We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Elina Krivulets. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Elina below.

Hi Elina, thanks for joining us today. Let’s jump right into the heart of things. Outsiders often think businesses or industries have much larger profit margins than they actually do – the reason is that outsiders are often unaware of the biggest challenges to profitability in various industries – what’s the biggest challenge to profitability in your industry?

Photography as a very creative industry and most people going into it are thinking of taking photos first and business second. There is so much more to it than clicking a button. It starts with all the gear -there is always something new and exciting to try out. Editing programs, delivery programs, website hosting, classes to stay motivated and to be on top your game and so much more! According to Dane Sanders, 60 percent of photographers give up their business in the first year. Of the remaining 40 percent, another 25 percent will fail by the second year. The remaining 15 percent are the ones who endure through the third year. That’s an 85 percent turnover rate!
I believe it would be easier if industry standards were pushed more. The photographers I am inspired by are true artists and what we do is freeze fleeting moments that with time will be timeless and priceless because that will be all that is left to remember our family members by. It is hard to put a price on something you love doing.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I have found photography as my favorite creative outlet when I took a photography class in High school. I was about 18 and fell in love with developing black and white images in the dark room and photographing anything and everything. I continued to photograph as I became a mom and got a bachelors degree in Psychology and later masters in Special Education. I mention those because they are a big part of my photography journey now. After having my third child and moving to Palm Beach in Florida, I finally took the leap in faith and followed my heart which is why I named my brand Elina’s Dream Photography.
I mainly photograph women, children and families. I make sure that my models look and feel their best during the session.
Prior to the session, we talk about outfits and locations and I can recommend amazing make up and hair artists who I work with. I also pride myself in my headshot work. My clients must love their shot before they walk away from me and then I do some retouching to make sure it is as perfect as can be for them to be excited to use their photos and grow their businesses.
I am obsessed with light and love to photograph women during sunrise or sunset. There is just something so magical in that golden glow and I have heard that the sessions are even therapeutic. Most women walk away feeling more beautiful, more relaxed and often times with sunrises in Florida, a little wet and sandy.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

Absolutely word of mouth. I really give it my all to each client I work with and besides having a high repeat client rate, I also love seeing friends and family come to me because they loved what they saw and heard about my work. I do have Facebook, instagram and a website for people to view my work and get to know me as a person. I share my travel stories and personal family daily stuff. A lot of my past clients are still in touch with me mostly through instagram and we have build friendships that I cherish. I also have had people come for a session after following me for a few years and they reach out when they are ready.
The best advise I can give to others in this market is to stay true to yourself and be your most authentic self and your people will find you.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I love to always challenge myself and as the saying goes- through pain, we grow. When I think of resilience though, a few sessions come to mind that really took everything out of me- sometimes emotionally, sometimes physically and sometimes both. Early on in my career, I participated in a photoshoot of 8 women on the beach. The make up artist had about 30m mins to get a woman ready and I had 30 mins to shoot. I made sure to capture each woman as the goddesses that they were but I took zero breaks and only realized how tired I was when I got to my car.
I got so sick and couldn’t even walk for a few days. That’s when I learned importance of hydration and stretching when needed. Another important experience was flying to Salt Lake City and working with Movies Making a Difference, a nonprofit organization by Diana Davis, and photographing FLDS survivors. There were about 20 women and I had a privilege to work with each one of them individually in a course of 2 days. Some of the women opened up and told me stories I will never forget. Emotionally, that was the heaviest. I put a tremendous pressure on myself to serve these women because for many, that was the first professional photoshoot they had and I wanted them to love it. Looking back, I wouldn’t change a thing but that trip definitely left a mark on me.
Lastly, I started to do word projects with people and it totally is as hard as it looks. I lay out people and take a drone shot from above. So far I have only done 3 of these but will definitely do more!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.elinasdream.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elinasdreamphotography

Image Credits

Kate Rehmus

Taya Kopeikina

Vera Mey