Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Erin Massie. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Erin, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s start with a story that highlights an important way in which your brand diverges from the industry standard.

Although there’s not really an “industry standard” in photography because all art is subjective, my white-studio style sessions are definitely unique to my market. There’s a tendency in newborn and child photography to use a lot of props, textures and colors. I’ve always viewed those as distractions from what you really want the image to focus on- your child! I do sometimes still use minimal props and textures, but I keep the white color scheme consistent to highlight the child. And my favorite images are the simplest ones- the ones that emphasize a newborn’s tiny details or a child’s unique expressions. Thinking about my own kids, those are the things that change so quickly and I want to capture forever. I describe my sessions as Clean, Classic and Timeless because this simplicity will never go out of style.

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

Growing up, photography and owning a business were never on my radar. I was always creative, but it just wasn’t anything that ever crossed my mind as a possibility. Instead, I loved kids and went to college to become an early childhood teacher. After graduating, the Michigan teaching market was in a slump, and I ended up moving out of state to teach in both North Carolina and Wisconsin.

While moving around and traveling, I developed a love for landscape photography. I would search out new adventures and hiking trails in each place we visited. Taking photos of those places became a great way for me to document my travels and be able to relive those adventures after I’d moved on.

Digital photography was really starting to take off around the same time. Access to learning materials was becoming more widespread on the internet and it was easy to practice without having to spend a lot of money and time on film development. Slowly, I started to learn the basic skills and discover an initial style.

Many years later, I had my first son who became my new photography passion- both out of pure love and a lack of time for traveling. My family moved back to the Grand Rapids area shortly after he was born. I decided not to continue teaching at that point for multiple reasons. And as a newly “stay-at-home-mom,” I had time again to continue developing my photography skills. This time with a focus on children’s portraits.

Over the next few years, friends started asking if I would take photos of their children and families as well. It was probably at that point that I start considering growing my love of photography into a business and pursuing that long term instead of returning to a teaching career. So, I continued learning and growing in the field of portrait photography.

I officially started my studio here in Ada around 4 years ago. Those years of practice helped me hone my skills and develop a personal photography style that I love. The Covid shutdown was actually very beneficial for me because it allowed me time to re-evaluate my photography goals and move completely to my “white-studio” style sessions. My background in early childhood education helps me easily establish a rapport and patience with young kids. And I continue to pursue frequent photography training, stretch myself to learn the technical aspects of owning a business, and serve the families of the Grand Rapids area by capturing the most important people in their lives.

Can you share one of your favorite marketing or sales stories?

I think my biggest marketing risk was switching my studio over completely to the “white-studio” style. I had already been doing portrait photography for a few years- following trends, buying so many props and incorporating lots of color. But I never felt like the art I was producing matched my passion. I loved the simplicity of all white sessions and just didn’t know how to achieve that goal.

Along came 2020 and the Covid related shutdowns. While I know that was a complete hardship for so many businesses, the downtime actually gave me the opportunity to fully reevaluate my own business. I was committed to making my art match my vision even though I had no idea what I was doing and knew I would risk losing client families who didn’t favor my new style.

I spent those months taking courses and learning from other professional photographer’s already creating the white style that I adored. I emptied my studio and did a total remodel to create what has become my signature setups. Eventually I was able to start doing model calls and hired a graphic designer to revamp all my marketing materials in order to create a high-end, comprehensive brand. So when the business restrictions eased, I reopened with an entirely new studio and style.

As with any big risk, it wasn’t an overnight success. I wasn’t booking sessions both due to the continued effects of Covid and the rebranding. But slowly I started attracting my ideal clients- families who also loved the clean, classic and simple style. My business continues to grow and I now have families drive from hours away because my style matches their vision for their session.

I’m absolutely in love with the images I’m creating now and am so happy that I can capture families’ loved ones in timeless portraits. So this may have been my biggest risk, but it’s also been my biggest reward.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I think for any artist, the most rewarding thing is putting your time and passion into creating something you love…and then having someone else cherish it as much as you do. For me, not only do I get to capture fleeting moments for families to treasure for decades, but they actually value the artwork more than I ever could. Because I may appreciate the images for their visual appeal, but they are head-over-heels in love with the subject(s) of the photo. And that creates a much deeper connection to the art.

Plus, I really love kids. So getting to spend my days snuggling sleepy newborns and playing with giggling toddlers is very rewarding.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://erinmassiephotography.com
• Instagram: @erinmassiephotography
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erinmassiephotography/
• Other: https://www.pinterest.com/ErinMassiePhotography