We recently connected with Lesley Bohm and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Lesley, thanks for joining us today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

I came to Los Angeles right after art school in Vancouver, BC. Canada. I didn’t know anyone in the city of LA but I was determined to start to make money with my photography skills. My expertise has always been with taking portraits of people so the natural progression of that was to start with actor headshots. To do that I started to advertise in the local trade magazine and I gradually made a name for myself as the best female headshot photographers in LA. The secret sauce was that I shot with natural light, it was my specialty and I made sure that all of my subjects looked really good, had great clothes and colors for their wardrobe, had fun with me and most importantly their images looked like them and got them jobs. With great experiences and fabulous images that captured their personality, my clients got work from their shots and I got referrals. There was a never ending supply of actors that flocked to Los Angeles to try out their fame and fortune in the entertainment business.
I expanded my business to include musicians, CEO’s, authors and entrepreneurs and now I shoot all things portrait, brand portraits, business headshots, corporate teams and lots of photos for social media.
In the beginning I was just happy to get a few jobs every week but after the great word of mouth and my marketing skills making connections to the industry leaders; such as agents, managers, record labels and corporations, I was consistently busy every day shooting interesting people and creative projects.
One of my larger clients at the time was the daytime tv magazines and at the peak of shooting the celebrities of daytime I was shooting one or two sessions a week just for the magazines.
When I started there wasn’t digital like there is now so it was a different time but as I have grown with my business, it is my job to keep up with the times and keep growing both with the technology and in my business and most importantly within myself. To do that I make sure that I am always learning; about my industry, about business in general and about online marketing.
Making great connections to the people working in my industry was imperative to my longtime success. Making business relationships is the best thing for your bottom line and keeping your business growing.

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 am a successful people photographer with over 25 years working in Los Angeles, shooting celebrities PR photos, CEO’s headshots and entrepreneurs brand portraits. I have decades of experience in mastering the art of illuminating the beauty and dynamism of powerful people. My mission is to help leaders make an impact by elevating their brand with the highest quality photos. These stunning portraits are known to stand the test of time.  My specialty is working with women entrepreneurs to create beautiful imagery so that they show up authentically in business with photos that help up level their brand awareness. I consistently get told that my photos are the best that my clients have ever taken.
I love being a photographer because of the interaction and the exchange of energy and ideas that comes with creating portraits that make an impact and bringing a high level of quality and effort to get the best photos possible for each of my clients.
The best thing about my photo sessions, other than getting stunning portraits, is that I make it a fun, fast and easy experience, and we all want that when we get our photos taken!

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Here’s a great story of my Los Angeles experience. I drove here from Vancouver, BC. Canada. I had visited before but only for a month or so the previous year so I was a little familiar with the city but not totally. I had $800 in my pocket and I had packed my car with everything I owned and that included my cameras. The first night I arrived I had made arrangements to stay at a friends house for a few nights until I got settled. I was so tired that I didn’t unload my car, and the first morning I went out to check my car and I found that I had been broken into. The great thing was that I had a big flashy portable radio on the front seat of the car and that is the only thing that was taken, and thank goodness because little did ‘they’ know that if they had taken a longer look they would have found my cameras way at the bottom of everything I owned in the back seat.
The big lesson here was “wake up and you’re not in your home town anymore” so get a little tougher and be more aware of your surroundings! I was in the big city now and it was a sign to be thankful that I still had my cameras so I could move forward and create the business I wanted. Secondly, I was under the impression that I had a roommate to live with when I got to LA but that turned south immediately also so within a week, I had my car broken into and I had to find a place to live and find a job until I could meet people and set up my business. That was a lot but it made me dig in and find the grit to succeed. I have relied on that grit the whole time I have been in Los Angeles. I dug my heels in then and I still dig in when I have a new project that I am working on. Stay strong and stay leading the way.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Over the years I had collected all of my clients email addresses so that I could send them their online proof sheets. As soon as social media was a thing in 2008, I quickly figured out that I already had a ‘list’ and I started an email program. I started sending out photos and a personal update, once a week but I quickly found out that my list only wanted my emails around once a month. It may be different for everyone, you just have to try and see what works for you. I was pretty shy about putting myself out there initially so of course I posted all of my clients photos, which were beautiful, but what really moves the needle insofar as getting new people on the list is to do reels and ‘lives’ in which I personally talk about something to do with how I shoot, who I am shooting, how I share info on how to prepare for a shoot. Every 2-3 years I would recommend refreshing your images and getting some videos and new social media brand photos out there.
I shoot personal branding shoots for female business owners in which I create authentic beautiful photos that represent my clients to help them uplevel their business and increase their social media reach.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://lesleybohm.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lesleybohmphoto/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lesleybohm/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesleybohm/

Image Credits
The portfolio images are all of my images Lesley Bohm The photo of me is by Emily Sandifer Photography