We recently connected with Stephanie Nembhard and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Stephanie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear the story of how you went from this being just an idea to making it into something real.

Throughout my teens and young adulthood, I always had an interest and passion for photography. I enjoyed taking photos, and modeling for other photographers. It wasn’t until I had my own child that I found myself constantly capturing countless sweet moments of my little one. The idea of starting my own photography business emerged during the pandemic, when I had some extra time to think about ways of earning extra income while having flexibility, low startup costs, and doing something that I enjoy. At the time I had a toddler and was expecting my second child, while working full-time as a teacher, so I knew it had to be something that worked well with my schedule. I already owned a Canon Rebel, which I only used on automatic mode, since I was unfamiliar with manual mode and the exposure triangle. Fast forward a few months, after doing my research and starting an online photography education course, I decided to invest in a new mirrorless camera and a few lenses, among other gear and equipment. I decided upon my business name, created my business logo on Canva, registered my business domain, and then started to work on my website and social media accounts. All the while, I was reaching out to friends and acquaintances to offer complimentary sessions in exchange for practice and the ability to use their images to promote my work. Once I had a decent number of images, I started to upload my work on my website and social media accounts. Slowly but surely, inquiries started to come in. As the business progressed, I invested in a CRM, which was very helpful with organizing and streamlining the business. I continued to educate myself, by watching YouTube videos and participating in online courses geared towards lighting tips, posing tips, and business tips. Months past, and my confidence grew as my photo quality and editing improved. Client feedback was great, and I continued to get inquiries and referrals. I have never paid for advertisement or promotion; every client acquisition has been organic. With my busy life as a mom and teacher, the pace of my business growth worked perfectly with my availability. I love that I dictate when I am available, and how many sessions I wish to take in a given season. This has allowed me to not feel burned out, and to still have that passion and creative drive which I bring to every session.

Stephanie, 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?

I am a portrait photographer, who specializes in maternity, newborn, and family photography. My style is timeless, light, airy, and people centered. I strive to capture candid interactions and authentic moments of love, laughter, and joy between family members. Being a mother and a teacher who works with young children provides me the perspective and tools to work better with my client’s children. Knowing how to speak to young children, make them feel comfortable, and read their body language is key. I always take the approach of having the children lead the session. Forcing children to do something they don’t want to do will mostly likely result in unwanted results, so instead, I give them time and space when needed and capture them in their natural element. Also, having the experience of being behind the camera myself for multiple family portrait sessions, I know how stressful the process can be for parents. For instance, putting together outfits that coordinate but aren’t too matchy-matchy, getting ready the day of the session and scrambling until the last second, feeling frustrated when my little ones don’t wish to cooperate, not feeling confident because all of a sudden…the hair that took me an hour to fix up has now turned into a frizzy mess- I know what that feels like and therefore, I put myself in my client’s shoes. Whether that is talking through these possible scenarios ahead of time during our phone consultation and providing tips, or the day of the session reassuring them that everything is alright and that we will still get beautiful portraits. Personally, I think taking the extra time to get to know my clients prior to our session is mutually beneficial, it offers insight to their vision, expectations, and important information, while also giving me the opportunity to explain the booking process, answer questions, and clear up any misconceptions. I believe having a clear and easy-to-follow process ensures both parties are on the same page. My ultimate goal for sessions, whether it is a maternity session or a family of five session, is for my clients to feel comfortable, confident, and pleased with their experience. Giving clients plenty of feedback, guidance, and posing tips during the session helps with their comfortability and confidence. Aside from providing clients with a gorgeous gallery of images, my overarching objective is to provide an experience in which they think to themselves, “wow, I am so glad we booked with Stephanie”, and that they are so satisfied that they wish to share their experience with others.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Prior to starting my photography business, I was familiar with social media and had my personal accounts established. I was familiar with the basics of creating posts and reels. After launching my photography business, I knew that I had to leverage my existing contacts. I created a business page on Facebook and invited my contacts to like and follow my page. I created a photography Instagram account and started to follow local photographers. I advertised my photography account on my personal Facebook and Instagram accounts, on my website, and every online platform that I had, such as LinkedIn, YouTube and Pinterest. Granted, I did have to learn a thing or two about hashtags, elevating my reels, analytics, SEO, etc. It is still an ongoing learning process, with technology and social media trends constantly changing. My advice would be to stay consistent, active, and highlight whatever makes you unique. Creating a presence, obtaining followers, and attracting clients takes time. Being active on your social media accounts gets more eyes and attention on your work, be consistent with your posting and stay engaged with your followers and with other photographers. Stay focused and passionate, and don’t get discouraged if you don’t see instant results. Listen to podcasts, watch YouTube videos, educate yourself on how to utilize and improve your social media skills, and do the work. Results will come.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

My clientele has mainly come organically from social media posts, but I have also gained clients through referrals. I post any upcoming offerings, such as mini sessions on my social media accounts and I also advertise it through Instagram and Facebook stories about a month in advance to attract new clients and notify past clients. On Facebook I am a part of several mom groups in my local area and respond to their posts with my current offerings. I have found that when responding to Facebook posts seeking photography services, it is helpful to answer questions from the original post in the comment section or via a direct message. Clients appreciate when you are direct and provide all the information upfront. I include links to my portfolio, and an attachment of a picture pdf displaying my work. In addition, I think posting several times a week on my social media accounts helps new client discover me, former clients see my current offerings, and gives me the opportunity to display the variety of my work. Customer service is very important to me, from the initial inquiry until the delivery of a gallery. I strive to provide a great experience for each client by being transparent, easily accessible, responsive, and friendly. Overall, I think my quality of work, competitive pricing, flexibility, staying active on social media, and positive customer reviews has all contributed to my growing clientele and repeat clients.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.stephanienembhardphotography.com/about-me
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephanienembhardphotography/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StephanieNembhardPhotography

Image Credits
Stephanie Nembhard