Today we’d like to introduce you to Lisa Ann Kirkeberg.
Lisa Ann, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I became interested in photography during my senior year of high school. That was way back in 1997 when the majority of the population still used film cameras. When I went off to college, I took every photography course they had available. I learned to process my own film, make prints in the darkroom, and even shoot with slide film that we scanned into the computer and manipulated in Photoshop. It’s hard to believe that I began this journey 20 years ago.
I’ve always loved photographing portraits of people, but I found my true passion one day when I took 4 of my nieces and nephews to the playground for a photo shoot. They were posing like little models, and calling me “Aunt Lisa, over here”, “Aunt Lisa, over here!” It was the most fun I’d ever had taking pictures. I still love the images I created that day, which is rare for me. I usually fall in love with my latest creations, and easily tire of images that I created long ago.
Naturally, photographing kids evolved into maternity and newborn portraits, and I was hooked. I eventually opened a studio in a commercial warehouse, and I added a new genre to my repertoire. I began photographing child models in South Florida, and sent them to all the best legitimate modeling agencies that I knew of. My child modeling brand was called “Kids Who Rock.” I created vivid funky images that quickly caught the eye of many modeling agents. It was so fun to see so many kids getting signed modeling contracts, and some of them even ended up in national ad campaigns!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Running my own business after attending art school proved to be extremely challenging. The high volume caught up with me, and I knew I had to go another route. I closed up the studio almost 10 years ago, and worked primarily shooting on location for many years, then finally decided to create an in-home studio. A newborn shoot can take up to 4 hours when you factor in time for feeding, cuddling, and changing. So, I like that my clients are in the comfort of my home for the duration of the session.
Please tell us about Portraits by Lisa Ann.
My focus now is on serving one client per day, and creating an amazing experience for them. I provide complimentary professional hair and makeup to help them look and feel amazing. I have a maternity wardrobe for mamas-to-be, adorable props and clothing for newborns, and even a few dresses for Glam portraits. I spend the day primping, pampering, and posing my clients to perfection. I love getting to know them and hearing their stories. Best of all, my clients get to choose their images from a printed photo reveal, and they take home the images they love that day! I have been on quite the journey to make a living doing what I love, and I am still evolving every day. I have to say though, I am extremely happy with where I’m at, and looking forward to what I can create in the future!
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I think I would have gone to business school before photography school. Maybe that would have helped! Just kidding. Actually, I think I would have worked for someone who ran a successful studio for a few years before venturing out on my own. I didn’t understand everything that went into running a photography business, and it took me many years to finally understand and accept what I needed to charge to create a sustainable business that I could earn a living from.
Pricing:
- My Session Fee is $250
- Prints Start at $150
- Packages Start at $900
Contact Info:
- Address: Davie, Fl
- Website: portraitsbylisaann.com
- Phone: 754.581.2133
- Email: lisaannphoto@me.com
- Instagram: @portraitsbylisaann
- Facebook: facebook.com/portraitsbylisaann
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