Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Agata Powers. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Agata, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

I love photographing women. I see them. I see their struggles with self esteem, with their self worth, and with not being good enough. I am a woman, so I can relate. When they come into my studio, I don’t only take photos of them. I connect with them on a personal level before they step foot in front of my camera. I make them feel special and beautiful. I help them rediscover themselves after going though some trauma: either a divorce or bad messages being sent by their parents throughout their lives that still live in their heads till today. It’s like therapy. I coordinate with them on their outfits, I have hair and make up artistry arranged for them when they arrive and I help them feel more confident and relaxed when we work through the poses. They are not models, they mostly have never been photographed before because they think they are not photogenic or they put their family first. It’s time to change that and claim back their power. I am here to help them to make that first step!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I was born in communistic Poland. That’s where I grew up. We didn’t have fancy toys or colorful clothes. There were empty shelves at the stores and we couldn’t travel to other countries. Life around me was grey and average. I dreamed about becoming an artist creating paintings. I loved adding color to my life. Unfortunately, at the time I was growing up there were no opportunities to develop my talents. My parents wanted me to finish college and get a “real job”, so I was focused to complete that. Unfortunately, once I finished college and got my Master’s degree there was 20% unemployment in Poland that resulted from end of communism and lots of folks being out of their jobs. I decided to go to the US to “waited out” until the situation in Poland improves. I then signed up to the MBA program at UCF and I secured a job in defense industry. It turned out that I really enjoyed being a Program Manager for projects that allow me to contribute to defending our country and my homeland. However, about 10 years ago, my artistic side of me woke up when I picked up a camera to take some photos for my friend’s business. From there I was obsessed with photography and learning about the light, the posing and editing. I really was able to channel my talents into photography. After work, I spent hours in front of the computer watching photography training videos. I then started to photograph my friends and soon I was proficient at creating meaningful portraits that I was proud of. After trying out different genres, I knew that photographing women was something I needed to do. A woman is in the center of life. She is a mother and a business woman/business owner. She is a supporter and a nurturer, but often she forgets to care for herself. She needs a reminder that she is valued and loved. She needs someone to show her that she is a badass.
What sets me apart from others is that I completely focus on creating a unique experience for each of them. It doesn’t matter if they are looking for a boudoir, beauty, headshot or family photography. I start with a discovery call first. I learn about them, their families, their needs on how they want to feel and why they are reaching out to me to get the portraits created now at this time in their lives. Then I visit them in their home where we take photos of walls where they are envisioning to see their art and we choose outfits, so she is ready for the photoshoot and she doesn’t have to stress about that. Once they arrive at my studio, they get treated to their personal hair and make up artistry. After that, the portrait session happens where I guide them through the posing, we laugh, we have fun and we definitely make them feel like a queen. Once we have all the images captured, we meet again at their home and that is when all the magic happens – the choose their very favorite portraits. We design walls and heirloom albums and folio boxes. Finally, we deliver the wall art and albums and we install it for them, so they don’t have to worry about that.
I have earned many awards and titles including Master Photographer from Professional Photographers of America, but I am mostly proud of the way I approach each client and how I make them feel. I hear this from almost every client that chooses to hire me. They say: “She made me feel beautiful and powerful. I started rebuilding my self esteem and look at myself differently”. The portraits are there to remind them of that day.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I had to start believing in myself. No more imposter syndrome. No more: “Who do you think you are? A girl with a camera working in a corporate world. You are not a photographer. You cannot charge for your services. Anybody can do it.” It took me some time to conquer those negative thoughts and feelings. I slowly started proving myself by achieving different awards and making me believe that I am good at what I do”. This was by far the biggest limitation to growing my business at the start.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

I think during current times where everything is getting automated and AI making an impact in our lives, we don’t realize how important human factor is. Creating art is not something that can be snapped in few minutes to be authentic and meaningful. It takes years of training, education and practice and a lot of preparation to have the final result. I am not in business of taking photos, I am in business of making women feel special and for them to experience something they have never done before. Something that they will remember forever and it will start their transformation.

Contact Info:

• Website: agatapowers.com
• Instagram: @agatapowersphotography
• Facebook: Agata Powers Photography