We were lucky to catch up with Arielle Kowal recently and have shared our conversation below.

Arielle, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

Being a newborn photographer was something that I had thought about doing on and off for many years, however, finances never aligned to get equipment and I had no idea where to start back then. Art had always been something that I loved doing as well and photography was an avenue of art I greatly enjoyed playing around with.

When I had my kids, I valued getting family and newborn portraits done and I really enjoyed the process and experience. After one of our family photo sessions, talking with our photographer about how she got started, I had the inspiration and motivation to really give it a try. I had been looking for a way to enjoy my art again and also make an income without having to work 12 hour shifts at the hospital as much and be home with my kids more too.

When COVID happened and we received stimulus income, we decided as a family to take a leap of faith and get the necessary equipment and build a home studio in our basement to really give this business idea a shot. I truly have the most supportive fiancé that never really questioned my dream at all and did an amazing job building my studio space and supporting everything I thought up.

I invested in mentors and I worked very hard in studying lighting, safety, posing, editing, etc. I invested a lot of my time, energy, and money in learning and practicing everything I could. I still study on a regular basis and use every session to continue improving.

I felt in my heart that I could make this business work because it combined my passion of art and babies into one and I truly love what I do! I had also never seen the type and style of newborn photography that I loved in my area and I wanted to bring that experience and style to my community.

It didn’t come without a lot of doubt and fear though as well. I especially had a lot of fear of letting my family down. Thankfully, despite some ups and downs, their support has gotten us through.

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.

I am first and foremost a mother to 6 children and I have worked as a nurse for almost 10 years. Half of my nursing career has been in labor and delivery as well. Combining my passion of art with my passion for motherhood, babies, and the beauty that comes with new life has been my dream career.

As a mother, details of my babies as newborns as well as every milestone they reach as they grow is something I never want to forget. I know from experience that many, if not all, mothers feel the same about their babies too.

I offer mothers a way to always remember those details in an artistic and beautiful way. During a newborn session, I capture the sweet details of their new baby and the new love within their family. Then I capture these sweet babies as they learn to sit on their own, discover their toes, learn to crawl, and then stand on their own within a milestone session. When they turn one, I get to see them again and capture them smashing into a cake typically for the first time.

It is truly an honor for me to be chosen as the photographer that gets to witness my client’s families grow. That leads to me being the most proud of being the photographer that mothers trust with their most precious babies.

Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.

This business definitely started as a side hustle and after almost 3 years, it has grown to be my family’s main income source.

To scale my business, I invest in mentorship’s to improve my skills and client experience, as well as listen to business and marketing podcasts to learn and implement as many marketing strategies I can.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

I started with doing model calls and offering free shoots for a couple months to gain practice and momentum. I posted on social media daily and simply asked for people to support me. Asking people to simply share my posts and help get my name out there has been an effective way of reaching potential clients. The most effective way of growing my business, however, has been giving my clients a great experience. I have gained the most amazing clients simply from the recommendations of people I have worked with.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.arielleelizabethphotography.com
• Instagram: @arielleelizabethphotography
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Arielle.Elizabeth.Photo

Image Credits
Arielle Elizabeth Photography