We recently connected with Bianca Delmar and have shared our conversation below.
Bianca, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you come up with the idea for your business?
Whenever I am asked the typical “What do you do for work?” question, I always catch people off-guard when I tell them I’m a professional automotive photographer. First, typically no one has ever heard of this profession and has many questions about what I do and how I got here.
I fell in love with cars since I can ever remember. I went to car meets, car shows, drag racing events, street races, dyno days, and anything car related, I was there.
Fast forward to 2018, which is when I started photographing cars. I received my tax return money right before the huge drag racing event in Houston, TX2K18, and decided I wanted to buy a camera. I have had cameras in the past, but mainly point and shoots, nothing serious. This was my first real camera, a Sony A6000, something small enough for me to carry to make sure I actually bring my camera along with me.
After shooting cars at the event, shared on social media, I soon realized that there are not a lot of female car photographers, and I loved being able to show people photos of their own cars in their most beautiful state.
After doing feature shoots for a couple of years, I realized that not a lot of enthusiasts want to spend the money on photos of their cars, and I needed to figure out how to sincerely make money off of this “hobby.”
2020 hit, and one of my closest friends, T’erre, referred me to a friend who was looking to sell 10+ cars online to RM Sotheby’s. I was only shooting cars for friends or fellow car people at this point, so hearing this would be on Sotheby’s terrified me. This experience was what opened me up to taking photos of cars to sell them online. After figuring out how to streamline the process, I started to recover from my imposter syndrome and feel confident in my work.
I started building my clientele through referrals and figured out that THIS was my niche. Since 2020, I have shot over 4 million dollars worth of vehicles.
Bianca, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I am a professional automotive photographer through Autofotive, a local influencer, owner of a local media company, ATX FYI, and many other hats. I started building these businesses over the past 4 years, all while attending Texas State University at the same time.
Regarding my automotive photography business, Autofotive, if someone is looking to sell their car online, you’ll come to me to photograph your vehicle. I typically work with RM Sotheby’s, BringATrailer, Cars&Bids, Hemmings, and more. Autofotive is the official photographer for Petrol Lounge, Retro Motors, and DNA Autohaus.
ATX FYI is a local media brand empowering local Austin. We visit local restaurants/bars/events or experiences and promote on our social media and website. Additionally, we host local events, like our Sunset Boat Cruises, supporting all local brands and bringing people together to expose them to Austin brands.
How did you build your audience on social media?
Patience, a lot of patience. Additionally, being consistent with your posting and being genuine. There are parts of social media like algorithms that you don’t have much control over, but if you start building your audience by being genuinely yourself, from the beginning, you set yourself up for success.
Your audience will trust you and you’ll grow a community to share your experiences with. I won’t ask my audience to do things I would not do myself. I’m also not paid for my posts, so my audience knows that the posts I make on my page are my own thoughts and beliefs.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
In terms of my automotive photography career, I have learned to avoid any bad blood or burning bridges. I treat people how I would like to be treated, with respect. Additionally, I believe in keeping an open door to communication and helping fellow photographers with any advice or connections. I have been very fortunate to have had the absolute best clients, who are always referring me to their peers, further growing my network.
Contact Info:
- Website: Autofotive.com & ATXFYI.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/AutofotiveMedia | Instagram.com/ATXFYI
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/Autofotive | www.facebook.com/ATXFYI/
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/biancadelmar/
- Twitter: Twitter.com/Autofotive | Twitter.com/ATXFYI
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJqpuqpv16GnKlQt32Iz2sg | https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbch5NqulPaKM5WIjg87gMw
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=xofQ2rg34TbnGTEo0Iwdew
- Other: My most recent podcast feature: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/atx-fyi-bianca-delmar-ep-180/id1458992646?i=1000566125338