There is No Elevator to Success

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It’s always so great to see a mother and daughter working together, and today we are thrilled to have the mother-and-daughter photography team from Red Door Photography blogging for us about the steps for getting into a photography business.

No Elevator to Success
by Katy Laulo & Michelle Laulo Pierce
(The Red Door Photographers)

“There is no elevator to success; you have to take the stairs.” ~ Anonymous.

What a simple but profound statement. With today’s mentality of “Instant gratification”, we have to realize and acknowledge that success cannot always be obtained instantly, especially in photography.  Every photographer, who has been in the field for a few years, has witnessed at least one young, budding photographer, trying to come into the business of photography, expecting instant success. They buy their first DSLR, discover their passion, and suddenly they’re “in business” without taking the necessary steps first.  They stumble along for a few years, until one day, they open their eyes and realize they’re still on the bottom step and have not progressed to any degree.  It’s a hard reality to face and painfully, one we experienced firsthand 3 years ago. Perhaps by sharing our experience and discovering the needed steps to take towards success, we can help others.

In February of 2008, we began our journey as a mom and daughter team.  We had a passion for photography, two DSLR cameras and four years of shooting as a hobby under our belt.  We thought we were ready to take on the photography world by storm.  But unfortunately, it took us three years of trying and failing, to discover why our business was not flourishing. Once we stopped, regrouped, reflected, and reevaluated, it was easy to see what we were doing wrong.  We had failed to take the necessary steps needed to be successful photographers and business owners.

There are steps one must take in any business.  As the quote says, it takes steps!  You will not find an elevator that will bring you to the top.  The following six steps are what we discovered we personally needed to do, if we wanted our business to move forward.

The first step we took was to MASTER YOUR CAMERA – This is vital.  If you do not know your camera inside and out – stop here – you are not ready to climb to the next step!  Seriously…you need more time behind the lens.  It’s not even time to portfolio build until you can move comfortably around your manual settings.

The next step we took was to INVEST: You need to invest in quality lenses – Having the right tools is essential.  No, the camera and lenses do not make “good images”, but having the proper equipment allows your skills to soar.  Inadequate equipment will only frustrate and hold you back.  You must invest in quality if you want to produce quality!

The third step: PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE. Hone your skills – Find outlets you can use to put your skills to use.  Volunteer your services for charitable events, families in need, care facilities, celebrations… anything that will allow you to get your camera busy.  Some photographers don’t prefer, or don’t recommend shooting friends and family for free, but we did and here’s why.  Every photographer seeking to be a legitimate business owner has to portfolio build.  Before jumping into business, which can be a messy, time consuming, expensive bundle of licensing, taxes, paperwork and legalities, build your portfolio without charging and make sure you really want to go into business.  You are not really “shooting for free.”  You are exchanging your time for experience and talent gained.  By taking this step, your next step will come easier and more naturally.

Step Four: FIND YOUR OWN STYLE – You can’t be a carbon copy of your favorite photography celebrity.  That is their style – it’s not yours and it will never fit you the same way it fits them.  Your own style is your personal fingerprint in the world of photography.  It sets you apart!  Don’t be afraid to be different and unique. Step outside your comfort zone and have fun with it.

Step Five: Once you KNOW what you want, COMMIT to your business – If you want to be taken seriously as a business owner, you have to operate as a serious business.  Obtaining the proper, legal documents your City/State requires is a must. Your license and tax IDs are essential and absolutely important!  Operate with integrity.  Without taking that step, the next step will never be easily achieved.

Step Six: BUILD COMMUNITY – We’ve seen many photographers fail to take this step and yet it is one of the easiest and most beneficial steps to take!  Get acquainted with your local community of professional photographers.  When you form an allegiance with seasoned photographers in your area, you gain a wonderful resource of supporters and mentors.  When you can work with, and not against other photographers, it helps your business grow and flourish.  Learn from those that have blazed the trail ahead of you.  Being competitive can be a good thing, but you may not be ready to be competitive. Walk alongside a seasoned photographer. There is no shame in walking behind them to allow their knowledge and experience to teach you.  Learn from them, grow with them and build a close working relationship with them.  One day, you will be walking side by side and you will then be blazing the trail for other future young, budding photographers.

We are still on this upward climb to success and are certain we will discover new steps needed to take, so that we too continue to grow.  In retrospect, when we look back at the last six years being in business, we can see how much we have changed, how much we have learned and how much we have grown.  Photography is an ever growing, ever learning field.  Remaining teachable and continuing to take the necessary steps will ensure you are always moving forward and will bring you success as well.

Katy Laulo & Michelle Laulo Pierce:
Red Door Photography

Red Door Photography has put a unique spin on business partnership.  Photography duo Katy and Michelle are not only business partners and the best of friends, but they are also mother and daughter!  Red Door Photography, located in Arizona, specializes in natural light, lifestyle photography.  Their business is built on the principle of providing affordable, quality images to families in their area.  Michelle is a stay at home wife and mom who home teaches her three children.  She began her career pursuit with four years of education in film photography before switching to digital.  She is currently teaching photography classes at her local community college, teaching both entry and advanced level photography to other aspiring photographers of all levels.  Katy is a semi-retired stay at home wife to her high school sweetheart of forty-one years.  She began as a self-taught nature hobbyist turned portrait professional.  With their combined mutual passion for photography, they opened Red Door Photography six years ago.  Michelle has become the sole shooter and processor in the business, with Katy’s impending retirement in the next year.  Katy will continue to oversee Red Door Photography’s business and client relations.

Katy & Michelle’s bio image courtesy of Lisa Holloway.

Find Red Door Photography on Facebook and Pinterest, and visit both Katy and Michelle individually on Facebook.

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Categorized in: Business, Guest Bloggers