We recently connected with Robin Dayley and have shared our conversation below.
Robin, appreciate you joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
I’ve been a photographer for 20 years. During that time I’ve been a lot of different sizes and shapes, but I have always been what our culture considers plus-size. As a photographer, it’s necessary for me to keep my own headshots updated and over the last few years I’ve had my photos taken by several different photographers. I started to realize that many really talented photographers have no idea how to photograph plus size women. I would get my images back and feel sad and disappointed, and also really frustrated because I knew if I could take my own photo, I could do better. Then, it was like a lightbulb came on and I realized that this was my niche market! I began to talk about this idea at parties and networking events, and the response I got really blew me away. People were just as excited about this idea as I was. And the more research I did, the more I realized that no one else was doing plus size photography for business professionals and lifestyle portraits. I suddenly felt more passionate about my photography than I had in a long time.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers?
My name is Robin Dayley and my new photography brand is Curvy Photographer – a headshot and portrait brand shining a spotlight on plus size and mid size women.
This business is highly customized to each client. Every woman is in a different place in her life in terms of self-acceptance. My clients range from fully body-positive to extremely self-conscious and I don’t judge either of those mindsets. I spend a lot of time before each session getting to know my client and customizing her session. My only goal is to deliver images that they love!
Recently a client told me that she saw in her portraits the young girl from her childhood that she hadn’t seen for a while. These kinds of reactions give me life and help me realize this kind of photography is important.
What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?
At this point it has been word of mouth. I have had so many clients tell me that they are excited about this concept and that I’m providing a much needed service for the plus size community. My clients happily share their images and most of my new leads have been from someone who has seen a client’s session post.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
In my 20 years of photography, I have had many many requests for body editing. This is actually something I’m very good at but I always tell clients I only make subtle and tasteful adjustments. I had assumed in starting Curvy Photographer that this would be an intensive part of my editing process. But the more clients I meet, the more I realize that body positivity is a real movement. Many of my clients opt out of any body editing and embrace every curve. I think it’s amazing and refreshing and makes me think that the younger generations will have a much different experience than I did.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.curvyphotographer.com
- Instagram: @curvyphotographer
- Facebook: CurvyPhoto
Image Credits
My Headshot: MKL Images