We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Michaela Traylor. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Michaela below.

Michaela, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s been the best thing you’ve ever seen (or done yourself) to show a customer that you appreciate them?

Everyone wants to be appreciated and seen. When my clients book a photo session with me, I help “style” them. Which means we select everyone’s outfits together. When doing this, I learn things my clients might be self conscious about. Such as, she might want a dress with sleeves because she is self conscious about her arm size. This then translates into the session, I do certain poses to make her arms look small and slimming so she feels most confident. Another client appreciation tool I have implemented is sending hand written Christmas cards. I include something memorable that happened at their session and I make sure to use names so they know it is extremely personalized. This year I plan to do the same but hope to include a printed out image from their session to go inside the card.

Michaela, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

A bubbly, red haired mama from Alabama with a camera. That is how I would describe myself. I have always enjoyed taking pictures, either in front of the camera or behind the camera. I purchased my first “nice” camera in the summer of 2016. I just wanted better Instagram photos at the time. I was only 20 years old at the time so of course good Instagram posts were important to me then. Times sure have changed!! Anyways, my friends started asking me to photograph their life events, such as gender reveals, baby showers, photos for their Christmas cards. Then I realized this is actually something I could be really good at and turn into more than just a hobby. However, it stayed just a hobby for a few more years. I would say around 2019-2020 was when I finally made the jump into more of a second job than a hobby. And by 2022, I quit my corporate job to be a stay home mom and a photographer. Which was hard to do having a Master’s Degree, I felt I had earned that degree and needed to work in my field but life had other plans!!

When I first started photography, I offered anything and everything. I never said “no” to anybody’s session ideas. I’m the complete opposite now. I have certain types of sessions I enjoy photographing and am no longer afraid to tell a client no. I specialize in maternity, lifestyle newborn, families, and couples.

One of the hardest things most people struggle with when taking the leap to get pictures done is what to wear. My clients do not have to worry about this and I’ve been told it’s one of their favorite parts of booking a session with me! I style every single one of my clients before their session. I have a client closet they are able to choose outfits from or I send them direct links of outfits to buy. I will send a variety and we choose together which outfits we think would look best at the location they have selected, their body type, what fits their personality, and what will look best with my editing style. Having my clients wear certain colors and styles is one way I am able to stay consistent in my work.

Something I’m most proud of in my business is how much I care. I strive to make sure each client feels seen and heard when doing business with me. I often become friends with my clients because I am very laidback and let them know I am there to capture who they are not make the experience uncomfortable or draining to them.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

Online workshops! There are courses online (and no I am not talking about YouTube) where photographers walk you through how to create art that achieves the look you are going for. The ones I wish I knew about sooner are the editing workshops but there are also business workshops for photographers that I have found just as helpful!

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

Giveaways and doing sessions for free with the understanding they will post the session on their social media(s) and give you credit. The giveaways I have done in the past have led to the giveaway winners being repeat clients every year! Whenever I do a session for free, the client usually ends up buying more images so I make a sale off the idea of free AND when they post on social media, it is almost guaranteed I get at least one new client or booking after they post.       

Contact Info:

• Website: https://michaelabostick.mypixieset.com/
• Instagram: @michaelab.photography
• Facebook: @michaelabostickphotography

Image Credits
Michaela B. Photography