We recently connected with Launa Penza and have shared our conversation below.
Launa, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Being a business owner can be really hard sometimes. It’s rewarding, but most business owners we’ve spoken sometimes think about what it would have been like to have had a regular job instead. Have you ever wondered that yourself? Maybe you can talk to us about a time when you felt this way?
“If you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life…” When I started my photography business, I would think about this saying and it would make me laugh out loud! I could never say working for yourself doesn’t require hard work. The difference is the smile on your face when you lay your head on the pillow at night. I absolutely LOVE working for myself especially as a photographer. This is my passion.
Do I ever think about what it would be like to have a regular job? Once in a great while. I’ve had my business going on eight years. The things I really love about my work 1- Photography is storytelling. It’s capturing moments, people, places to cherish and pass on to future generations. 2- Lifestyle/ Portrait Photography allows my clients to show off their personalities and relationships with each other in a natural, candid style that truly captures their emotions and bonds. 3- Working with a Senior Model Team gives me the freedom to express my artistic creative side through wardrobe, makeup, props, imagination and locations.
Having your own business means wearing many different hats. Because I am a one woman show I have to be not only behind the lens, but also in charge of generating business, marketing, and running my office. I don’t have just one job to do. If you’re not organized and self motivated it is difficult to have a successful business.
Last year I had a big change in my life. I had to sell my home and move to a new location. This meant…starting my business over again. I had established a reputation and clients where I lived and now I had to build my name in a new town. This is when the thought of having a regular job sounded so much easier for a moment. But once I got settled in and acquainted with my new community I realized it’s not really like starting over completely. My website and years of work speak for themselves. I decided I could use several avenues to market myself, social media, local schools, and non-profits. I could offer some “specials” to introduce myself to new clients and then let their experience speak for itself. My goal is always 100% satisfaction. If my clients are thrilled with their pictures they will share them with friends and family. Change is hard, but if you can change your attitude or perspective sometimes what you get is better than anything you could have imagined.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I discovered my passion for photography through travel. My second greatest passion is travel. On my first trip to London and Italy, I was eighteen years old, I bought a point and shoot camera and photo documented everywhere I went, and especially loved capturing candid moments of people. Later on a photographer friend of mine called my shooting street photography.
I drove my friends and family a little crazy always wanting to capture moments during special occasions, holiday gatherings, etc. Many of my friends and family looked at my work and encouraged me to start a photography business.
It sounded great but I didn’t know how to turn a passion into a job that would pay my bills. I was blessed with a friend who had recently launched her studio in a different town and was willing to mentor me. I couldn’t believe she was willing to share her marketing, pricing, vendors, etc with me. But what she told me is many people say they want to do something but even if someone offers them free information many don’t do anything with it. She told me if you really want to do this you can shadow me, take notes, ask questions and I will help you launch your own business, And that’s exactly what I did.
I took all her suggestions and information and applied them. I signed up for photography courses at my local Junior College. I watched educational videos and took many workshops. And went out and shot, shot, shot!
Making a personal connection with each of my clients is what is most important to me and what I believe sets me apart from other photographers. When I’m working with a family portrait session I take the time to find out little details about their children. Are they shy, outgoing, what do they enjoy doing, do they have pets? This way when I meet the kids I have lots of things to talk to them about that are either their interests or something they love. When I do high school senior portraits I offer a pre-session consultation to get to know the senior and her parents and to find out what is most important to them and what is her or his personal style, look, or vibe. I ask if they play a sport or are they into music, dance, chess, cars, or other hobbies or interests. This allows me to shoot and capture their personality and accomplishments. Every session is custom and spending a little time in a pre-session consultation allows me to get to know them more personally so I can capture them more authentically.
Can you open up about how you funded your business?
I did not give up my day job to start my photography business. I started a savings account and slowly built up some initial money to invest in equipment. I bought my first camera body and lens used. I bought one prime lens and one zoom lens that would cover the widest range of my style of shooting. I chose to be an outdoor natural light photographer to also keep down costs by not having to rent a studio. This allows me to work out of my home and write off some of the expenses for having a home office.
I looked for specials on equipment and good photography workshops, many were local camera stores, and I learned a lot.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
Life is too short to spend doing something you don’t like or enjoy. My goal in photography is to capture special memories for people. I believe photographs are priceless. Everything in life changes people, places, things, but a photograph is forever. My hope and belief is that my work, or art, will be something that people with cherish and hand down to their children and children’s children. This is something I truly believe in.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.launapenzaphotography.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/launapenzaphotography/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/launapenzaphotography
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@launapenzaphotography6633
Image Credits
Launa Penza Photography