We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Stephanie Bennett a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Stephanie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?
I love being a creative in a creative field. Prior to opening my photography studio, I worked in local government for over a decade. I enjoyed it, and at the time it was the best place for me to be professionally. Then I was forced to make a unexpected career change, and struggled to find something that felt like a natural next step.
I had always loved photography, but had not considered how it could be a “real job”. I started photographing with film and developing photographs in dark rooms, but kept it as a hobby over the years and kept upgrading camera and shooting technics.
When I was forced to find a new job, my husband encouraged me to explore making my hobby of photography into a job. On the surface, it seemed like an easy thing to do. I like taking pictures, people like their picture taken, and people were willing to pay me.
The road to having an established business was filled with many nights of questioning what I was doing, and wishing I was back at a stable Monday through Friday job, with set off hours. As a business owner, I spend so much more than 40 hours a week focused on the business. And most of that time is literally doing boring business stuff, like bookkeeping, marketing, web design, emailing / calling clients, deep cleaning the studio, and more. Only a fraction of my time is spent photographing clients, planning their sessions, and editing.
Even now, as I gear up for a big website update and investing in new marketing techniques, I question if it’s worth all the time I spend working on my business. No question is it more work, both in the volume of work and time spent working.
But it is all worth it. Even on the nights when I feel defeated and envy others with “normal jobs”. I am my own boss, I can adjust my schedule to accommodate kid activities easily, I get to snuggle babies regularly, meet some of the best families at sessions, and make all of the choices for my business. And the best reward for giving up a “normal job” is when I get to deliver beautiful photographs to parents of their growing family. Seeing a mom tear up at pictures of her family quiets all the voices of doubt about being in this creative field. Those little moments make it all worth it, and bring me back to reality when I am flirting with the idea of a regular job.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I’m a newborn and family photographer located in the Minneapolis MN area. I’ve always loved photography. I began with shooting on film in elementary school and working in darkrooms. I eventually went to college, and got a “real job” in local government. I enjoyed it, but always had a camera around. I was suddenly forced into changing professions, and took the terrifying leap of making my hobby into a job.
Over 11 year later, I specialize in newborn and maternity photography. I love everything about babies. Newborn sessions are so much fun. Not only are babies adorable, but I get to capture the special moments in a family when they finally get to meet their newest member. Documenting their excitement, joy, and raw emotions is why I do this. As a mom myself, I know just how exhausting and thrilling those first few days and weeks are.
In addition to newborn sessions, I am on a self-proclaimed mission to make maternity sessions more popular in the Midwest. Here, we often joke that trend or popular things happen on the coasts, and then slowly make it to the upper Midwest. There is something so special about that time when a mom-to-be is waiting for their little one to arrive. They really do glow. I also want moms to look back and have photographs of themselves pregnant that they love and feel beautiful in. Pregnancy is a weird time, and moms usually don’t feel like themselves – because of morning sickness, their changing body, or funky hormonal changes. I want to give moms a few moments when they can focus on themselves, and have images that truly capture how amazing they are.
Capturing motherhood, at all stages, is why I love focusing on newborns and maternity photography sessions. There is so much emotion and beauty in these stages. I want all parents to have beautiful images of their family’s journey, and timeless photographs that become family heirlooms.
Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
I’m sure it seems weird, but I wish I had known the value and resources available in fellow photographers. When I started my business, I left a job in the public sector, and was suddenly doing everything for my business alone. I saw other photographers as competitors, and would feel hurt if my clients also went to them.
Over the years, I have met some of the most amazing people in the photography community. Both locally and internationally. Thanks to social media, connecting and building relationship with people across the county has been so easy. While I love those friends, they are nothing compared to the local photography community I have.
We bounce ideas off each other, share tips and tricks we have found that make the business side of the industry easier, give honest feedback on new software or cameras, share props, share studios, refer clients to each other, be there for the late night peep talks when running a business feels overwhelming, and more. We meet for drinks, kids have playdates together, photograph each other’s family’s, and more. It’s like having a great group of work friends, in a weird way.
I wish I would have know how important to me these women’s’ friendships would have been from the start of my business, and that I would have sought them out sooner. It’s easy to write them off as competition, but taking the time to nurture true friendship with like-minded people in the profession has been the best thing for me while running my photography studio. It really is a community versus competition feel with us, and we work to not only better ourselves and each other, but to also better the local photography experience for all of our clients.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
Hands down, the best part of being a creative and photographing maternity and newborn sessions is the emotional response families have to their images. As the photographer, I love all of the images I deliver to clients. But knowing they love them enough to tear up, or even cry full blown happy tears over them, is the biggest reward for my job.
A lot of people see photographers as just pushing a button, but it’s more than that. I work with clients to customize their session, make sure I photograph their family how they want, and work with them on planning how to display their images in their home. I strive to give clients the best experience possible. Clients return to the studio and see their session gallery for the first time, and there is nothing that compares to the feeling of seeing families connect with my work.
Giving them wall art, albums, prints, and more from their session to display in their home is a close second. Knowing in a time of cellphone pictures that never get printed, these families will have professional photographs printed at archival levels that will last generations makes me happy. Maybe it stems from losing a parent myself, but knowing I am giving families images their kids and grandkids will get to see and enjoy is so rewarding. There is no feeling as a creative as having others love your work, and share it will others.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://stephaniebennettphotography.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephaniebennettphotography/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StephanieBennettPhotography
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvyYDRfNP1VBgXBqHDvB26A
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/stephanie-bennett-photography-northfield
Image Credits
Professional photos are taken by myself, Stephanie Bennett Photography Behind the scene images of me photographing newborn : Taylor Jane Photography (https://taylorjanephotography.com)