church in January 2015, CJ and Heather attended as friends. But upon leaving, CJ realized that Heather was the one for him. It took a few months, but CJ finally convinced Heather in April 2015 to give their relationship a shot. Just 5 short months later, in September 2015, CJ proposed to Heather, and they were married within the year. From that day, they've been practically inseparable.
They began working side by side in February 2016 at the same employer. Knowing they shared the same heart for entrepreneurship and travel, they began building their dream of traveling and running their own business.
For 7 years, CJ worked in media, photography, and videography production for a large local church. He did photography as a hobby on the side for over 15 years before it turned into their whole business.
In the fall of 2020, Heather and CJ decided to set up a fall-themed photo shoot and offered to take photos of friends for a small fee. That escalated to booking 60+ families in 3 weeks. This was the birth of Leland Media, as you know it.
They realized how valuable their photos were after the unfortunate loss of one of their client's fathers. Six months before his passing, they were allowed to photograph their family for the first time in 10+ years with the new addition of their grandchild. Little did this family know, Six months later, they would say their goodbyes, and these photos would be the last taken of him in this life. After this took place, they knew that taking photos wasn't just a fun thing to do on the side. But rather an important thing that every person should invest in. It became their goal to provide this service to their community so that memories could be captured in all aspects of life.
With every booking they receive, their hearts become increasingly grateful for the opportunity.
"It never gets old to hear how much our photos mean to our families, brides, grooms, and all that we can come in contact with. It goes without saying that we love what we do, and we can't wait to capture photos of you too!" - CJ &Heather