*All images in this post are copyright Karen Lippowiths.***

NEXT WEEK: Maile Knight Wilson

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Karen,    You have some amazing skills as a business woman.  I remember meeting you at SMS in Atlanta and being blown away at your marketing skills and how quickly your business boomed.  Your work is clean and crisp and beautiful and now you've created a business resource kit so that we can access your genius.   You are energetic, enthusiastic, and a great encouragement to your friends.  I'm so glad that you're on Women and Business today.  Thank you!

How long have you been in business?

I began working in photography in 2003 while I managed a small creative firm.  At that time, I worked with a commercial photographer and oversaw his efforts, but didn’t think I could do the work myself.  It wasn’t until a bit later that I had the courage to give it a try.  I officially began my  own portraiture business in 2005. 

What drew you to photography?

Like most photographers, I’ve always had a passion for the visual arts.  My true interest in photography comes more out of a love for design and commercial photography than portraiture.  I’m very interested in lines, composition, and aesthetics in my work, probably more so than emotion.  

How did you get started?

Truly by accident.  I majored in molecular biology and history at the University of Michigan and the Sorbonne in Paris, so I had no background in the arts.  At that time in my life, I thought I had to concentrate on “serious” subjects that led to solid careers.  I didn’t want to waste my time on something that everyone said, “You’ll never make money at.”  

My sister passed away in 2003 at age 23.  Her passing gave me reason to ask myself, “What is it that I really want to do with my life?”  Crises are opportunities if you see them that way.  A few months later, I ended a long-term relationship, left New York City where I had lived for the past several years, and moved back home to metro Detroit.  

At first, I started working in design.  I owned a small firm that grew steadily over the next couple of years.  I had a photographer on board as part of our team and really loved watching him work.  

He was a great photographer but an awful businessperson.  He literally dumped thousands of dollars of equipment in my lap and took off one day.  I owned all this stuff and didn’t have the first clue of what to do with it.  I didn’t want to hire another photographer and have to start all over again.  So, I started by setting up the studio lighting equipment in my living room and I shot every conceivable still object in the house.  I learned things like “always keep the ISO at 100 when shooting strobes” by blowing them out.  It was a true trial and error way to learn.  Then, I got up the nerve to work with people.  I found I had a natural talent and I practiced like crazy.  In a short time after that, a portrait business took off.

Are you in a retail space or home studio?  What made you choose the space you have?

I currently work on location with a home office.  I had a 1,500 sq. ft. loft and two employees at one time.  While I enjoyed the creative flexibility of a studio and the collaboration of employees, the truth is that the business grew to become something that wasn’t “me.”  The more removed I became from the day-to-day business operations, the more I disliked what the business had become.  I’ve been much happier since scaling things back.

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

My workflow is simple.  On a typical session, I shoot around 225 frames and narrow down to 35 for the client to see.  I soft proof the 35 images by adjusting sharpness, saturation, exposure, and brightness in Aperture.  I then present the images to the client in ProSelect.  Once the client makes her selection (usually narrowing down to 6-10 images unless she’s doing an album), I go back and hard proof those images for production.  I keep everything in house.  The key to effective workflow is to avoid over-shooting and over-showing.  Also, it’s important to offer products in a way that influences clients to select a few key pieces rather than “pictures by the pound.” 

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

There’s only one sale in portrait photography: the one during the initial consultation when you identify a client’s needs and communicate your ability to provide a solution.  Everything beyond that is a matter of fulfilling your commitment to meet those needs.  If I don’t connect with a client during the initial consultation or if I know for some reason I’m not the best person to meet her needs, I pass on the job.  If you commit to working with people whom you truly like and if you take time to listen to them, the rest is easy.

Working with children is a bit the same way.  There are a lot of “tactics” I use to focus a child’s attention and keep their attention on me such as noisemakers, food, and games, but ultimately it’s about creating a dialog between the two of us.

You are a fantastic businesswoman.  You have the ability to make things happen.  What do you think are the secrets to your success in business?

The real secret is that there is no secret.  It all comes down to perseverance, perseverance, perseverance and pushing myself out of my comfort zone about 80% of the time.  Talent and success are not democratic – they’re not doled out in equal shares.  Those who succeed are the ones who just keep showing up and doing the work.  Early on, I thought t it would get easier as time went on and my business grew.  I also believed that someone would come along and anoint me as “good enough” someday.  Then, I realized that neither of these things was going to happen and it was entirely up to me to create the business I wanted to own.  I dream big and I try to help others along the way.  The more people I help, the more people help me succeed.  

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

New photographers need to educate themselves on the business of photography.  I’ve worked with scores of photographers over the last few years as part of my mentoring program and most of them come to me with no entrepreneurial experience or business plan whatsoever.  It’s one thing to enjoy photography as a hobby – which is great – but it’s another to make a living of it day after day.  You’ve got to have a plan!  Far too many people leap before they look.  

You are currently putting together a resource guide for photographers.  What are some of the best things we can look for in your guide?

I’m SUPER EXCITED to share the Focused Photographer Business Builder Kit very soon.  This is more than just a pamphlet or a “how-to” guide, it’s a comprehensive kit that will help anyone start and run a profitable home-based children’s portrait photography business.  It includes everything from creating a business plan, to managing Profit / Loss and Cash Flow statements, to pricing for profitability.  Users will walk away with a marketing plan and a firm grasp on the client cycle, start-to-finish.  It also covers my detailed shooting, posing, workflow, and Photoshop techniques.  There are 17 step-by-step exercises and a number of additional resources as well.  The Kit may be completed alone or can be used along with my Get Focused! One one-on-one mentoring program.

When and where will we be able to purchase your resource guide?

I spent the last eight months developing the more than 300-page kit and its resources and it’s with my production designer right now.  I hope to have it available for purchase by October 1 on my web site, www.karenlippowithsphotography.com.  Visitors can view the outline and read a sample chapter now.  They can also pre-order the kit at a reduced rate.

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

I love planning dinner parties and spending time with friends.  Just this weekend we had a “dinner and movie under the stars” dinner party.  I made a nice ribeye dinner and my husband rigged the Bose system and our projector screen out on the deck.  We live in suburbia but our backyard overlooks a beautiful pond, tall grass, and a tree-lined field.  It feels completely remote.  The sun glows on the field each evening and it’s our little slice of heaven back there.  This past weekend, we had two other couples over (and no kids!) for a beautiful sunset dinner, candlelight dessert, and movie under the stars.  It was amazing.

I love riding with my three-year-old son, Connor, down the farmer’s market on Sunday morning and making a beautiful “farm-to-table” meal that night.  I tell my clients to “live artfully” and I try to find ways to do that myself.

I’m a documentary and NPR junkie.  I love to read non-fiction and usually tend toward the heavy political, financial, historical, or social issue stuff.  I love “food for thought.”

What are you most proud of as a business woman?

I started my business at a time when I didn’t quite think I could or should.  I had just left a bad relationship, my sister had recently passed away, and I was $35,000 in debt.  My confidence wasn’t at its height.  I’m proud to say I dug myself out of debt in three years and I’m way on the plus side now.  We live off of my husband’s income and we bank every dollar I make. I’m extremely proud to have a thriving business all my own and to know that my work makes a difference to help us work toward the future we want.

What do you do to keep your marriage fun? 

Brad and I enjoy eating and traveling well.  We spend lots of time discussing new restaurants and planning future trips.  A few times a year, we take off for a nice weekend by ourselves.  Once a year we head to the Chesapeake to sail and we enjoy a pampered spa weekend at the Inn at Perry Cabin.  These “dream” weekends fuel us the rest of the year and memories we make keep our spirits strong.

What are the top three things you did when you were first getting started in business to bring in clients?

Working with other businesses is key.  Once you position yourself with high-end businesses that cater to your target demographic, reaching clients becomes much easier.  Tactically, the best three things I did for my business early on were:

1. hosting events and promotions through my partner businesses
2. hanging large installations in key locations throughout town
3. building my e-mail list and keeping in touch with clients about every other week

How do you keep your marriage safe from the stresses of your business?

Stress free?  Doesn’t exist.  Happy and balanced?  Totally possible with a little work.  Brad and I both work from home and our three-year-old is home with us as well.  It’s a real juggling act every day, but we’re committed to each other’s success.  We share responsibility equally and to always put the other person first. 

At 5:00, neither one of us answers the phone or checks e-mail.  We don’t do any work on Sundays and I keep my weekend shoots to no more than two a month.  Creating boundaries and shutting out the rest of the world has allowed us to create a sacred space just for us.

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

Price my work profitably.  Hands down.

You are a mom, how many kids do you have?  What do you do to help him feel part of your business life?  

Connor is a busy three-year-old little boy and he will be an only child.  I make time for him every day by taking time to play Batman in the morning and by making sure I’m there at the end of every day.  My office door is never closed to him and I always try to welcome him up into my chair with open arms.  

It was so much easier when he was an infant.  I could lay him in the Boppy and work all day.  Now, he’s learning so much more and need more of my focused time.  I don’t begrudge him this.  Brad goes out of town every Tuesday so I make that our fun “Mommy & Connor” day.  We go to the pool, to the zoo, or on an “adventure” of some sort.  

Recently, I’ve started bringing Connor on client deliveries with me.  Clients love to meet him and I think it makes me appear more human in their eyes.  Plus, there’s nothing cuter than a little boy handing over a pretty bag saying “Thank you, ma’am.”  Connor thinks it’s pretty cool that he gets to meet a lot of new friends in my clients’ kids.

What do you do to keep your family strong?

Like everything, it takes commitment and work.  I know too many people who prioritize work over family and who chase the illusive dollar for a hyper-consumerism life.  We’re not willing to do that.  We live below our means and we pay cash for everything.  We do without what many of our friends buy on credit then spend years working to pay off.  Living this way allows us the choice to work or not, to take one more job or spend time enjoying the holidays instead.  It also allows us to plan and save for the future.  Having this freedom has made a huge difference in our outlook on life and the way we value our time together.  It’s about creating balance.

Many photographers are feeling the effects of the economy.  What is your take on business and the economy?

Warren Buffet once said, “When the tide goes out, you know was skinny dipping.”  By this, he means when times are tough, the unprepared wash ashore.  I certainly don’t wish for anyone to fail, but a recession does “shake the tree” and strengthens the quality of the photography industry as a whole.  I’m glad that I have little overhead, few financial commitments, and I price for profitability.  Even with fewer clients coming through the door this year, the business has seen steady growth.

What steps have you taken to help your studio thrive in the last year or so?

I actually cut the volume in the last year and raised my rates considerably.  I swallowed hard and feared the worse, but it was the best thing I could have ever done, even in this economy.  While it’s true that I’m getting fewer calls, my gross revenue and more important, my net income, has greatly improved.  I focus on taking quality jobs, not sheet quantity.  My calendar is actually completely full through November, which is a great feeling to know what’s coming down the pike.  I currently average $2,300 per session.  Plus, I’ve really cut out the time-draining “volume” jobs that stressed me out last year.  I’m working less and making more.  There’s no better feeling than that!

How do you stay inspired in your sessions? 

I’ve started doing commercial work and I hope to pursue much more of this down the line.  Commercial, fashion, and editorial photography require a different focus and working style, which I find to be a refreshing change.  Truth be told, I love portraiture but I need something more to keep me going creatively.  I recently did a test session for which I planned the concept, styled the set and wardrobe, scouted location and models, managed a small team, and photographed.  This was so different from simply meeting a two-year-old at her house and shooting candids around the yard.  I’ve given myself a year to build my book and I met with a commercial agent recently.  The prospect of rounding out my portfolio of work keeps me interested and excited every day.  

What do you do to keep from feeling overwhelmed?

I’m not sure there’s a way to prevent this entirely, however I’ve learned to minimize feeling overwhelmed by saying “no” a lot more, taking on less of the jobs that don’t benefit me financially or spiritually, and by pacing myself each day.  I’ve learned to take it all in stride.  When I’m about to panic or I feel like a situation is too much to handle, I remind myself that the sky has never fallen and that no matter how pressured I feel, I will come out of the situation feeling whole.

What three products or things help you stay organized?

Aperture, ProSelect, and Excel are my lifelines.  Any workflow program is a MUST for a professional photographer.  ProSelect has made sales easy as pie.  I keep all of my financial and administrative files in Excel (I guess I’m old school that way).

What is something that you think women in the industry should not do?

As Suze Orman says, “Never put yourself on sale.”  Far too many women get in the business and simply give it all away.  They fail to realize is that it’s not the value of a photograph that they’re giving up but the time they put into creating that photograph and the subsequent sales opportunity that goes to waste.  When you say “Yes” to a client, you’re saying “No” to something else.  That “No” may be working with a more profitable client, it may be marketing for the kind of work you truly want, or it may be spending time with your family.  Pursuing photography as a “paid hobby” or “part-time” are not excuses to waste time or talent either.  Get what you’re worth.

What is something that you think women in the industry should do?

Support one another.  There’s a zero-sum game mentality that somehow says, “You’ve got to lose in order for me to win.”  I assure everyone that there is enough work to go around.  If you position yourself, create and communicate a compelling experience for clients, and work to create a good match, you’ll be fine.  I can only serve around 100 clients a year within a roughly 50-mile radius who are looking for my creative style and are prepared to spend what I charge.  Anyone outside of these parameters is not a good it for me.  The more photographers I’ve befriended, the more work I’ve gotten and given away.  I wouldn’t be where I am without the support and friends in the business I have.

What five suggestions do you have for women who are trying to have a more whole, content, and blissful life?

1. Remember that work is work, money is money, and everything is what really counts
2. Know that we deserve love, success, and respect no matter how much we weigh, how much we have in the bank, and how much time we have on the job.  We’re all born beautiful, we all have the ability to become wealthy, and none of us knew what we were doing until someone taught us along the way.  Stop comparing yourself!
3. Attitude really does determine altitude.  Become the most enthusiastic person you’ve ever met and you’ll be surprised by how much wealth and positive energy you attract into your life.
4. If you’re going to dream at all, you might as well dream big.  A healthy dose of childlike daydreaming every day is a good thing.
5. Imagine the last photo you’ll ever take.  Who will it be of?  What emotion will it capture?  Now imagine the last photo that will be taken of you?  How old will you be?  What will you look like?  What kind of life will you have lived?  Live each day as if it were the last picture show.

To see more of Karen's work:

Website

Blog

Resource Kit (coming soon) 

*All images in this post are copyright Karen Lippowiths.***