Today we’d like to introduce you to Alex Olov.
Alex, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Photography kind of grew into a business naturally for me. Growing up, I always had a giant Sony tape camera with me everywhere I went, capturing all the moments with friends. As smartphones came around, I was the one taking pictures of everyone and everything. I remember friends judging me for taking so many photos. Oh, how I love sharing those photos with them these days!
⠀
One year for my birthday, my girlfriend, who is now my wife and the mother of our newborn daughter, got me a “starter” camera. I kept taking pictures at family gatherings, and eventually friends started asking me to capture their events too. Then they started paying me for it!
⠀
I’ve built the photography business alongside a full-time career in wealth management. That has meant a lot of weekends shooting, nights editing, continually refining my craft, investing in the business, and learning what it takes to create a great client experience from beginning to end.
⠀
Eventually OlovTheMoments was born, which is focused on events, portraits and capturing those moments people want to remember. More recently, I also started Olov Media, which focuses more on real estate, construction and commercial photography.
⠀
Right now, I’m intentionally expanding further into weddings. I’ve photographed bridal events, couples, families and all kinds of celebrations, and weddings bring together everything I enjoy about photography: people, emotion, details and all of those fleeting moments throughout a day that only happen once.
⠀
My perspective on photography has changed a little recently too. My wife and I just welcomed our daughter, and becoming a dad has made me appreciate even more how quickly life moves. You realize pretty fast that some of the moments that feel completely ordinary at the time become the ones you want to remember the most.
⠀
I’m proud of how far the business has come, and I’m excited about where it can go next. What started as something I simply enjoyed doing has grown into a business I care deeply about building for the long term.
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?
I definitely would not say it has been a completely smooth road. The biggest challenge has probably been time. I’ve been building the business while working full time in wealth management, so a lot of the work happens at night or on weekends. Now with a newborn at home, time has become even more valuable, and I’ve had to get much better about deciding where my energy goes.
There has also been a huge learning curve. Photography itself is only one part of running a photography business. I’ve had to develop skills far beyond simply taking photographs: lighting, editing, workflow, websites, contracts, pricing, marketing, client communication and all of the little things that happen behind the scenes.
Building a client base has been another challenge. Early on, you are asking people to trust your work before you have years of reviews and a massive portfolio behind you. Some of those early clients became repeat clients, referrals and valuable long-term relationships. A great example is my working relationship with Julianna from JM Events. We work really well together at events, refer clients to each other and support each other as our businesses grow. Relationships like that have been a huge part of building the business.
There is also the financial side of growing the business. Good equipment is expensive, and it is very easy to convince yourself that you need one more camera, lens or piece of lighting equipment. I’ve tried to reinvest in the business as it grows while also reminding myself that better equipment does not replace experience.
I think most of the challenges have actually been good for me, though. Every shoot teaches me something, every mistake usually turns into a lesson, and every new type of job makes me more prepared for the next one. There is always more to learn, but that is also part of what keeps it exciting.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about OlovTheMoments?
OlovTheMoments is a New Jersey photography business focused on weddings, events, portraits, couples, families and celebrations throughout the state and surrounding area. Wedding photography is an area I’m especially focused on expanding as the business grows.
What I enjoy most is capturing the moments that actually feel like the people I am photographing. Of course I make sure we get the important posed photos, family photos and details, but some of my favorite images usually happen in between those. Someone laughing when they were not expecting the camera, a reaction across the room, people seeing each other for the first time or one of those little moments that might have otherwise gone unnoticed.
I also care a lot about the experience people have while I am there. Most people are not professional models and a lot of people tell me they are uncomfortable in front of a camera. I try to keep things relaxed, give direction when it is needed and then let people enjoy themselves. I want the photos to look good, but I also want people to remember having a good experience getting them taken.
Another part of the business I am proud of is the relationships that have grown from it. I have been fortunate to have repeat clients, referrals and great working relationships with other event professionals. Those relationships have helped me grow tremendously and have also opened the door to larger events and new opportunities.
I also launched Olov Media to handle the commercial side of my work, including real estate, construction, business and commercial event photography. It gives me a dedicated brand for helping businesses create strong visual content while keeping OlovTheMoments focused on people, celebrations and the moments behind them.
At the end of the day, I think the name OlovTheMoments really sums up what I am trying to do. The big moments matter, but so do all of the smaller ones happening around them. Those are usually the photographs that become more valuable with time.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I think I have become more comfortable with risk as I have gotten older, but I would not describe myself as someone who takes risks just for the sake of it. I like calculated risks. I want to understand what I could lose, what I could gain and whether the upside is worth taking the chance.
Building the photography business has probably been one of the bigger examples of that. I still work full time in wealth management, so I have not walked away from a stable career to pursue photography overnight. Instead, I have been building it alongside my career and reinvesting a lot of what the business makes back into equipment, marketing, websites and other things that I believe will help it grow. There is always some risk in spending money today because you believe it will create opportunities tomorrow.
Some of the biggest risks have actually been saying yes before I felt completely ready. Taking on a new type of event, photographing my first real estate listings, starting Olov Media and now pushing further into weddings have all required me to step outside of what I already knew. Each of those steps required me to move beyond what I had already done, prepare carefully and trust the work I had put in. Even when something does not go perfectly, I usually come away with something that makes the next job better.
Becoming a husband and now a dad has made me think about risk a little differently too. There is more responsibility in my life now, so I am probably even less interested in reckless risks. At the same time, it has made me more motivated to take the right ones. I do not want to look back years from now and wonder what could have happened if I had really tried to build this.
For me, risk is really about giving yourself a chance. You can plan, prepare and try to make smart decisions, but eventually you still have to put yourself out there, send the email, take the job, make the investment or try something you have never done before. A lot of the opportunities I have had so far only happened because I was willing to do that.
Pricing:
- Limited Wedding Offer: Up to 8 hours of photography coverage for $1,500. Limited dates available.
- Event Photography: Starting at $150/hour with a 2-hour minimum.
- Real Estate & Commercial Photography: Starting at $200. Custom pricing available for larger projects.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://olovphoto.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/olovthemoments
- Other: Google – https://share.google/pZS05FlTcKdgxjLHw
