We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Nikki O’Leary a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Nikki , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. So, let’s imagine that you were advising someone who wanted to start something similar to you and they asked you what you would do differently in the startup-process knowing what you know now. How would you respond?

After receiving my MFA in Photography in Boston, I began my journey as a professional photographer in Chicago with little local network. My goal was to teach, but I soon realized how difficult it was to land a position as an adjunct in a new city without a community. I was open to any work within the photo industry, but found it difficult to find a job that paid well enough to sustain me.

The first job that I was offered was as a photographer’s Studio Manager, running three separate businesses; a wedding studio, a corporate headshots studio, and an editorial brand. The photographer offered me $12 an hour, but expressed his wish to increase the rate “when he could.” I knew this rate was too low, but I accepted it, hoping to learn valuable information, and to prove my worth in a short period of time. While I learned a lot about running a studio (prepping a set, booking for travel, post editing, ordering prints, packaging products, contracts and quotes, etc. ) the dynamic was abusive, and the pay was bad. Besides my “freelance” position (in which I was actually treated as an employee), the rest of the studio was run by interns who were paid nothing, or by underpaid photo assistants who were desperate for experience. I left after only a few months, as I didn’t feel it was a healthy environment to participate in.

The most important lesson I gained from this experience was to never undervalue your worth. Even if you are just starting out, it might be tempting to take a lower rate in order to get your foot in the door. And sometimes that’s true, but even then, you should have boundaries. Consider a “Kindness Clause. Be kind to others, and always treat those who support your work with respect.  That I do carry with me always.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am a photographer based in Chicago. I began my journey as a fine art photographer, and have been exhibited internationally, making work about the sea and my heritage. I ran a wedding and lifestyle photo studio between 2015-2021, called Oh, the Life! and participated as a member of the Green Wedding Alliance. I have since closed the doors to this brand, and I currently split my time between teaching photography at Chicago State University, and editorial and commercial work. Most of my commercial work is under the brand, Midnight Gold Collective. I specialize in visual storytelling for small brands, and I work closely with social media strategists in order to deliver bold and seamless content throughout the year. I especially love to work with eco-friendly women-led and LGBTQ-led brands. I also spend my free time working on a personal fine art project, called ‘Lake Farers,’ where I share stories of those who are deeply connected with Lake Michigan.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

Wonderful Machine!

Wonderful Machine is an agency that connects photographers with clients. They support photographers and other creatives through consulting and marketing services.

I learned about Wonderful Machine many years ago, as a student. They’ve always been on my radar, but rather than exporing what they could do for me, I spent years taking marketing webinars, talking to coaches, and strategists… all who weren’t working primarily withinin the photo industry. I felt so lost, and had no idea how to organize my all of my work into one cohesive brand. I was so scattered!

I eventually revisited Wonderful Machine, and had an incredible experience working with Deborah Dragon on a complete website reboot. She was able to point me in the right direction and keep me focused. It was so valuable working with a photo editor, to get a perspective from the other side within the editorial industry. I’ve experienced so much more visibility and engagement since I’ve worked with her, and couldn’t recommend Wonderful Machine enough.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

My overall goal, whether I’m working on commercial work or personal work, is to stay true to the type of work that I’m interested in making. I had the mindset for so long, that if I COULD do it, I SHOULD do it. But, I know myself now more than I every have before.

I’m not interested in being in the studio. I love to meet other people in their own environments… to see a piece of the world that they exist in. For me, what I love the most, is finding a story to be told, and telling it beautifully. Sometimes, I still get inquiries for products shoots, or for family lifestyle shoots, and I am sometimes open to them, but I will always shoot them in the style that I love shooting in. I’m less interested in “say cheese” moments, for example, but to work with a family or a business on creating beautiful imagery that tells a story, I’m all about that. I need those little heartstrings to be gently tugged, in order to stay engaged with the work I make.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.nikkioleary.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikki_oleary_photography/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikkioleary/

Image Credits
Self-portrait shot by Chad Husar