A little over a year ago, Arief Harlan began his own photography company, but what some do not know is that he is still a student.
Harlan is a senior general studies major and runs his own business, Harlan Photography LLC.
“Photography has always been a hobby of mine and it’s something I love doing,” said Harlan. “I eventually decided to create a business so I could earn money and provide exceptional service to people while doing something I love.”
Along with his general studies degree, Harlan has a major concentration in photography and minor concentrations in business and accounting.
“I should have two semesters left,” said Harlan. “I decided to go this route because it would be useful with running a photography business.”
Harlan shared how he got started with his limited liability company and how he became known.
“One of the first steps was coming up with a name for the business,” said Harlan. “I decided to simply go with Harlan Photography so that my name could easily be recognized once the business was launched. The next step was filling out all the required paperwork to form an LLC. Once everything was turned in and accepted, I then focused on getting my business out there through word of mouth and online ads.”
After running his business for a year, Harlan shared his favorite aspect of business.
“My business focuses on wedding photography,” said Harlan. “One of my favorite parts has been meeting different couples who are getting married and being able to see all kinds of different types of weddings and venues.”
Harlan has experienced much, but is still learning every day.
“My favorite thing about photography is that it’s so versatile,” said Harlan. “There are countless things you can do with a camera, it’s not limited to just weddings for example. Something I have learned from my experiences is that there are endless amounts of photo styles and techniques and that I can also improve in what I do. In the photography world, with new equipment coming out every year and new techniques, there is almost no ceiling to the quality of work one can produce.”
Harlan is not currently doing anything with the university, but he would like the opportunity to work with the university.
“My business could offer multiple services and I would also offer them at a discounted price to SLU,” said Harlan. “I could provide senior/graduation photo services to students who are preparing to graduate, event photography and also sports photography.”