We were lucky to catch up with Melissa Herrera recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Melissa thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Going back to the beginning – how did you come up with the idea in the first place?
I started my photography journey in 2020 after the birth of my middle child-a long-awaited miracle following years of infertility treatments and multiple miscarriages. She was born at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, a time of uncertainty that made me cherish every moment even more. My husband gifted me a DSLR camera so the photos I took would be “better than the ones on our phones”. I wanted to capture her milestones but had no experience with a professional camera. My photos were just not right. So I turned to online courses. I was finding myself late at night watching videos on lighting techniques, learning the difference between a mirrorless camera and a DSLR, learning the exposure triangle… It was all so exciting and I wanted to learn more! What started as a personal passion, quickly led me to the art of photography. Since all I had near was my baby, I focused on baby photos, then family portraits, and ultimately, newborn photography. The thought of capturing the little details, their tiny features that oh-so-quickly fade as they grow. I wanted to gift parents the moments that seem like a blur, once they’re past the no-sleep stage of their baby’s life. After an extensive training and safety courses, I began my journey, offering discounted sessions to build my skills and experience. Over time, that passion grew into a business, and now with my studio in Arlington, TX, I have the privilege of preserving precious memories for families just like mine. Offering parents an stress-free session experience and capturing their family in this new and exciting stage, is the best job in the world!
Melissa, 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?
As most photographers, I began offering digitals (downloadable photos) with their session. But most parents whether first-time or not, are busy all the time with a lot on their plate. Between work and home-life with a new baby, I realized most of my clients often had to go somewhere to order prints of their photos, which became another thing to add to their already-busy schedule. I wanted to facilitate everything for these new parents. So, I began searching for the best photo labs who specialized in prints. I wanted to offer them a full service along with beautiful heirlooms to add to their home. Among many options, I narrowed down the items that would most interest my clients and began adding these prints as an add-on service to their session.
Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
Absolutely! While there are a lot of photographers out there, or people who want to make a business out of this trade, there’s not a lot of information available on how to run a successful photography business. Most photographers I have worked since I was 18 years old, mostly sales positions that were well-paid. I don’t have a business degree, so everything about this was new to me. I only knew that eventually I’d have to pay taxes on the money I made.
But thankfully in 2023, I found a mentorship program online which offered information on everything I needed to know about how to be successful as a photographer and business owner. This program, offered by Jos & Banks, teaches the students how to run the marketing, business, and photography aspects of your business. With tools showing how to create your ideal client and learning how to market to them, to learning how to create and run your business website and SEO tools that help you stay at the top of the list in the search engines in your area.
I gave myself one year to learn everything, attend every virtual meeting and ask as many questions as possible. Upon the completion of that year, I graduated from a home studio to a commercial space and duplicated my income.
The best part about this mentorship program is that among other things, I’m a part of a community of photographers that want to be better business owners and truly uplift each other. We share our trials and successes with one another as well as things that we learn along the way. It’s been a blessing for my business!
Can you talk to us about how you funded your business?
I started this business with $3,000 in the bank and a DSLR camera my husband gifted me. To be honest, since I had no idea what to charge my clients I started with $100 session fees. If I ever had to make any expenses for a specific photoshoot, such as a gown or prop, I would charge my client accordingly. The first year in business I barely made enough to keep myself in business. I realized I was doing it all wrong. It was then when I turned to mentoring. I needed more guidance on how to cut costs and create a truly profitable business out of this passion for giving clients cherished memories!
Once in mentoring, I was taught a budget plan and how to make the most out of each session and mine and my client’s time. What started as a small business with 3-5 bookings a month, turned into a company with now multiple photographers who cover birth sessions, 48-hr sessions and bookings 3-12 months ahead!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.rainbowphotomh.com
- Instagram: @rainbowphotographymh
- Facebook: @rainbowphotographymh
