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

Hi Joy, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve had a camera in my hand. I always found myself wanting to capture the moment, whether it was the sun setting at the beach, the embracing of our family reunion in Indiana, or my brother crossing the finish line in the 4×400 relay at his state track meet, just to name a few.

Nevertheless, my love for photography has never faded, and so in 2017, OverJoyed Photography was born!

I was nervous at first, as most people are when they are starting something new. What if my clients don’t like my work?  Will my photos be good enough? Will my clients like me as a person?  These were questions that circled my mind for the first few months. But I quickly realized that fear shouldn’t stop me from pursuing something I love, something I am passionate about, and something I feel called to do.  I realized my photography could be a ministry… a way to serve and love on people, even the people who strongly dislike getting photos taken because they are self conscious, or whatever the reason may be.  I have a gift of making others feel comfortable in their own skin, which is something that ought to be shared with the world.  I started off small, only photographing people I knew.  Sure enough, over time, my name got out there and now I have the privilege of photographing some of people’s most special moments!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Currently, I am beyond blessed to work full-time as the Executive Assistant to the CEO of Tribal Diagnostics. Prior to that, I worked for 5 years with special needs children as a pediatric speech-language pathologist for Children’s Language Development Center.  In 2020, I became a mom to my now 2 year old son, so it’s safe to say that OverJoyed Photography has always been my side hustle.  We all need a creative outlet… whether it is photography, art, music, knitting, or gardening… whatever it is that gets your creative juices flowing… my Canon camera & Adobe Lightroom let me do just that!

With this is mind, what sets me apart from other photographers is that unlike many others, photography is not my main source of income. In a way, there’s something very freeing about this because my creative outlet isn’t a job… it is exactly what it should be: a creative outlet that I enjoy.  I don’t put pressure on myself to have “x” number of sessions per year, and honestly this has been a game changer for me. I’m truly thankful for each client that trusts me to capture their special moment including: a best friend’s baby shower, gender reveal party, pregnancy announcement, family Christmas cards, t-ball or cheer team photos, engagement session, and senior portraits.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Without a doubt, I’d take them to the eat and hang out at The STAR, the practice facility of the Dallas Cowboys. I’d also love to take them to the shops at Legacy West for some great shopping, food, and gelato! Two-stepping is one of my favorite hobbies so we’d dance the night away out at Gilley’s Dallas or Cowboys Red River.   Of course you can’t forget the other awesome spots near downtown, such as the Dallas Arboretum, White Rock Lake, and the unforgettable views of the city from Reunion Tower.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Jim, Laura, & Jordan Lord:   My dad, Jim Lord, for letting me borrow “Ol’ Blue”, his 1956 Ford pickup truck, and my brother, Jordan Lord, for driving Ol’ Blue for my first Christmas Truck mini sessions that were a huge hit last year!  Mom, you have the best husband and son in the world!  Every family is beautiful, but ours is my favorite… you all have given me wings to fly above the darkness and back to the light.

The Littlepage Family: Cory, thank you for entrusting me to care for your family and help run your world-class business. You are a God-send.  Karris, your strength inspires me every day.  I love you both, and your family has blessed me more than you will ever know.

Shannon Bettis: my mentor, my teacher, forever-friend… the gem who constantly speaks truth into my life: specifically that God’s will is the most hopeful, pleasant, and glorious thing in the world. I’m blessed to have you for a lifetime!

Amanda Davis: Thank you for being a constant friend and photography mentor… for answering all my crazy questions, for all the referrals because your photography is amazing and because you’re fully booked,  and for encouraging me to take the leap of faith to buy the camera and lens I always dreamed of.

A big shoutout to all the rest of my wonderful family and faithful friends who have encouraged me and shared every single post on social media to get my name out there!

To my son, Levi, the light of my life and who *should be* a Gerber-baby model: you are the reason I keep going. “I always pray with joy… being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion until the day of Jesus Christ.” – Phil 1: 4,6

Website: https://overjoyedphotos.com

Instagram: @overjoyedphotos

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OverJoyedPhotography

Image Credits
Joy Lord | OverJoyed Photography

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