We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Lindsey Harper . We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Lindsey below.
Lindsey, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. 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.
Photography has always been such a fun outlet for me that learning it always felt more like a fun challenge than a daunting task. I do think, though, that I– like many others– hindered myself by looking at it as a talent instead of a learned skill. I probably could have compressed what I learned in the first year or two into a few months had I invested in a mentorship or a few classes, but (in true Lindsey style) I learned everything through trial and error. Natural talent may make it easier to learn, but practice is the only way you will actually learn, and being humble enough to acknowledge that and do the work is the first step.
By far, the most important skill in photography is learning to use light. It’s easy to take a good picture when you use light correctly, but when you have bad lighting, it’s highly unlikely that you’ll produce anything of good quality.
As much as I’ve enjoyed learning photography, I have probably grown more through learning about business. Again, at the beginning I held myself back by only seeing myself as an artist and thinking I only needed to focus on my talents, but I have come to find the business side (customer relations, spreadsheets, website design, etc) very fulfilling. Learning skills that don’t come naturally to me is much more challenging, but helps me discover more about myself than I ever imagined.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am a natural light lifestyle photographer specializing in family photography in Houston. I take on sessions ranging from births and newborns to family sessions and senior pictures. I am inspired by nature, light, and connections, and while I direct my clients through the whole session, I try to “prompt” clients more than I “pose” them. I give prompts to encourage interaction and let the client interpret what I’ve said on their own terms and interact with their family. That’s where the magic happens– honest connection guided by gentle directions.
I am most proud of the way I use my own experiences to breathe life into my sessions. I have four kids of my own and we love to travel and explore nature. The interactions we have and places we visit are like embers that I use to kindle a creative fire during other families’ sessions. During shoots I encourage kids to play, pick flowers, catch bugs– just like I watch my kids do during our outings. The way I guide families and redirect energy to capture something authentic and beautiful is reminiscent of my own life.
My favorite sessions are ones where the clients show up trusting me and ready to have fun. Whether it’s a downtown city stroll or a creekside adventure, when the clients let me shoot what inspires me, I deliver much more than just posed, smiling photos. I want my clients to be able to look back years later and see how beautiful and loved they were.
What’s been the best source of new clients for you?
By far, the best resource photographers have is our existing clients! Word of mouth referrals are so important in photography. On social media, you are advertising to a mixed bag– some people won’t be able to afford you, some won’t be a good fit, and some won’t be in your area. Your clients are the best way to reach your target market. Too often photographers get hung up on chasing new clients on social media or impressing other industry professionals. The biggest game changers for me have been building an email list for existing clients and improving my communication skills. This has turned many one-time clients into repeat clients, and gotten me many referrals because my clients knew they were being valued.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
Almost every photographer you meet will tell you to heavily curate your website and social media feeds– only show the very best of your work. Show ideal lighting, locations, and wardrobes. I followed that advice for a long time before realizing that showing an unattainable standard of perfection was backfiring on me. Clients overwhelmingly wanted to see all of my sessions, not just the very best. They wanted to know that I was able to work with average people in average settings and still produce beautiful work. They wanted to see their own sessions displayed with as much pride as the “perfect” ones. I now share every session on Instagram (unless the client asks me not to) and it has had a wonderful response.
Contact Info:
- Website: lindseyharperphotography.com
- Instagram: @lindseyharperphotography
- Facebook: facebook.com/lindseyharperphotography