awesome.

We had some incdredible models at Love Affair this year.  Our ratio of models to ladies was the best ever.  And the stylists and makeup artists were just fantastic.  We had 3-4 women with each model.  The ladies loved it!  They got to take their models anywhere they wanted and they found some great places.

I went out around town trying to find a couple of groups and met up with a couple of women.  When I got back to the hotel there were a couple of groups in the lobby.  I grabbed some super quick shots as I was walking back for the next class.  Here a few.

fun. LIFE.

***All images in this post are copyright Susan Stripling.***

NEXT WEEK: Carey Schumacher

{To nominate women you'd like to see in this series please list them in the comments-or if you have a question you'd like to see in the interviews--make sure to include your info in the comment fields so that I can get in touch with you- or write to me at: davina at davinafear dot com }

As always make sure to leave comments for the women who are featured. They like comments as much as I do I'm sure...let them know if you have questions or just to say thanks! for their insight and wisdom...

Make sure to check out the rest of the series by clicking here. Tell a friend!

How long have you been in business?  What was the process you went through to get things running smoothly?

I started my business as a part-time venture in early 2002.  I was full time within a little over a year.  In 2005 I opened my portrait studio in Tallahassee, Florida and in 2008 closed up the portrait shop and moved to Brooklyn, New York.  I feel almost like I started a new business from the ground-up here in Brooklyn since I no longer work from a storefront and made the conscious decision to drastically reduce the number of portraits I do per year.  Now I'm an almost wedding-only enterprise and I'm exceedingly happy.

I feel like my portrait business was always a growth in progress with employees and a commercial studio and a high-volume client base and I was always struggling to make it run as smoothly and efficiently as possible.  When I moved to New York I made the decision to work from home and (most importantly) work by myself.  I now do all of the work on my own and therefore have only me to answer to - and it's made me rethink and rework almost every aspect of how I do business.

What do you do to keep things simple in your life and studio?

I was extremely unhappy running a portrait studio.  I felt that it was the logical "next step" to add on to my wedding business but all it did was add a lot more work - and work that I didn't feel compelled towards.  I adore photographing weddings.  I like photographing children and families a great deal - but not at a high volume and I don't like running a storefront studio.

I know this sounds crazy and utterly simplistic but I just don't take on more work than I can handle. Sure it can be profitable to pile on the jobs (and hey, who doesn't like profit?) but at the end of the day stressing myself out to the point of tears isn't good for me OR my business.  I know precisely how long it takes me to edit a wedding or design an album and I FINALLY realized when it's time to say when and just where the profit is not worth the stress.

What do you do to separate yourself from your business?

I run it, it doesn't run me.   When my kids come home from school I stop working - it's just that simple. While I might plug in a hard drive and start a backup or get PhotoShop to begin a batch I am NOT at my computer when my kids are at home.  At night I DON'T do ANY work other than occasionally uploading a blog post or answering a few emails. After my kids go to bed is my time to myself to watch bad TV on the DVR while chatting with friends or just randomly surfing the internet.  When my brain is on business all the time it's not a healthy place to be - I have to remember that besides my children and my work I have to give MYSELF time to just be.

What three products or things help you stay organized?

About two years ago I switched from my Westhost-hosted POP email to Google Business IMAP email.  It sounds like a small thing but it revolutionized my email.  When I travel and send emails and sort my in-box I come home and know that my desktop email will look just the same as my laptop, it will sync up and remove deleted emails, file emails into labels that I've done on my laptop, and will be neat and organized for me.  I always have to be able to see the bottom of my in-box so I'm very diligent in keeping my email organized.  

I use a Mac-based program called Things to keep up with, well, everything.  There is an iPhone app that syncs with your desktop and without it I would simply be lost. It tells me when I need to finish deliverables for weddings, keeps me on top of album designs, and really lets me know what needs to be done and when I need to finish it.  

I also could simply not live life without my iPhone.  It carries everything for me .... and it even makes phone calls. :)

What plans do you have for your business this year?  How will your plans impact your family?

I used to do 100% destination weddings and traveled far too much.  This year I plan to continue cultivating a local market both here and in Philadelphia which has been absolutely incredible for my personal life.  I'm around a LOT more for my kids and no longer feel that horrible stress when your business starts to get in the way of your own life.  

Are there times that you feel overwhelmed?  What do you do?

Funny you should ask that now - I shot two weddings last weekend that were three hours apart and this weekend will do a triple with seven hours of driving in between each wedding.  I'm doing that while trying to get my daughters signed up for a new afterschool program and making sure that the dust bunnies in my apartment don't rear up and stage a coup.  This is when my no-work-at-night policy is helping; last night I saw the eight things in my Things list begging me to work on them but I had to just walk away and know I could get it done today.  I laid on the sofa and watched Gossip Girl and when I went to bed I wasn't thinking about work.  Sometimes I do get overwhelmed by the amount of things I have to do but then I sit down, update Things and make sure everything I have to do is written down and assigned a due date and honestly, that helps IMMENSELY in lowering my stress.

blogsite

Susan's Thinkbooks

***All images in this post are copyright Susan Stripling.***

lean meat.

Here are some thoughts on lean meats from...you guessed it...my health insurance lady.

Keeping it Lean

Protein is an essential nutrient.  It’s found in nearly every tissue including muscle, bone, and skin.  Even your hair and nails are made of protein.  But some sources –  certain cuts of red meat for example – add unnecessary calories and can raise cholesterol and triglycerides.  So choose lean protein for good health…without all the unwanted fat.  Learn how to get what your body needs without the extra fat with these suggestions:

-Substitutions

Try lean ground turkey instead of hamburger.  You can put tofu in your stir-fry instead of beef.  And use more beans in your chili than meat.

-Lean Choices

Pick leaner choices – skinless chicken, turkey breast, or fish – more often than red meat.  Remember to be careful with marinades and sauces…they can add fat and sodium.  Try seasoning with fresh herbs, citrus vinegar, and spices.

-Preparation

Trim off all visible fat before cooking.  Then use a cooking method – baking, broiling, or grilling – that doesn’t retain fat like frying does.

-Vegetarian

Remember, meat isn’t your only protein source.  Make vegetarian meals with protein-rich beans, soy products, and grains as the base, plus produce.

-Low-Fat

Dairy products are a great source of complete protein, but they can be high in fat.  Opt for skim or low-fat milk, cheese, and yogurt (avoid added sugars and flavoring).

-Lean Cuts

Going lean doesn’t mean you can’t ever have red meat.  Just minimize the amount and cook leaner cuts.

Take Action!

Think about your favorite meals.  What dishes can you make that use lean meats and non-meat protein sources?  Write down your ideas so you have a handy list of options!

healthy. LIFE.

new life.

We've finished putting my floor into my studio.  Yay!

This is my naked studio.  Nothing in it.  And now, I only want to put back in it what I really love and really need.  I have been looking like crazy for the things that I love.

Here's some of my inspiration...

***All images in this post are copyright Angela Anderson.***

NEXT WEEK: Susan Stripling

{To nominate women you'd like to see in this series please list them in the comments-or if you have a question you'd like to see in the interviews--make sure to include your info in the comment fields so that I can get in touch with you- or write to me at: davina at davinafear dot com }

As always make sure to leave comments for the women who are featured. They like comments as much as I do I'm sure...let them know if you have questions or just to say thanks! for their insight and wisdom...

Make sure to check out the rest of the series by clicking here. Tell a friend!

Your husband is in the film industry.  How do you think that has affected your photography and business?

Gary, my husband, and I met back in 2004. He was working in a creative field with a fierce love for Art, I was still laboring around in the collegiate system, working on a graduate degree and a Fulbright that I was hoping would put me in Paris and Barcelona doing poetry translation. Gary was selling everything and moving to NYC to work in film. When we met both of our worlds just stopped. It was like meeting your future. It was through our support of one another that I picked back up a camera again (I had had a personal mentorship in the late 1990s for a few years in photography by the late James Baker Hall, who was an incredible artist). I was intimidated by the switch from film to digital but Gary gave me the courage. He was already working in digital with his work so it helped my transition.

I think with both of us being in extremely similar fields we inspire one another. We are affected by either other’s aesthetic and vision. I know that because of Gary’s work as a cinematographer I understand lighting so much better. I also truly appreciate the concept of a cinematic photograph. If you have great lighting (read: interesting), powerful emotion (speaking of a portrait), strong composition and a cinematic backdrop or placement the photo becomes this story. Or even better I like to think of it as a long-form  poem.

What are the three most important things you do as a business woman?

I will speak specifically to how my gender affects what is important.

1) Awareness of my connection with my clients. As a portrait and wedding photographer about 90% of my client-base (at least the one that typically hires me) is female. I know that females are deeply connected to their emotions. I love that women go through life naturally with so much feeling. Photography is important to them because they read the emotion in photographs so intently. And just like a favorite song, when it comes on you are transferred back to that time and place when you loved it so much. A great photograph does that for us, and the emotion that comes from that is amazing and makes me happy to be alive.

2) Remember that I am immediately considered as weak. We all know how it goes. You are nice, you are weak. You are strong-willed or just intent and you are a bitch. It is a hard path to walk between. And being an emotionally-connected person sometimes you just want to do everything just to please people, just to make them happy. You have to remind yourself that even though you have the power, as you are  the one in charge, that respect should come into play in business. You must respect yourself and your clients must respect you and your boundaries. Business has some hard truths that I have, over the years, struggled with. Just being an Artist is one thing, adding in business and then adding in the typical traits of being a female and you have a very convoluted existence. You must be very, very strong to survive.

3) Put out what I would want to come back to me. I love and respect my clients and I desire the same from them. An Artist-Patron relationship (which is how I view my business structure) can be so wonderfully intense. I become fully vested in them, their lives, their loves. It takes that much to do a work of Art for someone. I am creating something beyond stilted documentation, and beyond editorial, I am creating something that moves and beguiles both the client and myself: something that comes from the soul of both of us.

What do you do to keep your love fresh and fun with your husband?

My husband and I are super passionate. We are intense, driven, inspired and consistently challenging ourselves and each other. And we both exist in occupations that are high-stress, high-benefit and an absolute dream. So we are integrated. Our love, our passions for Art, our work, our lives are completely intertwined. Unfortunately we have never been able to work well on the same project together (get two alpha lions in a cage and see what happens) but we do sideline each other’s projects and work quite a bit. That excites us. And everywhere we go we get excited about the lighting that we see, the color of the lighting, the backdrops, the ideas that come forth. You know you have a great relationship when you get share the experience of goosebumps often.

What does your workflow look like?  Do you outsource or keep everything in house?

We keep a lot in-house. Megan is in the office as the studio director/client liaison. She sets everything up (schedules), handles payments, most of the communication, ships out gifts and products, leads our viewings and keeps the fort down even in a hurricane of busy-ness. Then AAP has 2 associates and 2 assistants. I am the main, Amy is the lead associate and Alex is our newer associate. Both of them are photographing weddings and portraits. We each do our own editing for our blog entries, slideshows and a little more but the newest associate is always the editor of any work past that. It helps them grow that much more as a photographer, to spend so much time understanding post -the technical triumphs and mistakes. And our album design is also done by someone in the studio. We do, however, outsource our hosting and printing to the fabulous Pictage (and have since 2005), we super-heart Pictage.  

How did you create such a strong marketing/branding presence?

I get complimented a ton on my brand and marketing which always surprises me. I think mainly because it is just me,  things that I like. I decided awhile back that I did not want to look like all of the other photographers in my local area so I just started injecting myself, what I like to see. I also focus a lot on the artistry of the work, the uniqueness of what we do. When you can offer something different than everyone else in your area you grow an immediate market niche. Especially if you can express it correctly. If you know who you are then you can show other people. And if you understand your clients then you can incite them to love you for who you are. I also like to focus on our team: Megan, Amy and Alex (and our stylist Ana). I **love** these girls. They are absolutely incredible people. They are so passionate about what they do and they love this work so intensely that I knew I had to have our clients understand that and appreciate that. Most of my life I have been *different*. In Art it is a boon.

What do you do to help your clients be so comfortable with you during a photo shoot?

I remember how I feel in front of a camera and I imagine that the person/people I am working with feel the same. I then distract, entice, incite and exhaust. The latter being the best way to get a great, honest photograph. Through exhaustion we lose the desire to take the trouble to be aware of ourselves. When we are tired then there is very little separating us from our true nature.

What are your three favorite creative tools and how do they help you to be inspired?

1 - my husband inspires me constantly

2 - my past: the time I had with my late mentor, he was an influence that will forever shape everything I ever do. Without him I would never have the connection I have with images.

3 - other Art. Marc Chagall, I love you.

What are you most proud of creatively?

Reckless abandon. If I can feel so connected to a subject or person that I fully let go, let free my creativity, without reference to what is acceptable or what “everyone else is doing” then I have grown. To grow creatively is to grow spiritually.

Also I am proud that I have worked hard for my presence to not just be a business. There are so many photography businesses that feel like businesses or companies. They either lose their personal touch or worse, they forget they are Artists.

What do you recommend women do who are just getting started in the industry?

The market is flooded and will likely remain so. You must stand out and trust yourself. You *must* be inspired. If you cannot find drive and inspiration in the Art itself then you will likely burn out or become stilted and start just doing this “for the money”. Both of those are heart-breakers. You have to know who you are what is important to you in life. Blaze your own trail. Be passionate. Work hard. Respect  the process. Don’t expect to pick up a camera and all of a sudden “be a photographer”. It doesn’t work that way. You’ll know when you’ve made it. When the sweat from your brow feels more like tears of joy, you’ve found it. Look for a mentor, if you can. Work really hard for them and for yourself. Always respect those who brings you forward, client and mentor.

What do you do for fun…that has nothing to do with photography?

Dream. I am a big dreamer. Big and small.

And one thing I enjoy without measure is silence. Taking your time is vastly underrated. Sitting around with a bottle of wine and your own wonderful thoughts, getting your emotions out on your own schedule, that is the height of being human in my opinion, well that and love of course!

What are you most proud of as a business woman?

That someone as wacky as me can exist as a business woman. Aside from that business is just whatever. I am not an entrepreneur, I am an archaeologist of my own possibilities, an excavator, if you will, of unknown desires. I have a love for experimentation and running a business is fascinating to me like taking apart a clock and putting back together again is for an engineer.

You have a gorgeous studio, tell me about that process and what made you decide to get a retail space?  What did you do financially to make that leap?  Has is been worth it?  In what ways has it been worth all of the effort?

I love my studio, and if all plays right in the next month I will opening a second studio in the next city over as well (Lexington). I love having a place that separates work from home, a place that is built and constructed to make it easy for us to photograph (and use our lighting abilities not just “natural light”). I never thought a lot about whether it was/is the soundest decision financially because sometimes you do things that may not be the soundest decision because they change the way you work, the way you see things and that makes you a stronger, better person and business.

And it has been amazing. One of the best decisions I ever made.

What do you do that your clients rave about most?

The images. They can hardly believe them. 

What is the best thing you’ve done to make your business successful?

Surround myself with amazing, beautiful, intelligent, Artistic people. Clients and employees alike.  

What do you do to keep from feeling overwhelmed?

Meditation 

What three products or things help you stay organized?

1 - ShootQ

2 - Pictage

3 - My *lovely* studio director, Megan

Website

Blog

***All images in this post are copyright Angela Anderson.***