When Paige first started out in senior photography, she spent… more time than you’d think explaining that it was for teenagers, not senior citizens. But that comes with the territory when you’re building a brand new niche in your area!

In this episode, Paige Puglisi sits down with me to explain what led her to senior photography in the first place. She shares her top tips for building a strong brand in a specific niche, what it’s like working with teens (including how she builds trust with them), and how she maintains the relationships she’s built throughout her client’s lifetimes.

What’s in this episode:

• [02:13] What led Paige down the path to senior photography
• [06:56] How to build a strong brand in a niche market
• [14:29] How to navigate potential pitfalls and connect with teenage clients at photoshoots
• [20:17] How Paige incorporates a variety of locations into her photography business
• [26:39] How Paige creates and maintains strong client relationships
• [36:19] The best business advice Paige ever received

If you’re thinking of diving into senior photography, this episode with Paige Puglisi will get you started!

SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

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Meet Paige Puglisi

Paige started as a children’s and family photographer 15 yrs. ago. A few years in, she niched into Senior Photography in a market that was non-existent. People thought she was photographing senior citizens. Over the past 12 years, she’s built a recognizable brand and sought after business working with clients from all over NJ and out of state. She’s now “growing up” with my teens and photographing them at other milestones in their lives. She’s begun a coaching/mentoring business that helps photographers create their own unique personal brand that has them shooting in the style they love, attracting their dream clients and repeatedly working with them over the years.

Connect with Paige

Visit Paige’s website

Follow Paige on Instagram

Follow Paige’s coaching page on Instagram

Follow Paige on Facebook

Did this episode with Paige Puglisi encourage you to break into a new photography niche? Check out this episode Niche Down, Scale Up: Diversifying Your Income Without Limiting Your Creativity with Hope Taylor that shares how another photographer started their career!

Transcript

[00:00:00] Paige: I think the single biggest thing, especially if you want to sustain it over time, is to be true to yourself. It’s just to truly, I mean, I know the term personal brand scares a lot of people and especially photographers. I’m not a personal brand. Being a personal brand is not being an influencer. It’s the two totally different things, but we are personal brands, you know, and there are tons of photographers out there.

[00:00:25] And Everybody has their own thing, and the only way you’re going to be working, like I say, happily ever after is if you’re working with your people, your tribe, your dream clients. And to do that, you have to be true to yourself, because it’s not going to be sustainable over time. You can try and do what other people are doing, but that is going to exhaust you to no end, at the end of the day.

[00:00:54] Lisa: Hey friend, welcome to the Art and Soul Show. I’m your host Lisa DiGeso, a mom, a photographer, [00:01:00] and entrepreneur. Tune in here for pep talks, conversations, and advice on photography, creativity, mindset, business, life, and that messy in between. This is the place where you can go when you need a boost of encouragement, a kick in the pants, and inspiration to pick up your camera.

[00:01:16] This is the art and soul show. Hello, my beautiful friends. Welcome back to the show today. I’m hanging out with Paige Puglisi. She began her photography journey 15 years ago, focusing on children and family photography. Now, a few years into her career, she found her niche in senior photography, building a market that didn’t even exist at the time.

[00:01:38] Many people even thought she was photographing senior citizens. Now over the past 12 years, Paige has built a recognizable brand and a highly sought after business. Working with clients from across New Jersey and beyond. As her teen clients have grown up, she’s continued to capture their milestones, becoming a trusted photographer throughout their lives.

[00:01:56] Paige has also launched a coaching and mentoring business, [00:02:00] helping photographers develop their own unique personal brands. Through her guidance, photographers learn to shoot in the style they love, attract their dream clients, and foster long lasting client relationships. I’m so excited to dive into this conversation.

[00:02:13] So welcome Paige. Thank you, Lisa. It’s so nice to be here. Thanks for having me. I’m so excited. Well, let’s dive in. So tell us a little bit about your journey into photography and really what led you into senior photography. 

[00:02:28] Paige: Yeah, so I mean, I’m probably pretty typical in a lot of women is that when I had kids, I wanted to stay at home.

[00:02:35] Yep. And I’d always wanted to be a photographer, like forever. And it was just kind of my dream. And so my husband said, Go do it, go, go get yourself the camera and go do it. And I did it. So I started with children’s family, because that’s who I was surrounded with at that point, you know, and I did that for about three years.

[00:02:54] And I really loved it. There were pieces of it that I really loved and then there are other pieces that were just kind [00:03:00] of dragging me down. And so I didn’t even know about senior photography. I hired a coach to just try and figure out what it was that wasn’t getting me. You know, I just, there was something there that I knew I wanted to do more, but I didn’t know how to go about doing it.

[00:03:20] And he said, have you ever thought about doing senior photography? I’m from New Jersey. Nobody knows what it is. So I asked him, what is that? I have a magazine background. I have a fashion background. So he’s like, look it up. So I Googled it and I saw, I’m like, Oh my God, this is exactly what I want to do.

[00:03:40] But I wanted to incorporate some of the Stuff that I loved about children’s photography into the senior part of it. And so I just did it. And that’s how I landed in scene photography, kind of a very happy accident. 

[00:03:55] Lisa: I love that. So tell me a little bit more coming from that editorial and that, [00:04:00] that fashion magazine sort of background, how that really translated into senior photography.

[00:04:06] Paige: Yeah. So what I loved about the children’s photography. It’s all the emotion, you know, it’s all hugs and kisses and smiles and laughter and, and that I absolutely love. I did have a client or two with teen and it just kind of, I mean, you know, as a mom, it kind of changes a little bit. Yeah. Especially when it’s in front of the camera.

[00:04:27] I mean, you may still get it when it’s not in front of the camera, but in front of the camera, forget it. There was that piece that I loved, but like you said, with the fashion background and the styling and everything, that is what I love to do. I mean, I, I was subscribing to Vogue for more years than I didn’t want to tell you how big since I was a kid and all the magazines that worked for Condé Nast magazine, I’d always had an interest in styling.

[00:04:52] I went to school for styling. I went into fashion Institute technology. So there was all of that. So I kind of just combined all the [00:05:00] two and honestly kind of made it up as I went along. Prior to being a photographer, I was, uh, in events planning for Merrill Lynch for a while. And I was planning for 2000, everywhere from 2000 down to 10 or 20 and all over the world.

[00:05:20] It was an amazing job. And part of the reason why I ended up in photography is because I couldn’t travel like that anymore. But I had that whole coordinating. So I started planning and executing all of my own photo shoots to get up to build a portfolio. That’s kind of how all that whole mix came about.

[00:05:38] Came 

[00:05:39] Lisa: today. I love that so much. I actually used to be an event coordinator. I was Yeah for University and I have a background. Also, I’m a makeup artist and an esthetician Uh huh. And so when we needed to do IVF to have my son, I decided I couldn’t do that stressful job It’s a lot of event planning and it was a lot like when they when I left the University They actually hired two and [00:06:00] a half people to replace me.

[00:06:01] Yeah, and I was like, oh Yeah, I was stressful. Yeah, it’s a lot. I was 

[00:06:05] Paige: commuting back and forth to Japan at one point when I was pregnant with my son. Yeah 

[00:06:09] Lisa: Yeah, just yeah, something’s gotta give and yeah after my son was born I took really terrible photos So I picked up that camera and basically haven’t put it down since so that’s I love that We have such a similar similar story and like were you a child of the 80s?

[00:06:25] Paige: Yeah. 

[00:06:25] Lisa: Okay. YM Magazines. Teen magazines. Teen. Seventeen magazines. Like, this makes so much sense to me because those were like what we were like consuming while growing up. Right? Yeah. And so seeing that you take that sort of and translate that in sort of into your work, that’s really, really kind of neat.

[00:06:45] Paige: Yeah. I, I’ve just been a magazine person my whole life. Like, it’s just. Yeah. And the funny thing is they’re starting to come back. I 

[00:06:53] Lisa: know. Yeah. Which is kind of fun. I love that. I know. Yeah. I 

[00:06:56] Paige: like 

[00:06:56] Lisa: it. So you really built a strong [00:07:00] personal brand. So what do you feel is the key to creating a recognizable brand, especially in such a niche market?

[00:07:07] Paige: I think the single biggest thing, especially if you want to sustain it over time, is to be true to yourself. It’s just to truly, I mean, I know the term personal brand scares a lot of people and especially photographers. I’m not a personal brand. Being a personal brand is not being an influencer. They’re two totally different things, but we are personal brands, you know, and there are tons of photographers out there.

[00:07:32] And everybody has their own thing. And the only way you’re going to be working, like I say, happily ever after is if you’re working with your, your people, your tribe, your dream clients. And to do that, you have to be true to yourself because it’s not going to be sustainable over the time. You know, you can try and do what other people are doing, but that is going to exhaust you to no end at the end of the day.

[00:07:58] So if you are [00:08:00] true to yourself, I really, when I started, I really tapped into my why, my values, my beliefs, how I shoot, how, who I wanted to work with. You know, and got very clear on the type of photography I wanted to do. And I mean that within my niche, I don’t even mean like niching down. I just mean within my niche.

[00:08:19] I, um, got very clear on the style of photography that I wanted to shoot, who I wanted to shoot with. And by doing that work, when I initially started and being true to myself, I never would have lasted this 

[00:08:34] Lisa: long. 

[00:08:35] Paige: I mean, I’m going into, I mean, this is my 15th year of business, 12 years as a senior. 

[00:08:40] Lisa: That’s a 

[00:08:40] Paige: little 

[00:08:40] Lisa: wild.

[00:08:42] I know. I started in 2010 myself. Yeah, I love it. So 14 years too. Yeah. It’s like, it’s a long haul. And thanks to me. It is a long 

[00:08:49] Paige: haul. 

[00:08:49] Lisa: Right? And like, why is change over time? And yeah. Yeah. So I love. And again, 

[00:08:54] Paige: if you know, because you have a very strong brand, that would have been really hard to maintain if [00:09:00] you were.

[00:09:00] Yeah. Following trends or doing the next latest thing or just not even being true to yourself. Yeah. You know, as far as tapping into your why and your beliefs and your values and that whole thing. So, yeah. I think that’s like the single biggest thing to do. 

[00:09:16] Lisa: So if you, if you had a coaching client who maybe was a little resistant to the personal brand or like, how would you sort of tiptoe across that and say, okay, you know, I’m But you are a personal brand and this is where we’re going to start to unpack you.

[00:09:30] Paige: A lot of times 

[00:09:30] Lisa: I don’t even talk about it that 

[00:09:31] Paige: way. Yeah. I tiptoe around it. Right? I just had a client like this. She said, well, I just don’t think people are going to purchase the type of shoots that I want to do. So we start with what you want to do. What do you want to do? What is your dream? What is that big, huge, big dream?

[00:09:50] Dream or what is the style that you want to shoot? Well, a lot of photographers can tap that’s where we’ll tap in first. Like how do you really want to shoot? Because a lot of [00:10:00] photographers go to these styled shoots, which are great. You know, if that’s what you want to do, that’s great. That’s not my thing.

[00:10:06] But to me, you’re signing on to somebody else’s work. You know, somebody else’s voice and style. So you tell me. The way in which you want to shoot and eventually it all circles down to them, their personal, which becomes a personal brand. Yeah. So I don’t even use those words a lot because it’s funny.

[00:10:31] People will be like, Oh, no. That’s for a product. 

[00:10:33] Lisa: That’s Yeah. That’s for influencers. Nobody cares what I eat for lunch. Exactly. Like, and there’s a struggle with that. 

[00:10:40] Paige: Yeah. Like, I, I They don’t need to know what you’re wearing every day. They don’t need to know what you’re eating or whatever, but they do need to know some pieces of you that you’re willing to put out there that connect to your work and why you’re connected to your work.

[00:10:56] That will resonate with them. 

[00:10:58] Lisa: Hmm. Yeah. I love [00:11:00] that. Can you give an example? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. 

[00:11:01] Paige: My tagline is for free spirited and adventurous girls and I personally can speak to that 100 percent like that’s just me To a tee and it’s people I can connect to you know, and that’s who I get You know, I love girls who come they love to be outside.

[00:11:19] They’ll go barefoot at the drop of a hat They’ll do anything just for the heck of it because it sounds fun Yeah, and so when you when you start iterating pieces of yourself. I have a whole system that I go about identifying different pieces of yourself that you can put out there that you’re comfortable with and tells your story in a different way.

[00:11:39] I 

[00:11:40] Lisa: love that. It’s funny. It got me thinking about mine. I’m like, mine’s art made with love. And I’m like, That is me because I do mainly maternity newborn like those are my that’s my love. I love my babies, right? And you can 

[00:11:51] Paige: tell that by just talking with it right now. But just from that very sentence that you just said right there, it just oozes [00:12:00] emotion.

[00:12:00] And so So, when you’re talking to photographers that you don’t get that, you just want, you just want so much to say, let’s, let’s just get to work. Let’s figure out what else that is. Just loving what you do. Yeah. 

[00:12:13] Lisa: He loves that. So, let’s talk about the senior market because that was for you a market that did not exist at all before.

[00:12:21] So, what was the biggest challenge in creating this market from scratch? Oh my God. 

[00:12:27] Paige: Where do I even start on that one? 

[00:12:29] Lisa: It’s not the elderly. 

[00:12:31] Paige: I hate it. I hate it. I hate it. Honestly, I still get to that, that comment every once in a while. Well, at that point I had young kids, so I had to go out and find older teens to photograph, you know, older kids.

[00:12:44] It was just everything, Lisa. I just really loved it. I think the single biggest thing was just explaining what I did, because there was no elevator pitch. You know how everybody tells you to give your 60 second elevator pitch? Well, by the time I got to 60 seconds, I was done [00:13:00] explaining that it’s not senior 

[00:13:02] Lisa: citizens.

[00:13:03] Paige: You know, so that was probably the biggest hurdle is just explaining to people. What it was and why they should do it. The fact that I had to find seniors and I had to get the word out. And thankfully when I started Instagram was just starting. So, I mean, and you too, probably right. Instagram started just when we started our businesses, which thank goodness for that, because.

[00:13:30] That would have been fun. We got the wild west. Yeah. 

[00:13:32] Lisa: But in a good way, you know. Yeah. Yeah. I remember when I first started my newborn photography business, like trying to explain to people newborn photography and they’re like, Oh, like Ann Getty’s. And I’m like, yeah, but safer. Right? Yeah. 

[00:13:45] Paige: Yeah. 

[00:13:47] Lisa: Not with 

[00:13:47] Paige: petals on their head.

[00:13:48] Lisa: Right? Yeah. Because it’s funny because I was talking to a friend and I had recently gone through my old photo albums and I was looking at my bedroom from when I was 17. [00:14:00] And it was covered in like, posters of like, these muscle guys holding babies. And like, Engetis. And like, children in old fashioned clothes.

[00:14:08] I was like, I am living and creating art of my 17 year old dream. 

[00:14:14] Paige: I love that. Isn’t 

[00:14:15] Lisa: that wild? I know, but see, that’s such a great story. It’s fun. It’s like I’m meant to be where I’m meant to be, I think. That’s exactly 

[00:14:23] Paige: it. And that’s, that’s the way I feel like everything I’ve done up to now, it’s just all has been like a big snowball.

[00:14:29] Lisa: So I want to talk about photographing teens, especially with social media. And There’s like a big change with how they express themselves. Some want to be a little sexy. And how do you sort of navigate that with a client? You know what, 

[00:14:45] Paige: it has been such an amazing thing to kind of see because of course it’s like pre COVID post COVID, right.

[00:14:52] And then the whole Instagram and changing, I’ve gone through. Um, almost like, [00:15:00] well, I’ve definitely gone through two generations, but now I’m feeling really old. But I mean the generational shifts too. So when I first started, everybody was using Instagram. They wanted it for the feed. They wanted it for the instant.

[00:15:15] It was just like, yeah. Amazing, but I’m going to go back to this again, but it also, I have never been the kind of person that has shown super trendy, super, I’ve never shown that. That’s not me. So I don’t have clients, a lot of clients that wanted that. I have seen that in the industry and I have shied away from it because I’m the mom of a daughter.

[00:15:40] I have one of my kids is a daughter. I don’t. Want to do suggestive. I found that when I first started there was a little bit of an issue because again I was first starting and you’re growing and you’re getting different people It was a little bit and so you have to pull back You know and you have to do it in a way that [00:16:00] will connect with them and explain that’s much explained But just like even subtle posing.

[00:16:05] Okay, let’s shift this a little bit here. Let’s Let’s pull the top down a little bit, you know, so that was different. And then again, there was a lot of posting. Then COVID happened, right? And then Gen Z came along. After COVID, honestly, I wasn’t sure I was going to keep doing what I’m doing because it changed so much.

[00:16:31] And I wasn’t sure I wanted to continue and it just changed in a lot of ways. I had, which again was very unusual for me. I had a lot of anxious kids come for a year or two, super anxious. And It started becoming an energy drag, you know, it was just a lot of girls with a lot of anxiety, which I totally get, but it was a huge shift from who I’d been working [00:17:00] with until then.

[00:17:01] So I dropped my model team. I stopped doing the model team because that was not really giving me. What I wanted anymore. And I really was like, okay, let’s see what happens. Like maybe it’s all going to go away. And then I jumped back in and I really dug deep into my personal branding again, and just got back to roots.

[00:17:25] And I’m telling you now I am having so much fun with it. I am back to my clients who are. Free spirited adventurous girls. And then as far as the posing and being a little bit more risky than I want, again, I’ve gotten back to my core group and 

[00:17:45] Lisa: yeah. 

[00:17:47] Paige: You know, I don’t, I don’t find that’s an issue. I’ve seen it on other accounts.

[00:17:53] I don’t love it, but it’s them, you know, and if that’s truly who they are and their [00:18:00] moms and them and everybody’s okay with that, everybody’s on the same page, then that’s, that’s awesome. But it’s just, it’s not for me. And if I do get somebody like that, I’ll do a little bit of it. I will post it or again, I’ll tweak, like I’ll just make little subtle adjustments that they probably don’t even know I’m doing or hold the camera a different way.

[00:18:22] You know, there’s so many different things that you could do with camera that just subtly will tweak that. It’s been a big shift over the years. 

[00:18:31] Lisa: It really has. So do you have any techniques for bringing maybe shyer kids out of their shells? 

[00:18:38] Paige: Yeah, I do. With my particular business, my business model is low volume, higher pricing.

[00:18:47] Yep. I’m very, very careful with my scheduling, but that also enables me to have a lot of touch points, a lot of touch points. So inquiries are always done in person on zoom. So we can see each other face to face and [00:19:00] talk it through and make sure we’re on the, we’re the right fit for each other. And then send them out a questionnaire.

[00:19:06] It’s like a BuzzFeed kind of questionnaire. Um, but it helps me. Get to know them better. And then we get on styling call and again, we talk and we laugh and we fool, you know, we just have fun together and pick out their outfits. So that’s another touch point. So by the time they come to me, I’ve already seen them three times.

[00:19:28] And we’ve already established a rapport. So by the time they’re to me, they’re pretty comfortable. I’m not saying all the time, but most of the time. And then we’ll just have fun. I mean, it’s a super, super casual atmosphere and we just get silly. And I always, my assistants are mostly high school girls.

[00:19:49] That’s awesome. And a lot of them are ones that I’ve already shot. So that’s another embedded comfort factor. So we’ll, we’ll kid around and [00:20:00] then we’ll get the girl laughing and that’s when all the magic starts happening. So there’s that. And then also I do have a freebie on my site that lists out like 11 different prompts and posing that will go with it that will get like those wow shots that I talk about.

[00:20:17] Lisa: I love that. So do you have like favorite locations that you like to take them to or? 

[00:20:22] Paige: Yeah. Excellent. It’s so funny because we’ve gotten to the point where people say, I want the field or I want the water. I want the beach, you know, those are my favorites. I live at a lake and there are a lot of fields around me.

[00:20:36] So I do have one favorite field that gets a little crazy. Dreamy, golden y, yummy at the end of the day. So I go up there and it’s very private because it’s part of a park system. So I’ll go up there. I’ll go down to the lake or I shoot a lot down at the Jersey shore because I’m not too far from there.

[00:20:54] And then every once in a while I’ll get somebody who wants something more urban. So I’m in [00:21:00] commuting distance of New York City. So I’ll go and shoot there. Oddly enough. I think next week I have a girl coming out from New York City who doesn’t want to be in the city, who wants to feel. I know. I know.

[00:21:12] That’s funny. I love that. 

[00:21:14] Lisa: How do you stay creative and productive? Because I find that there is a fine line for me where I hit boredom. If I’m taking my clients to the same locations, so how do you keep those creative juices going for yourself? Yeah. 

[00:21:31] Paige: Well, again, one, I’m very protective of my schedule. Like, I don’t shoot a ton every week.

[00:21:36] I don’t. So that helps a lot. And then I’ll play with different camera techniques, like I’ve been playing with motion blur lately in the middle, you know, or yeah, I hear what you’re saying about locations. I tend to rotate them through the year, which sounds kind of crazy, but in the fall, I love being up in the field.[00:22:00] 

[00:22:00] I was down at the beach at the Jersey shore a lot this summer shooting. So cycling through them at different times. And there’s also certain locations that I’ll go to that I know will work for some girls and not others. Yeah. You know, there’s certain things that I’ll do at the lake. I’ll take them in, in a certain location that I know not, it’s not going to work for everybody.

[00:22:22] So like I’ll try and cycle them. So it does keep me fresh. Yeah. I’m always looking for new spots, but I 

[00:22:30] Lisa: know we, we find our favorites because I will, I’ll drive around and I’ll find like five new locations and I’m like, okay, I’m going to go next time. Yep. And then looking at the light and I’m like, well. I know the light is going to be amazing at this one that I love, and even though I want something new, I also want to know that I can deliver.

[00:22:48] So we’ll go to where I know. I know. No, 

[00:22:51] Paige: I do the same. So how I’ve tried to do that is seasonally, yeah, mixing it up. And then again, trying different camera [00:23:00] techniques, like different props and camera or, yeah. Like I was playing with motion blur and, and the girls that I’ve been working with lately are all into it.

[00:23:07] I’m like, do you mind if I just try a few different fun things? Like it may take a few extra goes after like running back and forth or something like 

[00:23:14] Lisa: no, let’s do it. You know? So they’re all in. That’s one thing I do find is most clients are really excited for you to play and to try because they see that excitement that you have.

[00:23:24] For their session. And so a lot of times I think we get a little afraid that our clients, we’re wasting our clients time or, you know, they’re not going to like it. But the truth of the matter is I don’t think I’ve ever tried something and a client’s been like, oh, that was terrible. Like if it doesn’t work out, I just don’t show them.

[00:23:40] Right? I move on to 

[00:23:41] Paige: something else. Yeah. Right? No, exactly. You don’t have to show it. But it’s also, I love that word that you used is play because that’s what we do. And that’s what I tell them. And I use that in my messaging a lot is. We just go out there and play like this is fun I want you to get lost in the joy of the moment and you will like I Promise you you will and we’re just going to [00:24:00] laugh and get silly and play So if I’m like, hold on a second, I got to get that again because I didn’t you know, I overexposed or I dragged it way Too yeah, whatever the case may be like, okay, you know and they’re 

[00:24:14] Lisa: Yeah, I love that.

[00:24:16] Do you play music or anything to set the mood when you’re shooting? Yeah. Part of 

[00:24:20] Paige: my questionnaire is I ask what their favorite artists are, and, uh, I have a professional hair and makeup artist work on them the hour before we start, and we play it, and then sometimes they’ll play it if, if I feel that they need to.

[00:24:35] Out of their head. 

[00:24:37] Lisa: But yeah, we play a lot of music. I love that. It’s so funny. You can see in someone’s eyes as soon as they switch and they go right into their head and they’re thinking about how they look and you’re like, Oh, I got to change my game plan. Like I got to distract you. I’m going to be funny.

[00:24:49] I’m going to be animated just to like 

[00:24:52] Paige: get you out of your head. It’s an 

[00:24:52] Lisa: energy shift. Right? A hundred percent. You can feel it. You can 

[00:24:55] Paige: feel it. And then when I feel it, it’s like going into sixth gear. [00:25:00] Right? Like, all of a sudden you’re like, Oh, we are good now. We are so good. Yeah. I love that. 

[00:25:07] Lisa: Do you show your clients the back of the camera to show what you’re shooting?

[00:25:12] I will always do it in the very beginning. Like 

[00:25:14] Paige: I’ll 

[00:25:14] Lisa: do it 

[00:25:14] Paige: like. three or five shops in, you know, and then I’ll show them. And sometimes it depends on the client. Sometimes I’ll just say, that’s the last time you’re just going to have to wait and see. And then others, honestly, I can’t wait for them to see them.

[00:25:31] I’m like, I gotta show it to you because I literally am like a kid in a candy shop. I’m like, you’re not going to believe this, you know? So it depends on the client, but yeah, I don’t go 

[00:25:41] Lisa: overboard, you know, maybe three at I love that. I’ve always been someone who shows my client because I love that confidence boost that I see that they get when they know that they look amazing and that my work will look like I shoot pretty much true to what is on the back of my camera and my [00:26:00] editing.

[00:26:00] I don’t go super over the top, but I do obviously edit my photos. Right. But what they see is pretty much what they get. Yeah. And, and like, see, you look amazing. I know. And it’s just, yeah. I love that. I love, and then 

[00:26:10] Paige: all of a sudden you hear that, you know that little gasp and you’re like, do you realize how amazing you look?

[00:26:17] I’m like, that’s all you. Yeah. That is all you. Yeah. I mean, we do very little hair and makeup. I’m very careful about Supernatural. And I’m like, that is all you. Yeah. So let’s just go for it. They’re like, okay. You know, and they’re, they’re like, they’re ready. 

[00:26:32] Lisa: Yeah. I love that. So you have really built a strong foundation of having repeat clients.

[00:26:39] So can you maybe share what you do sort of to create and maintain those strong client relationships? Yeah. 

[00:26:46] Paige: So, well, email, you have to have an email list. Yeah. You have to have an email list. I’ll give you a really good example why. When I was a family and children’s photographer, you know, I did these little mommy and me sessions, [00:27:00] right?

[00:27:00] They’re collabs, you know, it’s. I can’t even remember, school or whatever. And I kept the, you know, they all were added to my email list. Do you know that last year I had somebody who had been following me since day one from one of those and her daughter was a senior? And that, I’ve had several like that.

[00:27:20] I’ve had girls that I photographed when they were one was five. And then she. I did her first communion and then I did when she was a freshman or eighth grade and then she was on my model team and she did senior pictures. Wow. Like, so email list, everybody, you have to have an email list because even if you don’t think people are reading them, which they probably aren’t every week or whatever, however often you send them out, if they’re not unsubscribed, they’re not unsubscribed for a reason.

[00:27:53] It may just be a tickler for years come by. Yeah. So email list. I keep a spreadsheet of [00:28:00] birthdays, graduation, colleges that they’ve gone to, you know, client relationship sheet. And I just kind of mark, you know, siblings, just, A whole bunch of things and I’ll, I’ll check in and, and do that. Those are my two biggest ways.

[00:28:16] I am really lucky. I have clients that always keep in touch with me. Like the girls, I just love them. I keep in touch with ones from my very, very beginning. For once in a while, I’ll throw up an image of them from the past and I’ll always get a DM from them. Oh, this is so much. How are you? Or I got my birthday.

[00:28:36] I got tons of DMS from the girl. It’s just really sweet. I’m lucky. I’m really lucky that way. 

[00:28:43] Lisa: Yeah. I love that you mentioned that because you know, what’s funny is I actually have a little bit of a fear. I think about posting my previous work. Like if it’s not current. I won’t post it. You know 

[00:28:55] Paige: what? I, my personal opinion is one.

[00:28:59] Not many people [00:29:00] go on, go beyond the 12, you know, the nine or 12 squares. And if you love it, why not? Yeah. The odds of them having seen it before are not that great because your audience is always changing, right? I mean, not changing. You still have people following you. They’re not falling. They’re dropping, but you always have new viewers.

[00:29:22] And they’re not going to remember something that you posted 10 years ago. And if they did, they’re like, Oh, I remember that shot, you know? And I do, I also have people who will come up to me and say, Oh my God, I’ve loved watching you grow so much. Like, I remember that shot that you posted. I love how you’re still posting it, you know?

[00:29:40] So people appreciate it. 

[00:29:42] Lisa: Yeah. You should definitely do it. Yeah. I think so. I mean, cause mainly it’s babies and I like, I love my babies. And like my littlest babies are like 14 now. So you gotta start being a senior photographer, Lisa. I know. Massive work getting. [00:30:00] Which is funny because I actually photographed, I’m not a senior photographer, but I photographed my nieces and their prom photos this year.

[00:30:06] I went off and did that. I’ve got twin nieces and they just graduated and it was really, really special. 

[00:30:13] Paige: Yeah. 

[00:30:13] Lisa: Just to have spent that time with them and really get to know them a little bit better. Like, yeah, it was really, really neat. Yeah. I have 

[00:30:21] Paige: had people say, really? Teens? And this age, I think is so underrated.

[00:30:28] It really is. All this bad stuff that goes with it, you know, the hormones and everything like that, but like they’re just on the cusp of stepping into a whole other Coming in, I mean, it’s literally one step in childhood and one step in adulthood and they’re the least photographed age. You know, uh, like professionally photographed.

[00:30:52] Uh, how many pictures? I mean, I’m guilty of it too. Like getting my, my kids in front of the camera was not my [00:31:00] daughter, my son, but there’s so much hope and. Possibility for them, you know, because they’re just like just on the edge of like becoming a different person. It’s, I 

[00:31:14] Lisa: love it. It’s really interesting.

[00:31:16] Cause I remember I’d had clients like my, I love my clients, but back probably when their kids were about, under seven, they were like religious about their fall family session. And now that we’ve sort of hit the bulk of them being in the teenage years, different. They’re not getting them every year. 

[00:31:36] Paige: Yeah.

[00:31:37] Right. It’s interesting. It’s interesting. It is. And it’s a shame. Well, part of it’s because I know you get pushed back like mom, we have to do that. We’re going to do that. And then there’s all the scheduling. But yeah, start dropping it in their ears when they’re young. Like, Oh, I can’t wait to do a tween shoot with them.

[00:31:55] I can’t wait to do it when they’re freshmen in high school. Like you don’t have to do it every year, [00:32:00] but you know, do it at the milestones and kind of drop it in their ear when you’re doing the Christmas picture. Like one alone with them or something, you know? And that’s how, that’s how I grew with my clients also.

[00:32:12] When I started, when I started doing the senior stuff, I, I kept, I held on to my favorite family clients and I. You know, drop a little bug in their air. I love that. Until she becomes a tween or let’s schedule something for a sweet sixteen or something like that. 

[00:32:30] Lisa: I love that. That’s great. All right. So you ready a little bit for our lightning round?

[00:32:34] It’s not really so lightning. It’s like semi lightning. Okay. Semi lightning. So what’s your favorite job you’ve ever held? I worked for Club Med Martinique. Ah, fun. Yeah. It was 

[00:32:49] Paige: really fun. 

[00:32:50] Lisa: Yeah, I bet. Like. Least favorite job to date? 

[00:32:55] Paige: Oh. I worked at a bakery in [00:33:00] France. I’m not bad. I was bartending in the Alps and then the woman who owned the bar sent me over to the bakery sometimes.

[00:33:09] And in France, every single pastry has this particular name. And these people were relentless. And here’s this American girl trying to figure out which pastry is which. Thank God for the pastry chef, because he just thought it was hysterical. Like he thought it was hysterical, but the clients did not. And so.

[00:33:30] That, that was a little bit of a joke. That’s funny. That’s funny. 

[00:33:34] Lisa: What does your morning routine look like? 

[00:33:37] Paige: Oh, 

[00:33:38] Lisa: I make hot chocolate every 

[00:33:40] Paige: morning, healthy hot chocolate. And I have a big chair and a half up in my room and I go back up there and it looks out over the lake and I’ll sit there and I’ll journal or I’ll do a meditation and I’ll read.

[00:33:55] I’ll do that for like half hour, 45 minutes and I work [00:34:00] out. And then I, uh, start my day. Nice. I like that. Yeah. Well, it’s easy now that my kids are older. Yeah. There’s probably a whole subset of women who are 

[00:34:11] Lisa: listening to you right 

[00:34:11] Paige: now 

[00:34:11] Lisa: being like, yeah, I wish. Oh, that would be so nice. I know. I’m thinking, I’m like, I, I hit snooze and I’m like, I chugged two cups of coffee.

[00:34:20] Yeah. My routine was 

[00:34:22] Paige: get up, make waffles, 

[00:34:23] Lisa: take the 

[00:34:24] Paige: kids to school, 

[00:34:25] Lisa: like barely get 

[00:34:25] Paige: dressed. Yeah. 

[00:34:26] Lisa: Yeah. Can you name a wellness hack you’d recommend to anyone? Um, 

[00:34:31] Paige: A wellness hack? Or just a wellness tip or something that you love. I’d just get outside. Yeah. Go for a walk. Just get outside. You know, I’ll do that in the middle of the day.

[00:34:42] If I’ve hit a wall, I’ll just get up and go outside. 

[00:34:45] Lisa: Yeah. So true. If you had to eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be? Wow. Is ice cream a meal? Totally. Ice cream is definitely a meal. That’s like, that’s called Friday night. Okay. So 

[00:34:59] Paige: it’d [00:35:00] be either ice cream or anything with lemon, salt, and olive oil.

[00:35:06] Like, really good olive oil. 

[00:35:07] Lisa: Yeah. Yeah. I like that. Best concert you’ve ever been 

[00:35:11] Paige: to? It was an outside concert at the Garden State Arts Center. I was nine months pregnant with all of my non pregnant friends, and we saw Barenaked Ladies. It’s awesome. Yeah, it was fun. 

[00:35:23] Lisa: Yeah. I went to Bryan Adams when I was like eight and a half months pregnant.

[00:35:27] Paige: I, I don’t know what I was thinking. I mean, I was the first to have babies out of all of our friends. I’m like out to here and I’m at a concert and yeah, it was fun though. 

[00:35:39] Lisa: I love that. I love that. Favorite thing to do on a rainy day? 

[00:35:44] Paige: Snuggle up and read. 

[00:35:45] Lisa: Yeah. 

[00:35:47] Paige: Favorite author? Oh, Abraham Bergese. He just wrote Covenant of Water.

[00:35:52] He, I really like him. He’s very good. And then there’s an Australian author who wrote the book The [00:36:00] Power of One. Oh, yes. Oh, yeah, it was such a good book. Bryce Courtenay, I think his name was. I can’t think of others. I like coming of age stories, you know. Yeah. I like that. 

[00:36:15] Lisa: What makes your soul light up?

[00:36:17] Paige: Laughter. Laughter and 

[00:36:19] Lisa: sunshine. What’s the best piece of business advice you’ve ever been given? Follow your heart. 

[00:36:26] Paige: Follow your heart. Follow your dreams. Don’t let anybody tell you anything else. Like, just follow your heart and follow your dreams and just go do it. Yeah. If that’s what you really want to do, then you just go do it because you can.

[00:36:38] You can. 

[00:36:40] Lisa: What advice do you have for someone just starting out in photography? 

[00:36:45] Paige: Well, one, be true to yourself. Shoot the way you really want to shoot. practice, try don’t get caught up in the technical aspect of it. I’m not telling you that you can’t be proficient, that you shouldn’t be proficient. That’s not what I’m saying, but don’t get so caught up in the equipment and the [00:37:00] technical side of it.

[00:37:01] Like just let your heart speak as far as doing what you want to do and shooting what you want to do. And You love it. I guarantee you other people will love it too. Don’t get caught up in, in the technicality of it all. 

[00:37:16] Lisa: So Paige, where can our listeners connect with you and learn more about your coaching or photography services?

[00:37:21] Paige: Okay. So I’m at page P photo on Instagram. I have two accounts. My photography account was at page P photo. That’s P a I G E photo. And then my coaching account is at page P photo underscore coaching. 

[00:37:37] Lisa: I love it. So, I love to end my interviews just with this last question, and it is, what are you currently curious about or artistically curious about?

[00:37:45] Paige: Oh, wow. That’s 

[00:37:46] Lisa: a good one. 

[00:37:47] Paige: I love to read. Like, I will read anything. So You can give me anything to read and I will find it interesting and I’ll go down the rabbit hole and that kind of thing. [00:38:00] Artistically, you know what I’ve been doing a lot of lately? Like going back to the, my magazine roots, like playing with fonts and like, I’ve been really having a fun time on Marrying fonts and text with images.

[00:38:15] Yeah. Which I’ve never done before. I mean, not that I’ve never done before, but I, I’m leaning into it more and more and making it and feel more magazine ish, you know? Yeah. And just doing posts like that. And I’m kind of having fun with that, you know? I love that. Just making it feel just different. It’s just playing with it, honestly.

[00:38:33] And I think the more you allow yourself to do that, the, the more it resonates. You know, because it’s, I got a really good response from it and I’ve just started doing it, but I’m, I’m having fun with it. So I’m kind of leaning into that artistically, I guess, is, is what I’ve been 

[00:38:50] Lisa: doing. Love it. Yeah. Well, Paige, thank you so much for joining me today.[00:38:54] Thank you. This has been fun, Lisa. Oh, my beautiful friends. I hope you have [00:39:00] loved this conversation just as much as I have. I am sending you so much of my light and my love today and every single day. We will see you next time.