We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Debra Somerville a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Debra, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What do you think it takes to be successful?
I believe to be successful you must first be passionate! If your lucky enough to find something you love to do & get paid for it your more then halfway there. That said passion is not always enough. Hard work & consistency is key for success. I believe you don’t always have to be the best at what you do, you just have to be the one that consistently follows up, gets the job done & doesn’t give up.
Debra, 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 began modeling in my late teens & had the opportunity to live & work in NYC, Paris & London. I worked with many amazing fashion photographers & for me it was a natural transition to go from in front to behind the camera. I believe this experience has helped me to direct my clients. A lot of photographers tend to specialize in one genre. If you hire me I can shoot just about anything you need from products to lifestyle & help them feel more comfortable during their photoshoot. I have recently transitioned from fashion photography to personal branding photography which I am totally enjoying!
I love shooting content for social media, websites, blogs etc. I believe what make me stand out is my versatility. A lot of photographers tend to specialize in one genre & if you hire me I can shoot just about anything you need from products to lifestyle.
Having been in the fashion industry I have a unique style. I pay close attention to detail carefully choosing wardrobe, locations and hiring hair & makeup artists resulting in professional and polished imagery.
Where do you think you get most of your clients from?
The best source I use to cultivate new business is definitely social media. If you have a new business it’s very, very important to embrace social media! I make sure to post on instagram & Face book at least 2-3x’s per week. I also use Google my Business & ask for reviews. I have found this helps boost my website presence.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
About 5 years ago I had to relocate & move my business from the East Coast to South Florida. This was a daunting & difficult adjustment for me. As a photographer I obviously could not bring my clients with me, so I basically had to search for clients in my new home of Delray Beach! I didn’t know where to begin and had no idea who my clients were. Here is what I did and it has paid off in spades: (I scanned the internet for local businesses & contacted them via email introducing myself as a new photographer in town.)
I joined both the Delray & Boca Chamber of Commerce where I was given the opportunity to introduce myself, share my business as well as learn about other local businesses.
I updated my website to reflect a more Florida centric feel.
I joined various meet-up groups & met lots & lots of people, handed out & collected business cards, then followed up any leads.
I basically took any job that came my way which was at times extremely humbling but forced me out of my comfort zone.
I made sure to post and follow people & businesses on Instagram & Face Book.
Eventually I opened a photography studio where I was able to establish myself and eventually I started to get business! Now almost 5 years later I have a reputation as a 5 star photographer & my business is on fire (even through Covid).
That said, sometimes change can be scary but if you take it as a challenge you will hopefully come out better & stronger!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.debrasomerville.com
- Instagram: debrasomerville
- Facebook: Debra Somerville Photography
- Linkedin: Debra Somerville