After a string of bad experiences in department store studios, the {O} Family decided to try out an outdoor custom portrait session with a professional. I’m SO glad they found me because I could totally understand their frustration with the big box studios. You see, 8 years ago, I worked for one. And while it gave me a lot of great experience in working with people, most of what I got out of it was what NOT to do within my own portrait business!
In a department store studio, you have 10-15 minutes TOPS with each customer. You throw a few cheesy backdrops behind them and them try to get them to smile. Because there’s no time to connect with the child (who is in a very unfamiliar enviroment) it can be hard to get genuine, real smiles and expressions. This is especially hard for those children who tend to be shy around new people; and most children at least go through a phase of this. Then after your mediocre photo shoot, there’s the pushy salesperson. You’ve probably all seen the crazy promotions they put out where you can pay something like $10 and get a gazillion portraits. The fine print is that you can only get one pose. And as an employee, there was an incredible amount of pressure put on us to talk people out of the coupon and into several hundreds of dollars of portraits. We were encouraged to remind them that if they didn’t purchase that precious shot of their newborn baby today that it would be deleted.
I absolutely hated it.
And I knew I could do better.
This began my long (and scary) journey into founding “Portraits by Cynthi.” I’m a natural introvert, so putting my work out there and creating artwork for people to frame and hang on their walls was…well, terrifying! At least in the beginning! But after many years of practice and lots and lots of learning, my confidence improved. And of course the learning never ends in a field as ever-changing as this one! Now, I just pinch myself when I think of how far I’ve come and what an amazing job I have! After each session, I feel like I’ve just made a new friend. And seeing people really love and appreciate what I do, makes me absolutely giddy!
So how is my photography different than the department store studio I described above? Well, getting custom portraits from a professional like myself allows you more time, more options, more um….real…ness. Okay, I know that’s not a word, but you know what I mean right?! Rather than making your child sit on a pretty little chair in front of a faux autumn backdrop, why not take them to a beautiful park where they can actually play in real leaves, explore a hidden path, and pick a flower for mom. All the while, capturing beautiful moments and creating memories.
That’s the difference.
A session with me will be relaxed, your portraits will be timeless, and … absolutely NO cheesy backdrops!
The parents featured here were so happy with the whole experience of our session. And…I’m pretty sure they won’t be stepping foot back in that department store studio again. :)