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

Shin, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

Success is such a subjective word as it means something different to each person that you ask. For me, being successful is being able to create a work life balance so that I can continue doing what I love for a living and being able to spend quality time with my family and friends. The photography industry is so saturated and there is a lot of competition out there. I was told by a mentor in my early days of my career that as a successful photographer, you should expect to spend 90% of your time on the business and only 10% taking photos. He was right. Most successful photographers I know are also very savvy business people. As an independent photographer, I wear many hats in my business from marketing to accounting. In the beginning, I tried to figure everything out myself.After awhile, I realized that I needed to connect with professionals who can help me grow in the areas I needed help with. I worked with a certified accountant to improve my bookkeeping skills and am currently in a mentorship program with an SEO expert to increase my online visibility. I see each learning experience as success as I am always trying to improve and grow myself as a business owner and photographer.

Shin, 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?

Photography is my second career. I was previously in the advertising industry as a media buyer for 4 years. I found my job meaningless and unfulfilling, as I am a creative person and needed a career to fulfill my artistic side. Thus, I left my job and went traveling for a year. I volunteered with a local non-profit in Belize for 6 months and backpacked around Central America afterwards. It was one of the best experiences of my life as I love travel and learning about other cultures. After the year was over, I went back to college for photography at Columbia College in Chicago. While at Columbia, I spent all my time outside of classes at the campus labs and studios. I absorbed as much as I could from my professors, peers and internship with one of the top photographers in Chicago. When I was done at Columbia, I moved to Singapore to work with a talented portrait and dance photographer. It was a perfect entry into the field as I was able to learn more about working as a photographer and business owner. After 2 years, I moved back to Chicago and became an independent contractor, I started booking my own jobs while still working for photography studios and photographers. Eventually, I got to the point where I was mostly working for myself.

I specialize in portrait photography. I love connecting with people and trying to connect who they are in photos. I started photography in the darkroom and only shooting in film. I miss that part of photography terribly as the industry is all digital now. On of the proudest moments in my career was getting international recognition for my portrait and abstract work in the International Photography Awards (which is one of the most prestigious photography competitions worldwide). I am also proud of giving back to non-profits that I believe in. I have worked with American Civil Liberties Union, Boys Hope Girls Hope IL, Illinois Holocaust Museum and Bear Necessities Pediatric Cancer Foundation. It is important for me to use my skill to make a difference in people’s lives.

I work closely with my clients to creatively deliver images to share their stories. My clients often say that I am easy and wonderful to work with. I work hard for my clients and always maintain utmost professionalism during any job. I will bring my studio to any location and deliver images in a fast and timely manner. I have at least 2 archives of all photos so a client can always come back and request for them, if they ever misplace their photos. Most of my work comes from client referrals, which I truly appreciate as it means that my clients are happy with the services that I provide.

How did you build your audience on social media?

This is one of my biggest struggle as a business owner. While I have a Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn business pages, I have never been great about posting on them. Even when I post, I rarely felt like it made a difference in my business. I shared my struggle and need to grow on online presence with my networking group. One of the members told me to check out SCORE, a free business training and resource website for small businesses. I signed up for a mentoring program with an SEO expert and meet virtually with her on a monthly basis. I have learn so much and have seen a difference in my online presence. I highly recommend checking out SCORE if you feel like you need help in any aspect of your business.

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

One of the best source of new clients for me is through networking. I have never been a fan of public speaking but I knew it is necessary for me to grow as a business owner. I started joining networking groups and found them to be such a great source of information, connection with like minded people and new business opportunities. I have met such a great variety of people and businesses through my networking groups, which I am grateful for.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.shinphotography.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shinlimphotography/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShinPhotography
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shinlim/
• Other: Phone: 847-687-7618 Email: shin@shinphotography.com Website: www.shinphotography.com

Image Credits
Shin Lim Photography