For Ahdi Duran, portrait photography is more than a creative outlet, it’s a way to connect with people, celebrate identity and capture lasting memories. Now, it’s also her official business.
The Goodyear resident recently launched her own portrait company, Ahdi H Photos, under a newly registered Limited Liability Company and secured a local business license through the City of Goodyear.
“It was intimidating at first because there’s so much you have to do: registering your name, checking trade name availability, getting a tax license,” Duran said. “But I made a checklist and just started ticking things off.”
The process, she said, came with a familiar sense of independence. “I just Googled, ‘How to start your LLC,’” she said.
The researching process could be overwhelming, Duran said, but having experience with independent learning through being homeschooled, Duran said she was able to figure it out.
Duran, a new mom and lifelong creative, said the decision to make her business official came after continued community support and encouragement.
“I’ve been hearing it from everyone for years: ‘You need to charge more, you need to go legit,’” she said. “After I had my baby, I was thinking about it, and I decided it finally felt like a good time to run with it.”
To legally operate in Goodyear, entrepreneurs must apply for a city business license, even if the business is home-based or mobile. The application is available online at goodyearaz.gov.
A license is required for each physical location where business is conducted, and separate licenses are needed for different individuals conducting business at the same address. The city also offers a program to help business owners get their start, InnovationHub guides entrepreneurs through those first steps.
Duran began by registering her LLC through the Arizona Corporation Commission at azcc.gov, a process that includes choosing a business name, confirming its availability, and paying a filing fee. She also applied for a tax license and figured out the operational tools she’d need, like an online booking system and custom session guides.
“It’s so much more streamlined now than it used to be,” she said. “But you still have to put in the work to make connections.”
But Duran’s photography career began long before her official paperwork.
“I was on Tumblr a lot growing up and all the kids had Canon Rebel cameras, and I was so jealous,” she said. “Then came the 2015 video game “Life is Strange” and the main character was a photographer, and I thought that was so cool. I wanted to be her.”
Her first camera was a basic Sony. “It didn’t even have a detachable lens. My dad was convinced it was just a phase,” she said, but Duran never stopped creating.
Growing up in a tight-knit community in Ohio, she got her start when neighbors began requesting family photos, she still serves that community on her trips to visit home. Duran said that her very first clients, and many who have come after, have become repeat customers who have grown alongside her.
Duran calls herself a “generalist,” a photographer who embraces a wide variety of sessions including family, maternity, branding and couples shoots.
“I like being a part of people’s lives, their stories, in small ways, especially when they come back to me over the years,” she said.
Her style leans into authentic moments, natural light and subtle enhancement.
“I’d describe my editing style as ‘your life, but better,’” she said. “I try not to stray too far from real life, just enhance it a little.”
She also leans on prompts rather than traditional posing.
“Instead of telling you to move your arm a certain way, I’ll say, ‘Slow dance with your partner to your favorite song,' only the music’s not playing,” Duran said. “That moment when you start laughing and trying to figure it out is when I take the photo.”
Recently, one of those candid sessions led to a career milestone: a shoot that helped her rebuild her portfolio post-maternity leave and led to a feature on the photography app “Unscripted.”
Duran's picture of Kelsey Moldonado and Danny Yenglin is featured on "Unscripted."
Submitted photo/Ahdi Duran
“They were gorgeous, so sweet, and the photos turned out exactly how I envisioned,” she said. “Getting featured again after basically starting over meant so much.”
Duran said her client experience is designed to feel personal and intuitive. Prospective clients fill out a contact form on her website and receive a customized session guide. From there, everything including scheduling, payments and communication flows through a streamlined online platform built for photographers.
Now officially licensed, Duran is chasing consistency, connection and growth.
“I just want to grow, meet more people, and do this all the time,” she said. “I want to be one of the photographers who pops up when someone searches in their area. I want to keep connecting with people and taking pictures of their lives.”
For others hoping to start a business in Goodyear, Duran’s advice is simple: take the first step, even if it’s a Google search and a checklist.
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