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

Isabel, appreciate you joining us today. Before we talk about all of your success, let’s start with a story of failure. Can you open up about a time when you’ve failed?

I have a story of epic fail!
In the late 1990’s my husband and I started a wedding photography business that quickly became very successful and profitable. Because we were so busy shooting weddings, meeting prospective clients and designing wedding albums, we never thought to, or had time to, market ourselves and go after work in other photography genres.
If I’m being honest, we never even learned how to network and market ourselves. We thought this gravy train would never end, or at least, we thought we would be the ones to decide when it would end.
Well we were hit with the perfect storm of our studio’s destruction, that being: the recession of 2008, the advent of digital photography, and the fact that most of the wedding planners who had sent us a steady stream of brides, either quit to start their families, moved out of state, or wanted to refer photographers using the latest technology.
All of these things happening within a few short years, caused us to fall by the wayside. It seemed like the phone stopped ringing overnight. In reality, I should have been more anticipatory of, and adaptable to, the changes happening in my industry.
I should also have been more willing to pivot and start embracing digital photography as well as developing other photography skills like: headshots, pet photography etc.
Instead, I went into panic mode and started making dumb and expensive moves like taking out full page ads in bridal magazines, and redesigning my website.
I refused to give up on being a wedding photographer, even though the universe, and brides! were telling me to move on.
It took several years before I finally, said “Enough!” If I don’t get over myself, I need to give up on being a photographer.
Luckily, I was not ready to do that, so I joined a networking group, and started working with a business coach. Slowly but surely, I started to book all sorts of sessions like: headshots, high school seniors, families and yes, even the occasional wedding. I can honestly say, that I am doing the best work of my life.
I love stretching my creative muscles by tackling a variety of genres. Plus, through my work, I am meeting so many creative, successful and interesting people in my community.

Isabel, 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 came about my love of photography while studying art at UMass Lowell. The second I stepped into the darkroom, I was hooked! Seeing an image miraculously appear on photo paper, was sheer magic. As it turned out, I was a much better photographer than painter, so from then on, I put all my effort into learning about photography.
After college, I applied to Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara and to my delight, was accepted! I’ll never forget the day of my interview. I had just left a huge snowstorm in Massachusetts and was driving down Coast Village Rd in Santa Barbara on a gloriously gorgeous sunny day. I felt like I was in a movie set. The light was incredible and flowers bloomed everywhere! It was such a startling change from the gray, cold day I had left behind in Massachusetts. From that moment, I vowed that whatever it took, I was staying in California.
After attending Brooks, I started to get work as a photo assistant and wardrobe stylist in Los Angeles. I also worked as a second photographer at a wedding studio. That is when I had my “a ha” moment. At that time, wedding photography was a bit stodgy and stilted. The poses were formulaic and there was little spontaneity. I could see that a wedding day, was the perfect vehicle to tell an emotion-filled story, so with my knowledge and love for black and white photography, I approached the owner of this studio and asked if I could shoot only candids in black in white.
After the very first wedding, it was clear that this is what the brides and grooms most resonated with. They would often ask to have their wedding albums consist of only the photos that I had shot, instead of the traditional ones the principal photographer had photographed.
Shortly there after, I started my own wedding photography studio, which then led to my current studio specializing in portraits, headshots, personal branding, pets and their people and family sessions.
What sets me apart from my competitors, is my many years of experience. Shooting weddings for more than a decade, made me a very well rounded and proficient shooter. On a typical wedding day, in addition to the usual photos of the ceremony, bride & groom etc. I would photograph things like: still life, architecture, fashion, and food, all while honing my people skills. I didn’t realize it at the time but this education would serve me well once I transitioned into other genres of photography.
I’m often told by my clients that I have an ability to make them feel at ease and comfortable in front of my camera. This means so much to me and is probably what I am most proud of.
The way I am able to accomplish this, is by giving my them lots of guidance before and during their session.
For instance, I send them a PDF with lots of preparatory tips prior to the session. On the day of, before I even pick up my camera, I have a conversation with them regarding how they plan on using their photos. At this point they will often tell me what they feel self conscious about in terms of their appearance. Honestly, most of the time I don’t agree with this assessment of themselves, but I never say so, instead I listen, and tell them specifically how I am going to use lighting and posing to make them look their best.
Once they know I have their backs, they relax and the session goes beautifully.
What I would like your readers to know about me is that while I believe I deliver a superb product, what I am most known for, is creating an environment where my clients feel safe and listened to.
Above all, I want them to have a fun, memorable experience and to look and feel like super stars!

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

I’m going to show my age here, but I believe the best way to get new clients is to meet them in person.
I’m a big believer in networking groups and having face to face interactions.
Yes, social media is a powerful tool, and one all business owners and creatives should use, but to me, nothing compares to having a coffee with someone you would like to do business with.
The trick is to be genuinely interested in them and not ramble on about yourself.
No matter what industry you are in, there is most likely a networking group out there that you can join. Another option is to volunteer or join the board of organizations that you feel passionate about.
A good friend of mine who happens to be a wedding planner, gets some of her best clients this way. She does not volunteer her time and expertise to get clients, but it is a nice byproduct of her caring nature.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I wish I had hired a business coach.
I always assumed business coaches were for people with large companies and many employees.
When I started working with one, my outlook and career changed completely.
Instead of blindly throwing things at a wall to see what would stick, my coach taught me valuable tools and techniques to help me be more successful.
For instance, (and I know for most of you this is going to seem really obvious), but he had me write down how much money I wanted to earn per month. Once I had a realistic number in mind, he had me calculate how many jobs I needed to book in order to get to that number.
This helped me not only create a marketing plan targeting more lucrative gigs, it also made me realize I was undervaluing myself and not charging enough for my services.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.isabellawrence.biz
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isabellawrence2/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/isabel.gomes.94
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/isabel-gomes-81144713b/

Image Credits

©Isabel Lawrence Photographers