Liz & Ryan Bower are a husband and wife duo who are not only Bucknell alums but run their own business, specializing in wedding photography. I first learned about them from a Twitter Q&A that Bucknell’s Alumni Network was hosting, and was lucky enough to have the opportunity to interview Liz for this assignment. Fun fact, they’re high school sweethearts!
LD: Tell me about your educational background- where did you go to school and what did you study?
LB: Ryan and I both grew up in Montoursville, PA, about 30 minutes from Lewisburg. We went to Montoursville High School. Ryan graduated in 2002 and I graduated in 2003. Immediately after graduating high school we both attended Bucknell. Ryan graduated from Bucknell in 2006 with an Electrical Engineering degree and I graduated in 2007 with a Business Management degree.
LD: What was your experience at Bucknell like?
LB: Ryan and I both LOVED Bucknell! We each had an incredible experience as a student. Ryan played football, which kept him incredibly busy while managing his engineering studies. I was very active in student activities and worked in the Dean of Students Office. Both Ryan and I were involved with various service activities on campus, including leadership roles with Habitat for Humanity.
LD: What did you get out of school that continues to help you today?
LB: I think the biggest things we gained from attending Bucknell was not necessarily gained within the classroom. Yes, we definitely learned a lot that we do revert back to here and there in our day to day lives of being entrepreneurs. However, we learned so much outside of the classroom. Our eyes were opened to the huge world that surrounds us and helped us realize that our dreams are our own to reach.
LD: If you could be a student again, what would you do differently?
LB: Oooo… good question. I think I would take more time to soak it all in. I would probably attend more activities, sporting events, and cultural experiences. I also think I would have tried to get into more classes that “spoke to my heart” rather than just fulfilling the credits I needed to graduate. However, with all that said, we both had an incredible experience at Bucknell and are truly grateful for the opportunities we had there as students!
LD: What do you do in your job? What is an average day like for you?
LB: As you know, Ryan and I are full-time wedding photographers. However, we tend to call ourselves entrepreneurs, dream believers, and AMAZING Life Inspirers. We see ourselves as so much more than just “photographers.” Our day to day looks very different depending on the day. As small business owners, we probably spend about 10% of our time actually photographing and the rest of the time doing other business related activities– accounting, marketing, business development, et cetera.
LD: What do you enjoy most about your job, and what do you find most challenging?
LB: We LOVE the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others. Whether that is through photographs that we capture of a couple in love or through words that we write on our blog, we want to touch the lives of couples and help them appreciate the AMAZING life they live together. We love meeting and interacting with our clients. The most challenging part of our job is probably financially related. We love what we do so much that we would basically do it for free… haha. But, we recognize that we have to be able to pay the bills as well! It is hard to find that balance.
LD: I’ll bet… what skills are most essential in your job, and how did you acquire them?
LB: Being a business owner basically requires you to be good at a lot of things! (Or, at least, good at managing a lot of things). Photography skills are definitely important. However, I would say having a good business sense is definitely incredibly important as well. I definitely believe I learned a lot about business in my Management classes at Bucknell. But I would absolutely argue that being involved with so many student activities taught us a lot about working with people, marketing, managing, budgeting, etc. The student activities gave us hands on experience that we probably would not have learned in a classroom setting.
LD: How did you get to where you are today? What experiences did you have, what actions did you take, what connections did you make, that enabled you to reach the position that you have today?
LB: Wow, this is a loaded question. Looking back, there are so many stepping stones that have guided us to where we are today! Both Ryan and I started out our professional careers working for other people. We worked in large corporations and realized quickly that we were not being professionally fulfilled, nor did we feel like our gifts were being used to their full potential. We dreamed of a life where we could make a difference in other people’s lives while we were doing what we loved. Meanwhile, we both found a passion for photography and had a lot of fun playing around with the camera! We had a strong desire to start a photography business and we figured why not give it a try. I would say that God had a lot to do with why we are where we are today. We could definitely share our whole life stories that inevitably had a lot to do with how we got to where we are right now… but that would probably be more information than you need or want to know! However, if you would like to get together for coffee or chat more via the phone… we would love to share more!
LD: Hopefully I’ll be able to take you up on that some day! What advice would you give to the young artist who is interested in pursuing the career you’re in? How could they get started? Can you suggest any particular internships or opportunities that I might want to look into?
LB: My biggest piece of advice is to follow your heart and never give up on something you believe in! There will be a lot of people along the way that will tell you you are too young, or not experienced, etc. Surround yourself by people who believe in you and will push you to be a better person! Wedding photographers are continually looking for people who can help them with editing, shooting, office work, etc. Sometimes they offer them as paid internships, but most of the time they are unpaid. Don’t be afraid to take an opportunity that is unpaid as long as it is right for you!
LD: Did you ever have an experience where you felt like you impacted or touched someone, or where your client affected you in a way you didn’t expect?
LB: Yes, absolutely! We would be more than happy to chat with your professor and/or any students! In fact, we would love it!!! Email to hello@lizandryan.com is always a great starting point. We are in and out of the Lewisburg area fairly frequently due to coming home for holidays and other events! We are always happy to make a stop at Bucknell!
Some of Liz & Ryan’s work:
