Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Whitney Houseman. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Whitney, thanks for joining us today. Do you take vacations? Why or why not?
Any chance I get! My husband and I have three young children, ages 2, 4, and 6. If there is anything I have learned from this job of mine, it’s that babies grow into little grown ups in the blink of an eye. I know my kiddos won’t always want to spend time with Mom and Dad. We have to take advantage of this season of life before it morphs into the next one.
My family is the reason I accidentally stumbled into this career I never knew I wanted in the first place. I always try to make sure they come first. Part of putting them first means taking some dedicated time a few times a year and reconnecting. We frequent Florida beaches, Colorado mountains, and we have a deep love for getting lost in our renovated 90’s model RV any chance we get.
I absolutely adore photographing my clients and their families, but I will always make my family my number one priority.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
My name is Whitney and I am a photographer who specialized in newborn, maternity, and family photography.
For as long as I can remember, I have always been involved in the creative arts in some way, (I don’t mean to brag, but I won most artistic in high school, ha!) I love everything from painting and paper crafting, to gardening and home remodeling projects. But after my first son was born, I found it a lot harder to find time for those hobbies of mine and I really missed having a creative outlet.
The challenge for me was finding a new craft that I could work around this tiny human who demanded so much of my attention. At the same time, I didn’t want to forget a single thing about his childhood. So, I bought a camera. I quickly became obsessed with educating myself on everything photography-related I could get my hands on. I was hooked. From there, my craft evolved and I became fascinated with capturing a new and wonderful art form: the early moments of a new life.
I made a career out of photographing growing babies and their families. My work boasts a classic, minimalist, true-to-life style. I pride myself in capturing the exact same kind of photos I would want of my own babies and my own family.
Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?
Both, social media and word of mouth have been everything for my small business. Social media can be a not-so-great thing for many reasons, but for small business owners, it is such a powerful tool that, I feel has to be utilized. I couldn’t imagine being able to market without it in today’s world.
Word of mouth is so simple, but also, an incredibly powerful marketing strategy. When one of my clients has a photo session with me, they’re going to tell their friends and family. So I do everything in my power to make sure the experience they had with me was nothing but great. Having new clients contact me and tell me they were referred to me by a family member or friend is the absolute best feeling as a business owner.
Choosing a newborn photographer means choosing the person who will be handling your precious new baby for 2-3 hours. That is not something I take lightly. As a mom myself, and I always try to put myself in the shoes of my clients. I am proud to say I am trained in newborn safety, and I am continually educating myself in all things related to newborn photography.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
For me, having an idea in my head and being able to bring it to life for others to see and appreciate is the absolute goal for all creatives. Being able to inspire other creatives and artists is also one of the best feelings I have found in this field.
My very favorite thing is talking with a new client about their vision for their session, and having them send me a screenshot of a photo/pose/setup they love and it’s MY work. It’s such a cool feeling knowing that I have created something that people love.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://whitneyhousemanphotography.com
- Instagram: whitney_houseman
- Facebook: facebook.com/whitneyhousemanphotographyllc
Image Credits
Whitney Houseman Photography, LLC