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

NEXT WEEK: Maile Knight Wilson

{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...



You can check out the rest of the series by clicking here. Tell a friend!
 

Karen,    You live in New York City...somewhere I've always wanted to live...and your work is breathtaking.  You started a photography business 10 years ago and were just named one American Photo's Top Wedding Photographers.  You've accomplished a great deal in the last few years!  Your work is gorgeous, you shoot film, and I adore the simplicity of your food photography.  I'm so thrilled that you are here on Women and Business!  Thank you!

How long have you been a professional photographer?  What drew you to photography?

I’ve been a professional photographer since 1998, I guess. It’s hard to define when exactly I became “a professional” since I was doing so much photography from 1993-97 before I went off on my own. I studied photography at RISD and graduated with a BFA in Photo in 1996. I immediately started working in NYC as a photographer’s assistant. I assisted still life a food photographers and started to do my own jobs on the side.


Are you married?  Do you have children?

Nope, not yet ;-)  I’m in a long-term relationship with my beau, Chandler Kauffman, filmmaker extraordinaire.


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

I’m currently in a home studio in Park Slope, Brooklyn. I chose to live in a neighborhood which I knew well and which had a lot of life (cafes, good restaurants, a food coop, yoga center and a huge park) sacrificing a bit of space so that I could be at the center of it all. I went from living in a brownstone with a garden and a basement which was my darkroom, to something lofty, yet still prewar. I’m not in an elevator building (helps with the equipment schlepping!) in a home studio with high ceilings and windows which are southern facing (lots of light)
I do love the thriving neighborhood and the proximity to my office ;-)


Do you shoot film or digital?  What made you decide on this?

I shoot mostly film (medium format) and at times digitally (5D Mark II). I am a bit of a photography purist. I learned on film, it is my medium, my art-form, so why change something that I love and that works for me? The only reason to go digital in my mind was to save money. And it’s not even that much of a savings to shoot digitally, as there is so much more post-production work involved in shooting digitally. 

I prefer the look of film too.
Digital photography seemed so foreign to me, until 2 years ago when I finally bought my first digital camera (the 5D Mark II). I bought it because some of my wedding clients and events clients were asking me for images that night, or because they were adamant on receiving digital files and no negatives. They also wanted a less expensive wedding package, which I could now provide as an option…



What film do you shoot and what cameras and lenses do you use?

Film: Medium format film: mostly Kodak Portra NC
                And Kodak TMax 400
Large Format: Fuji Provia, NPS and Portra NC

Cameras: Contax 645, mostly 80mm, 55mm, and 140mm prime lenses
        Sinar 4x5, mostly the 210mm lens
        5D Mark II mostly the 50 L series prime lens


Do you do any work in Photoshop on your film images?

I do a little bit of adjusting of levels. I also make diptychs for my blog in Photoshop.

What does your workflow look like?  Do you outsource or keep everything in house?
   
My lab in Chelsea, NYC does a lot of the work for me (film developing, scanning and proof printing).

I also have a post-production assistant for my digital jobs. She tweaks slightly, resizes, and renames for me.

 

You were recently named one of American Photo's top 10 wedding photographers.  How did that change your photography business?  What good things did you see come from that honor?

Immediately after I was named one of the top ten, I would say I had about triple the amount of inquiries. I also had more requests for weddings around the country and in other interesting destinations. Since the article spoke of the wedding I shot in Udaipur, India, I received many inquiries for India after that. 
I found that I had more requests than usual for interviews and features in international publications which was awesome. My dream come true occurred in late 2008, when Vogue India interviewed me for a full page article on my work : )

In 2009 I also shot my first VIP celebrity wedding, the wedding of Google Vice President Marissa Mayer, in San Francisco at the Four Seasons. At this wedding one of my favorite bands, The Killers, played at their rehearsal dinner!

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

Nothing unsual, I talk to them and try not to bring up anything stressful ;-) I’ve been told that I have a calming demeanor.

You are widely published including Martha Stewart and Modern Bride.  How did you make that happen?

I guess I made connections in the magazine world early on and along the way… I sent my portfolios to MSW and Conde Nast a bunch of years ago. This was before online submissions! Eventually I was in their radar for when I would send them real weddings…



How do you make time for friends and family?

It’s tough, especially living in NYC where scheduling with friends can be so hard! But I try to make an extra effort to do so. I tend to see my Brooklyn friends a lot more frequently than my Manhattan friends though…
As for family, we set dates and times to meet.  I just saw my sister and my niece and nephew on my birthday in Cape Cod. I made the effort to take off from work and drive up there. The kids are growing so quickly, it makes me sad to say goodbye…
I also, try to see my parents in Montreal about 3 times per year at least. Chandler and I love visiting too, we ski up in Canada in the winter and attend the Jazz Festival in the summer. September in my utmost favorite month to visit.

After 10 years of business how do you keep from becoming burned out?

I try to keep shooting a variety of things. I go from shooting weddings, to food to travel. I just finished shooting a cookbook shoot with writer Silvia Lehrer. I also recently traveled and shot a friend’s wedding in Hawaii. I never get burned out : )



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

Assist others and absorb as much technical info as possible. Build a strong portfolio and website and shop them around. Try to learn from “rejection” take each little rejection as constructive criticism and improve as you go…



You are a food photographer. How did  you come to love food photography?

By assisting and being inspired by still life photographers Victor Schrager, Sang An and Anna Williams in the late 90’s.

 

What is your favorite thing about being a photographer?

The malleable schedule ;-)



What advantages do you think women have as photographers?

We have access that men don’t have.



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

Travel
Yoga
Spinning
Knitting
Watching films

What are you most proud of as a business woman?

Having made it in New York City.

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

1. Unique Websites: I bought KarenWise.com and FoodandArt.com in 1998

2. Killer Portfolios: I had two one for weddings and one for food, deisgned by Talas and handprinted by myself

3. A unique technique/niche: Handprinting from my film was one of mine…Indian weddings was another.



What are some of the processes you go through in your mind when you're at a shoot?  Do you have a bit of a routine you do to make sure you get the images that you want?

Don’t really have a regular/consistent process. I gauge the subject which is what dictates the way I then shoot/interact with them.

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

I invested in an excellent computer programmer/designer to make my new website in 2008. It was the first time I had a flash site, and I love it.
For this I also collaborated with a graphic designer (Oh Joy! Studio) to design my logo and help create a type of branding for my business.
This also carried over into my blog..
 
Although my blog is relatively new (I started it in 2008) I think it’s also brought me more work and followers. It’s also been a place where I can write down my thoughts, place travel images and organize my pictures in general.

What do you do to keep from feeling overwhelmed?

Yoga, and massage. Keeping things in perspective.

Blog

Wedding Website

FoodandArt

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