I've been interested in photography for years now; I guess I would have been about four or five when I had my first Polaroid camera, and that started my love affair with this wonderful art form.  As much as I wanted to, however financial constraints made it impossible to do anything with this yearning that I had to make photography my life.  Formal schooling was out of the question, and I couldn't even afford a decent SLR, which I had wanted since I was twelve.  A lack of confidence in my own abilities kept me from pursuing photogrpahy without what I felt were basic necessities.

 

That changed a few months ago.  I had saved whatever spare change I had, and although it took me close to two years, I was finally able to purchase my very first SLR and an extra lens.  Things have just been falling into place ever since.  I sheepishly applied for a self-employment program here in order to access funding and other resources that I will need to build my business.  So now I feel as though I have finally found my way.

 

I registered my business name on May 19, 2005.  Since my plan is to work exclusively with children (and the occasional pregnant woman), I decided to give my business a name that honours the spirits of those whom I will be working with.  So, Indigo Child Photography was born.  Now, it's time for me to nurse her and help her to grow into the business I know that I can have.

 

Lynn Hollister
Lynn Hollister Photography
Houston, Texas
Shuttermom Gold Package

I have always loved pictures.  My mom made a scrapbook of me when I was little that quickly became my favorite story book because hearing the “story of me” made me feel special.  As I got older, I wanted a camera of my own to take pictures so I could make my own albums.  When my first child came along, I decided to make him a picture album like my mom had made for me.  I began taking pictures like crazy, and really became addicted to scrapbooking.  I had never taken a photography class, but people always commented on how good my pictures were.  Family and friends would often take my pictures of them and have them blown up and framed.

Now I am the mother of 4 children ages 13 to 4 and have been a public school teacher in Texas for 19 years.  I have taught everything from speech, theater and journalism to language arts.  I resigned my teaching position in May of 2004 to be a stay-at-home mom.  During this past year, I have done a great deal of thinking about what is my real passion in life.  At this point I knew it wasn’t teaching anymore.  What was I going to do when I finished teaching? What other career would be right for me?  I have always enjoyed making and creating things like my photo albums, and I have always felt that there was an artist buried deep inside somewhere waiting to get out. 

This spring when my daughter’s soccer pictures came in, I was horrified at how bad they were and how much money I had spent for such poor quality.  I was very disappointed.  It was then that I made the comment that I could have done a much better job and my husband said, “Why don’t you?”  He encouraged me to talk to the people at the local YMCA to see what it would take to get the job taking sports pictures.  I had a lot of fear about doing this, because remember; I have not had any formal photography training or courses.  But, I talked to the guy anyway and acted like I knew what I was doing.  He asked to see some pictures I had taken of soccer this past year.  I brought him a sample of my work, and he said he would definitely let me take basketball pictures this fall.  I was shocked and scared.  I was still using a point and shoot digital camera.  Since then, I have continued to walk through my fears and take it one day at a time.  I now have a Nikon D70, a website, business cards, and have sold my first picture.  I have learned how to use Photoshop, and I have spent countless hours researching on the net and reading everything I can about photography.  I spend time each day studying the websites of other photographers looking at their style.  I also spend time each week taking pictures and looking at my own mistakes with lighting, posing, and composition.  There is still so much to learn, but I have never been this fascinated by anything else in my life.

I have enjoyed my year off, but I do miss working.  I still have 5 years I have to teach to receive full teacher retirement when I am 60, so I am planning to go back in the next year or two.  I recently passed the Excet test for elementary language arts, reading, and social studies; so when a position comes available in my daughters’ elementary school, I will return to teaching and finish out my 5 years.  Until that time, I am going to work hard on getting my photography business going.  My goal is to take the money from teaching to buy more and more equipment so that after the five years I can do photography full time.  I figure as long as I can still see and hold a camera, I can keep working.  It really doesn’t seem like work when you love what you are doing.

 

"I spent all of July and August taking pictures of children and teens in my neighborhood in an effort to get more experience and build a portfolio of my work.  I did all of the work for free and gave the kids 2 sheets of wallets with a sticker of my information on the back.  My thought was that they would pass them out to their friends at school and get my name out in the community.  I also created coupons and donated them for a drawing at a local event.  So far no one has called to cash in on the coupon.  I also volunteered to be the historian / scrapbook keeper for my daughter’s after school choral group, plus I am taking pictures at church for them to use as needed for publications.  I felt that I could be of service to others and get experience at the same time.  Many people have seen me taking pictures that never knew I was into photography, and it has given me an opportunity to tell others about my business.  In September I did head shots for 200 teens in the theater department in the local high school where I previously taught.  This was great experience.  I also attended a dress rehearsal for a musical and took candid shots of the kids on stage and created a montage for them.  I have also taken some outdoor senior portraits and some family portraits.  In October I was asked to take pictures at Senior Recognition Night during the last football game of the season.  That earned a nice profit.  Last weekend I took shots of my best friend’s daughter in her cheerleading outfit.  She invited two of her cheerleading friends to come along which might mean more sales for me!!!  I have also done two parties where I took candid shots and put them on a CD for the client.  My next project is basketball pictures for the local YMCA.  I have decided to start out doing many different things to see what I like doing the best.  So far my favorite part is creating montages and water color paintings with Adobe Photoshop.  My friend loved the cheerleading collages I made of her daughter.  When things are slow, I spend time working on ideas for creative art pieces that will increase my future sales.  I guess I really have been busy.  I think that I will be able to pay back my “loan” from Visa by the end of the year for the Nikon that I bought in May."

Lynn   

 

Fatima Peat & Jodie Clanton
Elite Pictures
Shuttermom Gold Package

“A picture is worth a thousand words” that is a quote that says it all for Fatima and I. We want to be able to capture all the moments of one’s life that are deemed important to them and create long lasting memories. Our company, Elite Pictures, is a relatively new photography business that was birthed out of our church, Victory Church in Jesus Christ, in Staten Island, NY.

We had been talking with our Pastor about ways to generate money for our Missions Fund. The Mission Fund in our church goes to churches primarily in Africa that need our help. Fatima mentioned taking pictures for Mother’s Day and selling them. Our pastor said to run with it. Without a camera, printer, backdrop or even experience we jumped in head first. Our pastor provided us with a 3.2 megapixel digital camera, his printer, and his laptop and we were off. At the last minute we realized we needed a backdrop so Fatima took her son’s dark blue curtain and taped it up to the wall. Who would of known you could never tell the difference. Although that day is long behind us, it was in that very moment when I was editing and printing the pictures that we realized that we had found something we truly enjoyed doing and that we could make money from it.

We have since taken more shots for our church, a few weddings and some portrait shots. We have been doing research on the type of equipment, marketing tools, presentation packages, etc. that will make us a top of the line photography business. We realize that all things have to start somewhere and we are pressing toward the top.

As mothers, wives with full time jobs and active members in our church, we have a huge amount of responsibility on our shoulders. We want to let this business give us the opportunity to leave our present careers of education and dentistry and work when we want to work so we can have more time for the precious things in life.

We realize that we have limited experience in the profession right now, but we believe with a willingness to experiment and learn, a positive attitude and the Lord on our side all things are possible. We believe that in 1 years time we will have a well known, reputable, and booming portrait business. Thank you Cindy for having the confidence in us, and giving us that needed push.

 

Tara Kea
Virginia
Shuttermom Gold Package

I've only actually  been in business for 6 months, and work from my home or my clients'.
I bought your Shuttermom Library back in February, and it has helped me tremendously! I have been staying at home since my "little devil" was born, and desparately wanted to continue to do so.  However, cutting our income in half and adding all those extra baby expenses was more difficult than we thought.  After Peyton's first year, and 1000+ pictures(My husband, Trey tells everyone that he works so I can develop film!...he's lucky that I don't shoot film!!)  that had gotten progressively better....I talked him into letting me have our tax refund to buy your system, a new camera, and the absolute basics!! I'm actually using "homemade" lighting (http://www.studiolighting.net/category/studio-lighting-on-the-cheap/)..and, get this: a GARMENT RACK from Target for $25, although, I have finally made enough money to get a "real" backdrop, which I got on Ebay for next to nothing!, with Walmart Clearance Fabric as backdrops!! I'm glad to be upgrading, b/c it certainly takes lots of improvising! I have been a "picture fanatic" since I was very young...I remember being 8 or 9 years old and getting one of those rectangle shaped, 110 film cameras, and took so many pictures, my parents gave me a weekly developing limit!! :)

I have done a few portrait parties and a few baby bits, but not as many as I'd hoped, your information on marketing though has given me renewed ideas. I do now have a store shoot scheduled for September! Despite that, I really have been way busier than I expected!! I even  have my first wedding in August and two more in October!! I'm a little nervous, but really excited!

I'm absolutely loving doing this and I really am making some money.  We're almost ahead again...and as long as this keeps up, I can continue to stay home, raise Peyton and even have more!! So I would say that's the best motivation in the world!! Your system has helped me tremendously, from ideas, to technical information to legal information! I really don't think I could have done this without you!! My website is under construction, but check it out: www.photobytara.com and I'm also using www.photographybytara.photoreflect.com for free proofing...again, thanks to you!