Capturing Motherhood

Nina Goks, a London based family, motherhood, and wedding photographer, is our guest in this episode. Nina will discuss developing your photography style, staying in your lane, and preparing for maternity leave.

Nina focuses her work on the raw, natural side of motherhood. While motherhood is her primary focus, she does also do wedding photography and has been in business for about 2 years. Nina studied film photography at school and taught herself digital photography. For a time, photography became a side hobby while she explored other avenues. After the birth of her first son, Nina realized she needed a creative outlet, and photography called her back.

To be an artist and be successful a way that works for you is such a blessing in this world where the 9-5 grind is taught to us from an early age. For Nina, her signature style has developed naturally over time. She pushes for the raw, primal power of motherhood coupled with the raw, primal power of nature. Nina also takes inspiration from art and the ethereal for her pictures, bringing a fairy tale edge to her work.

In her shoots, Nina is vocal with her clients. She has seen it all before and there is no shame in what you show. It's all about the client's comfort level, although many of her clients do lead with wanting to take nude or semi-nude shots. Other times, it's a more organic process during the shoot.

It's a part of our society to hide our light, but Nina wants to make women shine without fear in her work.

Connect with Nina:

Website: https://www.ninagoks.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ninagoksphotography/?hl=en

Connect with Suzi:

Website: https://www.suzibirdeducation.co.uk

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suzibirdphoto/?hl=en

Suzi's Photography Studio: https://sunlightportraitstudio.co.uk/

I'm happy to once again have Samantha from Fox and Feather Photography in Melbourne, Australia on the show today. Samantha wants to discuss lockdowns, staying inspired, and keeping the momentum going in your business if you have to close briefly.

Currently, Melbourne is in lockdown number 6 due to COVID-19. While not all of Australia is currently locked down, many of the larger population centres are. Samantha has had clients that rescheduled shoots and weddings during the first lockdown, and are having to change their plans yet again. While the initial lack of cases in Australia was good news, it has led to widespread vaccine shortages and general population that is only 20% vaccinated.

For Samantha, it has been hard to stay inspired. Being fully locked down means no shoots, but she is finding some ways to stay creative. Samantha is planning on giving some of her clients tips on how to take photos so they don't miss out on these moments. She also keeps an ideas journal where she jots down anything that comes to her.

Now, Samantha feels like there is nothing left to give. Throughout initial lockdowns, she was super active with work and social media. Now it's time to take the time to rest and relax and learn to throttle back. For years, she would put photography first, but lockdown and her son's cancer diagnosis has put the world into perspective. It's okay to take a minute to look around and evaluate what is truly important.

Connect with Samantha:

Website: http://foxandfeatherphotography.com.au/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/foxandfeather/?hl=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/foxandfeatherphoto/

Connect with Suzi:

Website: https://www.suzibirdeducation.co.uk

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suzibirdphoto/?hl=en

Suzi's Photography Studio: https://sunlightportraitstudio.co.uk/

In this episode I am chatting to Katherine Schultz, a newborn, wedding, and family photographer based in Adelaide, Australia. Kat talks about her journey, business, and the common misconceptions we see in the photography industry.

Fresh out of school at 18, Kat registered her ABN (Australian Business Number) and began her business. For the first few years, photography was a side project while she worked a retail job and studied law. Kat realized that law was not where her heart was and quit her degree to focus on making photography a full-time business venture. Being able to immerse herself fully in the photography process really allowed her to grow not only her skills, but her business too.

Initially, Kat started out photographing families and weddings before taking on newborns. She had always loved babies, even considering a career as a pediatrician, so it was a natural but scary progression. Kat had no studio back then and would cart her gear around to clients' houses. Any space can be a studio space, because there is no perfect circumstance or environment.

People are often put off by a small space, but it really isn't about the size of space you have. It's about working with what you have, getting to know the space, and lighting and practicing taking shots and different compositions.

There are so many ways you can get creative in a small space – don't limit yourself by dwelling on what you wish you had. Use what you have now.

Connect with Katherine:

Website: http://katherineschultzphotography.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katherineschultzphotography/?hl=en

Greatness Guide by Robin Sharma https://www.amazon.co.uk/Greatness-Guide-success-coaches-secrets/dp/0007242875/

Connect with Suzi:

Website: https://www.suzibirdeducation.co.uk

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suzibirdphoto/?hl=en

Suzi's Photography Studio: https://sunlightportraitstudio.co.uk/

In this episode I am chatting with Diana Pavlova, a fellow photographer here to share her insights on motherhood. We'll review the choices that you can make in your motherhood journey to empower yourself.

Diana is a London-based family, baby, and maternity photographer. Additionally, she is mother to a 10-month-old little girl and is expecting her second child in the autumn. Diana's experience of motherhood has been almost entirely during the pandemic – she found out she was expecting just before lockdown in February 2020.

Initially, the uncertainty surrounding the virus was scary, but it turned out to be somewhat of a benefit. There was nowhere to be, so there was no need to hide her pregnancy. Diana started telling her clients when she was 5 or 6 weeks pregnant. It created an immediate connection. For Diana, being a baby photographer was the perfect job to have while pregnant. Who understands pregnancy better than pregnant or recent mothers?

With every client she worked with, Diana picked up more and more tips, tricks, advice, and stories about motherhood to help prepare her. It is a close and intimate position to be in and leads to a lot of vulnerable moments. There is a responsibility of support and letting mothers know that there is no shame in how they are choosing to take care of their children.

Every client is different, and everyone will have different worries and inadequacies. It's about being supportive and letting them know that there is no one right way to be a mother. Your baby is your achievement.

Connect with Diana:

Website: https://www.dianapavlovaphotography.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dianapavlovaphotography/

Connect with Suzi:

Website: https://www.suzibirdeducation.co.uk

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suzibirdphoto/?hl=en

Suzi's Photography Studio: https://sunlightportraitstudio.co.uk/

In this episode I am chatting to Lindsey, my incredible personal assistant. I have talked about her on previous episodes and wanted to give her the opportunity to tell her story on the show. Lindsey will explain what she does for my business, why you should be outsourcing some of your processes, and what it's like behind the scenes.

Lindsey is a Virtual Assistant (VA) and VA mentor based in Bath who works mostly with photographers and other creatives to help them run their businesses. Only starting at the beginning of 2020, Lindsey has seen incredible growth in her business already and has had to close her books to new clients.

While the pandemic has obviously been a struggle for many, it also allowed Lindsey the time to launch her business and put the time into it that it needed as new venture. Time is valuable, and people have realized that they don't have to do and know everything in their business. You only need to focus on what earns you the money - you can outsource the rest and regain some freedom.

It can be hard to let go of the reins. You've built your business from the ground up and put all the processes in place yourself, so it's understandable that you want to hold on. Think about the stress that will be lifted off your shoulders by outsourcing. Lindsey's goal is to make it so photographers only have to "click a button" to profit while the rest is taken care of.

If you are struggling to grow, to find the time to do what could be done instead of the minutiae of your business, it might be time to get help.

Connect with Lindsey:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lindseygarvey_va

Website. https://www.lindseygarvey.com

Connect with Suzi:

Website: https://www.suzibirdeducation.co.uk

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suzibirdphoto/?hl=en

Suzi's Photography Studio: https://sunlightportraitstudio.co.uk/

In this episode I am chatting to Mel from Not Little for Long. Mel is a newborn and family photographer based in both Liverpool and London. She's going to discuss her photography journey, moving from studio to natural lighting, and how she has built her business using Instagram.

Mel started photography in 2017. Before then, she worked in media and advertising sales. When she left work in 2017 to travel, she didn't know if she would be coming back to London. Her partner Gareth picked up a Fuji XT2 to take with them on their travels, despite the fact that neither of them had much experience with photography. It fell by the wayside at first, and halfway through their trip Mel found out that her nan was unwell. One day, as she was scrolling social, saw a picture of a newborn, and was inspired. This was what she wanted to do.

After they returned from travelling, Mel moved back in with her parents in Liverpool and turned their loft into a studio with their full support. Mel put everything into her new venture because she had to make it work. She learned about her camera and lighting by herself, but did take a workshop on posing newborns and babies safely. Every waking moment was practice; she worked for free, took inspiration from other photographers, and perfected her craft.

It's easy to put too much pressure on yourself or become obsessed when you are creative. Mel would stay up until the early hours of the morning researching and finding new information. The job satisfaction now compared to her previous work makes it all worthwhile. It's not easy, but the payoff is worth the late nights.

Connect with Mel:

Website: https://www.notlittleforlong.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notlittleforlong/?hl=en

Connect with Suzi:

Website: https://www.suzibirdeducation.co.uk

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suzibirdphoto/?hl=en

Suzi's Photography Studio: https://sunlightportraitstudio.co.uk/

In this episode I am chatting to Gaia from The Family Lab. Based in New York, Gaia is an editorial family photographer. We discuss finding inspiration, building a slow living business, and staying true to your own style.

For Gaia, inspiration can come from anywhere: fashion magazines, art, movies, and so on. A very visual person, Gaia finds herself drawing from external stimuli and recontextualizing and reinventing those images. Mood boards are also a huge art of her process. Collating images by lighting style, atmosphere, and colour allows her to work towards capturing an emotion.

Mood boards are also a great tool to communicate visions with clients. They are a way of creating collaboration between artist and client that can elevate the experience for both parties. As artists, it can be easy to get carried away in the creative process, it's important to remember that in family photography, the focus is on the client. It isn't about the volume of work you produce or how many clients you can squeeze in in a day, it's about the quality of work you produce.

When it comes to styling a shoot, most clients trust Gaia's input and overall vibe she is trying to create. It's important to have the confidence to know what colours and styles will work on camera and communicating that to your clients. Even the most experienced photographer sometimes doubts themself, but be confident in your vision and don't be afraid to share it.

Connect with Gaia:

Website: https://the-family-lab.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.family.lab/

Connect with Suzi:

Website: https://www.suzibirdeducation.co.uk

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suzibirdphoto/?hl=en

Suzi's Photography Studio: https://sunlightportraitstudio.co.uk/

Yaz is returning to the podcast with her husband Sam to give us a different perspective on the collaborative side of their work. We discuss running a business with your other half while having a family and leaving the corporate world to start a self-employed business.

Initially, Yaz started out with her own portrait photography business. As the business grew and progressed, she began doing weddings and needed an extra pair of hands. That's where Sam came in to assist her. Sam had no previous photography experience, but that just meant that Yaz was able to teach him her way of doing things. It goes to show that photography is something that you learn by doing.

Married for 13 years this year, they have 4 children and a huge menagerie of animals to take care of. Before he joined Yaz on the weddings, Sam worked for a large accounting firm. Transitioning from a really corporate world was a freeing experience for Sam, and he was able to bring his organizational skills from that world into the photography business. It's also a lot more flexible and fun.

The transition wasn't necessarily a traditional or easy one. While he was working at the firm, Sam was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. Already struggling to keep up with work, study, and the kids, it was time to take a break and make a change. It was this that prompted Yaz to take her portrait business full-time.

Luckily, Sam and Yaz have a great family support structure, and Sam organizes everything from work to family matters with a spreadsheet. It's about balancing and constant re-assessment to keep track of priorities.

Connect with Sam and Yaz:

Website: https://www.samandyaz.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/SamandYaz

Connect with Suzi:

Website: https://www.suzibirdeducation.co.uk

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suzibirdphoto/?hl=en

Suzi's Photography Studio: https://sunlightportraitstudio.co.uk/

I am chatting with Lydia Collins today, a London based photographer. Lydia joins me today to discuss how she has built up her business and expanded her client base.

Lydia is a lifestyle and fashion photographer who works with influencers and brands, being fully freelance for around 4 years. To build up clients after university, Lydia did free shoots every week for 15 months to build a portfolio - a business strategy she wouldn't recommend today.

Although social media and websites are an integral part of building a business, Lydia admits she does struggle keeping her website up to date. For Lydia, social media is a way of showing your validation as a business. If she is recommended a clothing store, she will check their Instagram before their website. It's a way of seeing their creativity every day and checking how legitimate they are.

When it comes to posting on her own socials, Lydia wouldn't have an Instagram if she didn't have a business. The toxic side and trolling have really put her off. When it comes to time put in, in the morning she answers messages and queries but doesn't scroll. She pre-plans her posts using a platform and definitely sees an increase in inquiries when she posts recent content and behind the scenes. Now, Lydia also has an assistant to help her post on other social sites.

If you aren't at the point in your career where you can hire someone to help you manage your social media, Lydia shares some advice. An app called Tailwind allows you to schedule all your Pinterest posts on it ahead of time. It's all about finding which platform works for your business and focusing in on it.

Connect with Lydia:

Website: https://lydiacollins.com/welcome/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lydiaxcollins/?hl=en

Connect with Suzi:

Website: https://www.suzibirdeducation.co.uk

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suzibirdphoto/?hl=en

Suzi's Photography Studio: https://sunlightportraitstudio.co.uk/

In this episode I am chatting to Linzie Russo, a Scottish photographer now based in Australia. She joins me today to discuss her recent shadow ban on Instagram and the importance of sharing images that can educate and reassure other women about their bodies.

Linzie has now been in Australia for twelve years and a full-time photographer for nine. Recently, Linzie went through being shadow banned on Instagram for posting images that featured bare female nipples. Her images were taken down despite adhering to Instagram guidelines. She only found out about the ban when someone mentioned that they could no longer find her account.

Now, this account restriction is affecting her business inquiries. New clients haven't been able to find her, and even before she knew she was shadow banned, Linzie had noticed the drop off. To combat this, she has now made a second account to try and connect with her audience and perspective clients.

With the baffling restrictions on Instagram surrounding female bodies, young girls and new mums are being dissuaded from the truth of the human form. If everything is airbrushed, filtered, and perfect, what kind of impact does that have on women looking at their own, natural body? It also brings up the societal taboo of breast feeding. Many new mums have never even seen anyone breast feed before. How can new mums feel comfortable feeding their children when every aspect of society is telling them it's wrong and needs to be hidden?

Normalizing post-partum bodies is also part of Linzie's work. The changes women go through after giving birth and the trauma they can experience are so often hidden and it's time to show the world what they look like, end the stigma, and help women to heal.

Connect with Linzie:

Website: https://linzierusso.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/linzierussophoto https://www.instagram.com/linzierussophotos

Connect with Suzi:

Website: https://www.suzibirdeducation.co.uk

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suzibirdphoto/?hl=en

Suzi's Photography Studio: https://sunlightportraitstudio.co.uk/