We were lucky to catch up with Nina Bashaw recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Nina thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you tell us about an important lesson you learned while working at a prior job?

Prior to starting my own business 11 years ago, I worked for another photographer. I was thrown into a “sink or swim situation” and my boss had the attitude “figure this out quickly or we will find a replacement.” Although I am a firm believer in educating and setting your employees up for success, I am thankful for the experience I learned at that job. I quickly learned the basics of photography and being proud of myself for not giving up and sticking to it.

I also quickly realized how differently I wanted to run my business and treat any employees in the future. My boss unfortunately did not value his employees and with in a few months working for him I went from part time photography assistant to running his company for minimum wage. I was office manager, lead photographer, editor, errand runner, and cleaning lady all for $7.25 an hour. I saw that he did not appreciate me and my devotion to this company. On many occasions I was talked down to, belittled, and humiliated if I ever made a mistake. The final straw was when he refused to pay me for a photoshoot that I had shot as lead photographer. I put my two weeks notice in and never looked back.

Although that experience was less than ideal, I learned a lot about photography but mostly importantly I realized the value of myself.

Nina, 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?

Although I have been professionally shooting weddings and portraits for eleven years, my passion for photography started when I was a young child with a film camera. Even though I shoot digital now, film is what made me fall in love with photography and it created my appreciation for prints.

I have spent years developing my skills as a portrait and wedding photographer. One thing I spent a great deal of time on is studying and perfecting the art of posing, it is what I am best at. I pride myself on being able to make you feel comfortable in front of the camera while I guide you through the posing process. While I have “go to poses” I also customize each session for each client. Some poses won’t work for some couples based on height difference or body shape So while I have a list in my head of poses we tailor the session to fit your body type and personalities.

My shooting and editing style is a combination of romantic and timeless with a fine art film aesthetic. I shoot mostly natural light for a classic yet modern feel.

For years weddings were the bulk of business but when the pandemic of COVID 19 happened I saw that the wedding industry was going to take a huge hit. So I decided to branch out and offer additional services such as lifestyle headshots and personal branding for small businesses. I am LOVING it, I really enjoy shooting natural light headshots. I still shoot weddings and don’t ever see myself not shooting them, but they are no longer the bulk of my business. I now specialize in senior portraits, personal branding, and weddings!

Have you ever had to pivot?

I recently changed the focus of my business from focusing on weddings to branching out and now offering lifestyle headshots and personal branding for small businesses. During the pandemic I saw that the wedding industry was taking huge hit and I foresaw it taking a few years to really “bouncing back”. So I noticed that not that many photographers were offering natural light headshots or personal branding. I made a plan and started marketing to specific businesses I would like to work with and it just took off. I am thankful and grateful for all my clients!

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Being honest and transparent with each of my clients, giving them realistic expectations is super important to me. If I have a client that wants something that I don’t offer or specialize in I refer them to someone else. I don’t ever book someone that I know I will deliver a subpar product to just for the sake of booking a job. For example I don’t photograph babies or do in studio work. So if I have someone that inquires about either of those I refer them to someone that specializes in either of those.

Also communication is huge to me. I believe it’s the professional and kind thing to do, responding to email and inquires with in a timely manner is something that I always strive to do. I do keep office hours so I’m not taking away from family time but you can expect to hear back from me during normal business hours and within a reasonable timeframe.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ninabashaw.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ninabashaw/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ninabashawphotography
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nina-bashaw-31b489249/
• Other: https://www.pinterest.com/ninabashaw/

Image Credits
Nina Bashaw Photography