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

Alright, Lauren thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

I’ve always had a camera attached to my hand. Even at a young age, I was always the friend who took pictures! I think once I was at the end of my high school career was really when I started to think about photography as a career and not just a hobby anymore. However, I found it extremely hard to envision making a living from it simply because I didn’t know any actual professional photographers haha. I wasted a year at NKU trying to figure out what else I liked and could turn into a career for myself. Mistake #1! Mistake #2 came with finding an Arts School to go to. Not a full mistake I guess, and although I am happy to say I have a degree in photography and I did learn a lot from my education, but I regret not just doing a little bit more research and finding a local professional to work alongside and learn from instead. This costs me THOUSANDS of dollars in student loans and looking back I could’ve done without it. Experience and working at your craft is how you grow! Finally finding a professional studio to work in after graduating college is where I truly was able to come into my own as a photographer and also grow immensely as a person. Dedication is key to growing in this type of industry. Photography trends change constantly and its up to you as a creative to find and develop your style and brand and stick with it to separate yourself from the pack of wannabes out there.

Lauren, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Lauren Theis and I am the Owner/Photographer of Revel Boudoir Studio in Cincinnati, OH.

I’m a 33 year old mom of two beautiful children, 1 insane dog, and have an amazingly supportive husband (he literally helped me design my studio space)!

I thrive in helping women embrace their true, authentic selves and to rekindle a positive relationship with their bodies through a super fun but intimate Boudoir photo experience. In hopes that they become more confident in themselves and are no longer afraid to share that with the world.

I’ve been working at making this experience as amazing as it can be for my clients for 5+ years now! I think what sets me apart is that 1. I do have the experience of photographing hundreds of women of all shapes, sizes, and color under my belt. Trust is super important to build and have with your Boudoir photographer and I’ve received many compliments from clients stating how natural it was to let go and just have fun with me as not only their photographer but now new friend to them as well.

My style has a mood to it! I love to use shadows and highlights to emphasize (or camouflage) the body’s curves. With Boudoir, I’m really focused on showing my clients that you are enough, your body is enough, and that embracing your body as it is now is SO IMPORTANT to your mental happiness. Let’s face it…most of our bodies are never going to be the same as they are today. So why not embrace that and love yourself for who are you!

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I think what’s most rewarding to me isn’t so much based on my owns achievements as it is on seeing my clients attitude change with the experience of a Boudoir session with me. To me that is the most rewarding thing because everybody wins in that moment. They win by having had the courage to step outside their comfort zone and bare themselves to a stranger. They leave with a whole new love for themselves…that’s amazing. Its a win for me because I was a part of that for them. I think clients are always praising us as photographers for creating so much magic with our cameras. I always love to remind my clients that yes, I’m able to capture them beautifully BUT it was them that allowed themselves to let you so I was able to do so :)

We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.

I love keeping up with clients and have found that social media is the best and easiest way to do so. I have a private group on Facebook for women only, previous and present clients, as well as tons of women who admire the idea of Boudoir but have yet to dip their toes in the water. I try to share as often as I can to show support to the ladies of the group and of course to show everyone what I’ve been up to in the studio, any specials or themed min sessions I have available and to remind them all to share and support my business as much as they can. These women are my best referrals for my business. I have so many amazing repeat clients! Its my pleasure to give back to them by offering special discounts for them as returning clients as well as when they refer a friend or family member to me for a session!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.revelboudoirstudio.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/revel_boudoir
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/Revel.Boudoir.Studio