We recently connected with Kristen Tomkowid and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Kristen, thanks for joining us today. Do you have any thoughts about how to create a more inclusive workplace?

Yes, absolutely! As someone who works alone in a field of people who also typically work alone or with a spouse, my workplace is not one with co-workers, management, etc. My workplace is the environment I create with my clients, my online presence, and my colleagues.

Couples and families can look like anyone: different races, body types, sexual orientations and genders, religions, ages. Inclusivity to me in my field looks like not turning down clients that are different than me and actively showing my support to those who are from more marginalized backgrounds. I want my portfolio to be as diverse as possible. I want people to easily see my values as well as my skills.

I have had a number couples that have different skin tones mention that they were worried that their photos would not turn out well because photos in the past and from phones don’t look good. Cell phones cameras try to find the middle ground of exposures, which can end up making dark skin darker and pale skin paler. Professional photographers and cameras work different and by having examples in my portfolio, I can show them there’s nothing to worry about with me and I can make sure everyone looks ok.

I have also received inquiries from LGBTQ+ couples who mentioned they reached out because it was obvious how inclusive I am. Homophobia honestly seems pretty rampant in the wedding industry, but vendors are just a bit better about hiding it to not get canceled or sued. I am very vocal about this and will tell anyone who listens that if there are no LGBTQ+ couples on a vendor’s website/social media and no inclusivity statement, there is a reason. While a client might be straight, that does not mean all their guests will be, and they should try to hire vendors who won’t make anyone feel uncomfortable.

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?

Hello, I’m Kristen of Little But Fierce Photography. I’m a wedding, elopement, and couples photographer based in the Hudson Valley of New York. My journey with photography started with a class my senior year of high school and getting in to self-portraiture. It was then my minor at Ithaca College, where I got a BA in Journalism, and what I got my master’s degree in from Syracuse University. Throughout school, the hope was to be a photojournalist, who did self-portraiture on the side. I struggled after graduating with finding a foothold in that world.

In 2016, I photographed my first wedding. A photographer friend had doubled-booked a day and needed help, so he asked if I’d be up for it. Eight years and over 250 wedding days later, I’m glad I took the leap and that first couple trusted me!

With the shake-up from the pandemic, I did add to my offerings. I became ordained through Universal Life Church so I could officiate for my elopement couples. I got my Part 107 license and a drone to add to my equipment arsenal. I also started actively marketing for proposals and offering proposal planning services. I really love having a hand in the planning world as I usually don’t have much of a say when it comes to a wedding day. I help clients find a location and the best time of day, get any permits, come up with a story to get their partner there. I give them recommendations for what’s in the area. It definitely helps that I’m originally from the Hudson Valley, so I know a lot about the area. I just captured my 102nd proposal and I have bookings for them currently through December of this year. It is wild how much it has taken off!

It might sound fairly narcissistic, but I am extremely proud of how much I have grown my business. I started out on Thumbtack, bidding on inquiries for rates as low as $100/hr. I was winning jobs because I was cheap, but now people seek me out and hire me because they trust me and value my work. It really is great having that excitement in the booking process before we’ve even worked together and then afterwards to see that a client has made your photo their profile photo or that they’ve left a 5-star review. Words of affirmation are definitely my love language and I get them in spades from my clients. I just know that 2016 Kristen would be amazed with 2024 Kristen.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

A lesson I have been working on unlearning is that money is not everything. I am someone who will take any job that comes my way and end up with no personal life outside of work. It is hard to say no though when my thought process is “Well what else would I be doing that day? Getting paid seems better than sitting home and not doing anything.” I also don’t makes many personal plans far out so, if my calendar is empty, I will take on jobs, filling up days that I could’ve been hanging with friends or family or traveling.

It’s a bit hard to know how this thought process came about, but working for myself and creating my own schedule that does not have to conform to a 9-5 leaves me working all the time. I also grew up in a penny-pinching household and have seen both of my parents lose their jobs, so I also have a bit of a scarcity mindset that I could lose everything so I should have very healthy savings. If I’m not photographing, then I’m editing or working on backend stuff. I definitely need to create and stick to a work schedule and maybe give AI a try to cut down my editing time. It’s definitely only going to get harder to change habits as we get into the thick of busy season, but busy season doesn’t have to be so busy.

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

Google is my #1 source of inquiries. I have been working on my SEO for the past few years and it’s been a game changer. In 2019, I only had 13 inquiries find me on Google, compared to 84 inquiries in 2023. Google inquiries, in my experience, have the highest rate of converting to booked clients as well, compared to any of my other avenues of marketing like social media and online directories. It also doesn’t really cost anything but time in order to work on your SEO as there are so many resources available for free. I did pay for a course to help me and see if I was missing gaps in my knowledge, but a majority of what I know, I learned for free.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://lbfphoto.com
• Instagram: https://Instagram.com/lbfphoto
• Facebook: https://Facebook.com/lbfphoto
• Other: TikTok.com/lbfphoto
  Pinterest.com/lbfphoto