About 15 years ago, Beth Forester, M.Photog.Cr., CPP, created a part-time home studio in Madison, W.V., to explore her interest in the art of photography. Today, she juggles Forester Photography--which has cornered the senior portrait market in her area and moved into a modern downtown facility--and photoDUDs, a drag-and-drop design software company for photographers. She's happy, profitable and doing what she loves.

But how did she navigate those difficult early years and keep growing? "I think the key to my success is that I'm always looking ahead," says Beth.

Growth of a Business
Like most, Beth's photography business grew in stages. Rarely does anyone decide to become a photographer and--bam!--start up a smoothly running full-time studio the next day. There are hard decisions to be made and, more often than not, the business you start out with will change significantly.

For example, Beth's photographic passion increased with her daughter's birth. But photography (especially film, which she started in) is not cheap, and she needed to support her hobby somehow! That led her to take on small jobs and charge for them. She even taught tennis lessons for an entire summer, just to buy the medium-format camera she wanted!

Later, at a crossroads in her life, Beth needed a job, needed to support herself. She looked at her history degree and wondered if she should teach. Then she looked at her photography again. More and more people wanted to hire her...could she do this full time? Beth decided on the photography path, but within a year and a half, she realized she had to change a lot of things if she was going to do more than pay her bills.

Read the full profile of Beth Forester.

You never know what one photograph will lead to. Take PPA member Steve Schindler's experience as an example! On New Year's Night 2009, Steve (of Schindler Photography in Lake Charles, LA) noticed kids playing with sparklers--writing their names in the air and so on. He put his camera on a tripod to capture some long exposures of it. Later, he posted one of the pictures on National Geographic's "My Shot" website. In May 2011, he received an email asking to use the picture in the book, "Visions of Earth" and in October 2011 the book was released! Congratulations, Steve! (Image ©Steve Schindler, Schindler Photography)

"Photography allows a photographer to record the world in a way that can make the extraordinary seem ordinary and the ordinary seem extraordinary," says Chris Cummins of Glow Imagery in Kansas City, Mo. That's one of the reasons he chose this career, for it forces him to "pause, study and record the things that might not otherwise be noticed to have value."

And he has been recording the world for 15 years now.

After graduating with a degree in photojournalism from the University of Missouri, Cummins spent seven years as a photographer for a local newspaper. He eventually became dispirited with the newspaper industry and opened Glow Imagery eight years ago.

"Reinventing my skills, personality and life approach from a dispirited newspaper photographer to that of a small-business entrepreneurial artist has been one of my biggest accomplishments," adds Cummins about his career shift.

Today, he does many types of portrait work, but his specialty is wedding photography. The skills he learned as a photojournalist have helped him create unique wedding images. "I love discovering relationships, emotions and expressions without posing or prompting my subjects to do anything," explains Cummins. "Wedding photography was a natural fit for those skills."

Like many photographers, Cummins faces the challenge of an over-saturated market full of cheap competitors. One way he overcomes this challenge is by considering sales appointments to be educational sessions, too. "Selling is educating," he adds. "It isn't sleazy--it's a means to help a client make an informed decision."

In addition, Cummins believes that the education he has received since joining PPA in late 2009 has greatly helped his business. "After joining PPA, I took it upon myself to relearn the business of photography and have made so many new discoveries," he says.

"What's more, PPA has helped my career by putting me in touch with a more select group of individuals...individuals who are a little more battle-tested than those I was finding other places," Cummins notes. "I really needed to plug into what Napoleon Hill called a 'Master Mind,' a group of people carefully chosen for their accomplishments, abilities, habits and attitudes.  Surrounding myself with these types of people has helped in my general thought processes and the regular challenges of doing modern photography."

Read more about Chris Cummins here. 

ALL IMAGES © CHRIS CUMMINS

Christine Morden, CPP, of Paradise Photography in the Turks and Caicos Islands, says that her interest in photography began about 20 years ago when an uncle introduced her to black-and-white photography. However, it took a trip to the Caribbean to really get her photographic passion going. That trip actually inspired her to quit her job as a Washington, D.C. lawyer and open her photography business in Turks and Caicos.

Turning to Photography
Upon returning from her Caribbean vacation, Morden spread all the photographs she had taken on her living room floor and was blown away by the results. "The colors were just amazing," she recalls. "Seeing those colors did something to my brain, especially in gray Washington, D.C."

Shortly thereafter, she started a fine art photography business on the side of her attorney career. But when the anthrax scare hit D.C., Morden couldn't get into her office for days...and the photography bug took a more serious hold. She went and photographed the monuments, getting shots that most couldn't due to her credentials and access.

While photographing the city, Morden had an epiphany about what she really wanted to do with her life: Take her little fine art business and turn it into something she could live off of.  To help realize this goal, she attended the Maryland Professional Photographers Association (MDPPA) convention. She was so inspired that she joined MDPPA shortly after leaving her high-powered law job in Washington, D.C..

"For a year, I attended all the meetings, participated in photographic competition and talked to the mentors," she says of her beginnings. "That year of learning was so valuable to me. It got me to a level of photographing people...not just things. Photographers even let me come with them to weddings, so I could learn on the job!"

Taking Photography to the Islands
After that year, Morden opened Paradise Photography on the Turks and Caicos Islands. And she credits those islands with leading her to do a little bit of every type of photography.

"On an island, you are called to photograph families, weddings, commercial work (food, resorts, real estate), etc." she explains. "Lots of people who go to the islands for events and photo shoots would rather hire a local than fly another photographer in."

Photography has a way of sticking with people...it's a love some just can't shake (and why would you want to?). You could say that Kevin M. Connors, M.Photog.Cr., of Coast Highway Photography near San Diego, Calif., is one of those who didn't get away.

Connors has been making images for more than 25 years. He started as a teenager in his basement, developing images in a traditional darkroom as a hobby. Still, he worked for 15 years in corporate America before deciding to return to his photographic roots seven years ago.

Smart Decisions
"I was looking for a way to make a living doing something I truly loved," says Connors of hismotivation to start Coast Highway Photography. "Plus, I wanted to work for myself in an environment where I wouldn't have to be on a plane every other week."

His decision was a smart one. Since opening his business, Connors has seen strong gains every year. In fact, 2010 was the best year yet measured in revenue and profit!

Perhaps one of the factors in his success is how he handles his family photography focus. Connors says that his specialty is capturing clients in environmental locations that have a special meaning to them. "I love to photograph any moment in personal and family history, which is the best way to build a strong, versatile business," he says. Plus, such settings provide clients with images that are very special to them...and they tend to buy more and larger prints, increasing his profitability!

In addition, Connors learned inkjet printing and began printing his own work on large fine art paper, which has become a successful product line. He displays seven 60-inch prints in his studio and many others that are 40 inches or larger on, as he says, "beautiful paper that literally lasts for hundreds of years."

"I've built a brand around this concept and tell clients that we're in the 'family heirloom' business," adds Connors.

Constant Challenges
Although his business found success quickly, Connors knows that his biggest challenge is new client acquisition.

"We've built client loyalty programs, but at our price points, most clients won't come to us every year," he explains. "That means finding new clients is the single most important marketing outcome we work towards."

In order to face that challenge, Connors has built great partnerships with other relevant businesses,  has done a lot of pro bono work, and has donated many sessions to worthy charities. And that's not all he's done to increase client awareness...

"Two years ago we moved to a larger retail location on the perfect street in North County San Diego: Cedros Avenue and the Cedros Design District," adds Connors. "I can track many tens of thousands of dollars to our walk-in business now."

Serendipity is sometimes referred to as a happy mistake, like when you discover something wonderful by accident. And serendipity is how Michael Ali of Michael Ali Photography in New Jersey began his photographic career...completely by accident.

Discovery of the Industry
When he was a child, Ali's school noticed that he had unusually high computer proficiency and invited him to join a program where he would be given an Apple computer for $150 with free upgrades for life. However, his father thought that this would be a waste and instead put the money into starting a new local soccer team. While the team was practicing one day, Ali was given a camera to hold, which spawned his interest in photography.

"At the risk of sounding cliché, the rest was history," Ali remembers of his beginnings. "After soccer games, I was using the camera at 'Bollywood-style' weddings throughout my family."

The young Ali quickly became the go-to family photographer, a chore demanded by his father. (And he was only too happy to comply!)

Even without professional equipment, Ali was able to discover lighting techniques through trial and error (and a good eye) while shooting family events. "Without any professional equipment, I had to learn how to bounce light off walls to make brides look beautiful, to capture large family portraits in small spaces and other such homemade lighting tricks," he explains. "As I taught myself light and film--and every way possible to be the family photographer with no resources at all--it started to get under my skin and in my blood."

Diversity in the Industry
Today, Ali's photography focuses mainly on fashion, modeling and product modeling, but he feels able to cover any type of photography (thanks to his childhood experiences).

"I never had a chance to choose a specialty because most of my photography 'assignments' were mandatory at such an early age," Ali adds. "I had no choice but to be diverse and do well at anything that was thrown at me."

Here's an example of his diversity--and how photography skills can help in vastly different ways: Ali has served as an expert court witness in California and New Jersey in cases where photographic evidence may have been altered. Ali considers this work to be among some of his top accomplishments as a photographer.

"There are too many cases where people alter photo evidence, and the untrained eye is none the wiser. For example, I can point out how the lighting in an image is too infeasible to be true," explains Ali about his work as a court witness. "I'm proud to say that some falsely accused people regained their freedom partially due to the simple illustration that a natural light source could never do what I saw in certain photos."

Devotion to the Industry
Along with his above accomplishments, Ali says that just knowing he is a real professional photographer is a joy: "It's no longer a childhood chore; it's one of the greatest loves in my life."  In fact, Ali is now applying his previous skills--in website design, optimization and online marketing--to his own photography and helping other photographers. "Every 'click' is another step toward a dream realized," he adds.

Ali has taken a lot of steps toward that dream despite a lack of photographic resources in his beginnings. And when he found PPA, he found even more help for keeping his business successful.

"A rising tide lifts all ships; and by joining PPA, I've been lifted to a level where I can look to the future and see a world of possibility in photography," says Ali. "The resources, the knowledge, the support, the feedback... I could go on and on, just like the advantages of PPA go on and on."

In his words, PPA has been a "wellspring" of knowledge throughout his photographic career, thanks to the forums, online courses and Professional Photographer magazine. "I've also gained a much greater appreciation for the meaning of true photography and the integrity of being a true photographer," he adds. "No matter how far I go, I will always remain one of PPA's most grateful and attentive students."

With help of PPA and the knowledge gleaned from a lifetime in photography, Ali is sure to keep growing his business and creativity. Who knows where he'll go next!

ALL IMAGES © MICHAEL ALI

Rhee Bevere began photographing at a young age, introduced to the art by her father. In fact, he gave her a manual Argus Camera with three lenses when she was in the sixth grade. She then graduated to his Pentax K100 when he realized that she had a true talent. But her father probably never guessed that the little camera he got his young daughter would lead to her making a difference in the lives of others, from brides to families in need.

Despite her skill, Bevere didn't consider photography as a career until years later. And it was her then-current "boss" who gave her a push in the right direction!

While working in the advertising industry, she gave her creative director an 8x10 image as a Christmas gift. "She came barging into my office to say, 'You know, you're pretty good at advertising, but THIS is what you should be doing,'" recalls Bevere of her inspiration to go pro.

She describes it as her "light bulb moment," and it led her to open her business 9 years ago.

Today, Bevere's business--Rhee Bevere Photography in the South Bay area near San Jose, Calif.--has succeeded, thanks to her photojournalistic style of photography and how much she cares for her clients and their stories.

"I love the moment--being in it as well as catching it," she says. "I thrive under pressure and getting it right on the spot. I think I'm better than the average bear at seeing a moment about to unfold, and I'm so blessed that I've been able to hone my timing to catch things most photographers miss."

When she first started her business, Bevere focused mainly on catching those moments during weddings. Now, she has begun adding family photojournalism to her services.

"The wedding industry is changing (as it always does), and wedding photojournalists are faced with demands for more portraiture and more 'stuff' included in the packages. I'm working more without earning more," explains Bevere about her decision to expand product lines. "And as I see my couples come back with this baby or that baby...well, I see the signs."

Not only did Bevere 'see the signs,' she also wanted to act on them. Yet she knew nothing about portrait product lines. Luckily, PPA's Studio Management Services (SMS) was there to help her out.

Bevere attended a 3-Day SMS Business Workshop. By the end of it, she felt comfortable moving forward with her new product lines. "By taking the SMS course, I was able to jump into portraiture with a lot fewer cold water goose bumps," she says with a smile. "I knew what kind of cost of sales I'd face and how to price everything we would offer. I rave about SMS to everyone who listens!"

With SMS' help, Bevere was able to shift her work from 98% weddings to an 80-20 split between weddings and portraits last year. This year, she's on track for a 60-40 split. "My goal is to take less than 10 weddings a year in the next two years and still stay at the same gross," she adds.

However, her success in both the wedding and portrait markets is not what Bevere believes is her biggest accomplishment. Her charitable work is.

Three years ago she started Project Smile, a charitable team that works with HomeSafe, a transition housing project for women and their children who have escaped abusive relationships. During the spring, Bevere, several other photographers and stylists (the Project Smile team) create portraits of the HomeSafe residents. Each mother and child is paired with a stylist for 45 minutes and then has a 45 minute portrait session with a photographer. Bevere and her assistant also create mini-albums of the portraits for the residents.

"The director of HomeSafe said that all the women walk a little taller and feel more alive and beautiful for weeks after that," says Bevere.

That just goes to show that in the right hands, photography is more than art, more than a career--it can make the day a little brighter.

Read more about Bevere here.


Rhee Bevere Headshot  © Kim Sayre
All Other Images © Rhee Bevere

Salvatore Cincotta, of Salvatore Cincotta Photography in O'Fallon, Ill., says that he had the photography bug in him from an early age.

He was first exposed to photography when he was 16 by an aunt who had a darkroom in her basement and was a serious hobbyist. Despite his love for photography, Cincotta admits that he originally shied away from it because he was afraid he couldn't make a living as an artist. It wasn't until after attending business school and working in corporate America for a number of years that he decided to pursue photography as a career.

"I realized my love and passion for photography was something I needed to pursue," Cincotta says simply.

Cincotta and his wife, Taylor, opened Salvatore Cincotta Photography four years ago, specializing in wedding and senior photography in the Chicago, St. Louis and New York areas. "We just love the energy and excitement of working with our couples," explains Cincotta, talking about his wedding focus. "It's an exciting time in their lives, and we feel so fortunate to be part of it! It's a big responsibility, and we love it."

Of course, Cincotta loves photographing seniors just as much, and he works with about 120 a year. "It's pretty much their 'coming out party,' and our job is to showcase their transition into young adulthood," he adds.

Like many photographers, Cincotta's biggest challenge is to stay ahead of those who think they are professional photographers, those who have saturated the market. How does his studio work to overcome this challenge? Superior products and services that help them stand out.

"A simple example of this is our ability to turn wedding images around in two weeks," says Cincotta. "There is a huge difference between handing over a DVD of images and showing the client their images fully edited with a slew of high-quality product options. It's the difference between being viewed as 'just' a photographer or as an artist."

Since opening their business, the Cincottas have seen growth every year. In fact, they recently opened up a second studio, Studio C, which focuses on baby and children's photography. Cincotta says that being able to open up this second brand (behind Salvatore Cincotta Photography) is one of his biggest accomplishments. "Studio C is targeting a whole new demographic," he says. "It's an exciting time for us, and we are pumped about the possibilities this new brand offers our studio and our clients."

All of this happened in a relatively short period of time, and Cincotta believes that membership in PPA has helped his business achieve success so quickly. For example, he recalls a conversation he had with an attorney through PPA when he was first starting his business: "It was a very simplistic set of questions, but I had no idea who to ask or how it could affect my business. However, not getting the right answers could have really impacted the overall direction of our business, not to mention the potential legal issues that could have arisen if handled incorrectly."

That one conversation helped Cincotta greatly, and he urges other photographers not to overlook such benefits that are available to them.

"PPA offers a great framework of services that can help your business get up and running quickly," he explains. "Little things like contracts, release forms and some of the group benefits are all valuable resources. Don't underestimate their value! They more than offset the cost of membership. It's a no-brainer."

Tourine Johnstone of Johnstone Studios in Reno/Lake Tahoe, Nev., says that her love of photography began in high school with landscapes. But it wasn't until after marrying her husband, Trevor, that Johnstone pursued photography as a career (a part-time wedding photographer). She quickly realized that she much preferred capturing images of people than of landscapes.

"I have loved photographing people and capturing emotions that you just can't get with landscape photography," Johnstone says of her shift in focus. Ironically, she was inspired to shift to photographing weddings after a bad experience with her own wedding photographer.

"I was inspired and, at the same time, driven to create a niche in our Lake Tahoe/ Reno market that would give others a better experience than we had as a bridal couple," she explains. "We wanted to make a difference and provide our clients an experience they could be proud of. My expertise as a photographer, coupled with Trevor's graphic design background, was just what we needed to jumpstart a successful wedding photography business."

She and Trevor opened their business in 2005. Then, in 2008, she made the move from part-time wedding photographer to full-time studio owner. Johnstone admits that the move was a risky one for them because of the economic downfall. She now considers surviving her first full-time year to be one of her biggest accomplishments as a photographer.

"We creatively designed a variety of portrait promotions and monthly specials that brought in the additional income we needed to sustain our studio," Johnstone says, remembering how they made it that first year. "Going full time quickly taught me that my business success was driven primarily by business management and marketing...and secondly by my talent."

While Johnstone Studios still does a wide variety of portraits, including families and children, Johnstone says that wedding photography is her favorite work. "I enjoy taking the elements of the wedding day--the weather, venue, atmosphere and couple--and creating amazing imagery just for them. Each wedding is a new opportunity to create something unique and fresh."

As you can see, Johnstone has worked hard to keep her business alive and thriving, while maintaining her love for the art. And she believes that becoming a member of Professional Photographers of America (PPA) was one of the best things she ever did for her business.

"Driven by national resources, PPA offers a perspective outside of our local industry from which we cull ideas to implement in our business," Johnstone adds. "PPA is a universally helpful membership organization, providing business advice, protection for our business practices, networking with amazing colleagues and access to numerous resources. Where else can you get all this from one organization?"

Johnstone Studios won Best Wedding Campaign in the 2009 AN-NE Marketing Awards. Read more here.

Read more about Tourine Johnstone here.

ALL IMAGES © JOHNSTONE STUDIOS

John Mohr, Cr.Photog., CPP, of John Mohr Photography in Bettendorf, Iowa, knows all about the importance of enjoying what you do. A professional photographer for 22 years, he says that his specialty has become photographing high school seniors because of how much fun he has doing it.

"The seniors of today are exciting and full of personality," Mohr adds. "They offer us the opportunity to express their personalities and passions in so many ways. The sky is the limit!"

Before he became a senior photography specialist, though, Mohr says that his interest in photography started years ago while working on 4-H projects with his Yashica rangefinder camera. "It may have been the first time the camera that I directed made someone react from the other side. I'm glad to be doing what I do," Mohr recalls.

And since he turned that photographic interest into a career and opened his own studio, Mohr says that PPA has been a great help.

"PPA recognizes the challenges of today and makes tools available to me in many different ways," he explains. "The biggest help has been the education...at conventions, Super Monday classes or in a publication sponsored by PPA. The knowledge provided is diverse, and it was helpful on my first day in the business and still is today."

He even considers getting his Photographic Craftsmen degree from PPA one of his biggest accomplishments as a photographer. "The work involved with teaching a class or thinking 'is that a competition image?' has made me a better photographer," he adds.

And being a better photographer is important in today's market, according to him. After all, the availability of equipment that allows people with little skill and training to capture good images forces real professional photographers to raise the bar to an even higher level.

"The level of this particular bar has caused a bigger need for us as professionals to refine our skills and offer an experience, not just a JPEG on a CD," Mohr says. He adds that being a Certified Professional Photographer (CPP) has helped him overcome this challenge. "I believe being certified shows that you are taking your craft forward one more step. Certification portrays to the client that you are striving to stay current with the education that can set you apart from others."

But above everything else, Mohr says his favorite part of being a PPA member is meeting other photographers.

"The people I have met along the way are priceless," he says emphatically. "I always look forward to Imaging USA, a week at our own PPA Affiliate School (Mid-America Institute of Professional Photography), or a few days at our state convention. These are great places to reconnect with old friends and meet new ones. The information picked up in these sessions is so valuable and equally balanced with what is learned in the hallways afterwards."

It's that kind of enthusiasm and zeal (for his career and his entire industry) that proves Mohr has chosen the correct path in his life!

Read more about John Mohr and view more of his work here.