We were lucky to catch up with Carla Lutz recently and have shared our conversation below.

Carla, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

Growing up, I had a lot of preconceived notions of what being a successful adult looked like. I thought it meant going to college and earning a degree, and having a job working a 9-5. The idea of starting my own business from the ground up, let alone being a boudoir photographer, didn’t exist even in my wildest dreams. To me, photography was “just a hobby” that I enjoyed in high school and college.

So in 2013, my husband and I had two children, owned our home and I had a great job working at a DC lawfirm. On paper, I had it all. Yet, I felt this internal struggle like there was a part of me missing. So, as we laid in bed one night, I told my husband that I wanted to buy a camera and get back into photography. Nonchalantly, he said, ‘okay”, but he jokes now that he had no idea it meant that I was going to spend 3 years juggling my 9-5 and running my photography business on evenings and weekends.

At first, I focused on family and newborn photography, until one day my beautiful friend asked if I would take her boudoir photographs. As an introvert and woman who struggled with her own insecurities, I knew that if I did a terrible job, these photographs could crush her confidence. So, I took a few months to dive into learning lighting and boudoir posing until I felt like I could do her justice. I still remember looking at the back of the camera images with her after her photo session. Her confidence was at an all time high, and I realized that these photographs had empowered us both. I was hooked!

It’s been 7 years now since I left the corporate world to open a boudoir studio in downtown LaPlata, Maryland. I have made a career out of hyping up women and helping them see their beauty just as they are. How awesome is that? The moral of the story is that just like beauty isn’t one size fits all, neither is success.

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

I’m a wife, mom, and business owner/photographer at Carla Lutz Photography. Booking a photo session with me is like reconnecting with an old friend, going to therapy, yoga and happy hour but in lingerie…all the things women need to feel like themselves again. I understand what my clients are going through. Women juggle a lot in life between having careers, being in relationships and becoming mothers. It’s no ones fault or intentions, but they start to put everything and everyone else first and can lose themselves for a bit.

The studio has 9 different sets decorated with the perfect mix of sultry and feminine vibes to set the tone for their photographs based on each woman’s personality. This luxury experience includes access to the Client Closet stocked with more than 200 lingerie pieces in XS- 4X and same day Gallery Reveal. While many people think boudoir photo sessions are just about having spicy photographs taken, it is really about helping women see themselves with kinder eyes and leave with photos that set their soul on fire.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

At first, I had the mindset that I should always have a very polished and professional voice in my photography business. When I would go from writing social media posts, client emails, blogs and even in person interactions, it all felt stuffy and forced. The big light bulb moment was when I realized there are no rules. This is my business and if I’m asking women to be vulnerable and hire me as their boudoir photographer, then I can show up authentically too. So, I created a private Facebook group to connect and uplift women. Sometimes I share my photography work. Other times, I show up overly caffeinated and just hang out with my random wife and motherhood stories and provide a corner of social media where women feel seen, empowered, and supported by one another.

The best advice I can give someone just starting out is to not worry about the competition. What they do is not your concern. YOU are what sets YOUR business apart. Your ideal client will connect with your voice.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Oh man. I am about to be super real with you at the risk of sounding cheesy…Every single day, I say how I am still in shock that this is my career. I think there are so many things in life that are out of our control, that how we feel about our physical appearance should not be anything other than love and appreciation. In an unconventional way, I think I’m making the world a better place by helping women build their self esteem through photography.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://carlalutzphotography.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carlalutzphotography/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carlalutzphotography
• Other: Carla Lutz Photography Private Facebook Group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/625756470869891