Today we’d like to introduce you to Elaine Dieball.
Elaine, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Photography started as just an elective in high school for me, but quickly became a source of comfort and artistic release as I took every photo course my junior college had to offer. I was your typical starting photographer — shooting everything and anything, and taking any photography job that would put some cash in my pocket. I didn’t treat it like a business, didn’t advertise, didn’t know the first thing about networking.
In 2005 I hired a boudoir photographer so I could make a groom’s gift for my fiance. I loved that whole experience, and absolutely adored my album. After that, I asked friends to pose for me so I could practice, and soon I added boudoir to my list of services!
Oooh, bear with me, because I’m going to sound so basic: I really got my business going in 2011 after I’d had two kids, and wanted to stay home with them but still make money! Yup, I was one of “those” moms with a camera, but instead of choosing to photograph newborns or weddings, I focused on families and boudoir! Boudoir clients would ask me to photograph their families, or moms would hire me for boudoir after a successful family session. As different as those two genres were, they worked seamlessly together!
Moving to the Dallas-Forth Worth area in 2017 from Southern California marked a big shift for my business. I had a great portfolio of work, but changing states really pulls the rug out from under your momentum! I knew no one and all my lovely clients were back home! After a few months of getting my bearings, I relaunched Elaine Dieball Photography here in Texas, providing “Meaningful Photography for the Modern Woman.”
Has it been a smooth road?
Aside from the move from CA to TX, the hardest part has always been running the business, not taking the portraits! Visual arts appeal to me, paperwork and “boring” business stuff do not! I want to be the one making connections with my clients and creating their works of art. However, there is so much more to running a successful business, especially today with the online presence we’re urged to maintain to stay relevant! It’s overwhelming! Learning how to run an efficient and profitable business has definitely been the biggest hurdle and mindset shift, but the effort involved has paid back a thousand times over!
Promoting boudoir photography comes with its own set of challenges, as many women believe they only qualify if they look like/weigh as much as/are as young as some version of society’s “ideal woman.” It’s total mind garbage, but I know it’s because this kind of photography speaks so intimately to women, and inherently unpacks some deep-seated assumptions they’ve shouldered over the years. I’m here to help them shake off that burden.
I want every woman, from the just-on-her-own 20-year-old to the wiser-than-her-years 66-year-old, to feel safe and celebrated in front of my camera. Every session, every online post, and every phone call echoes that goal so that each woman that finds out about what I offer is encouraged and lifted up, even if they haven’t hired me yet!
We’d love to hear more about your work.
I built Elaine Dieball Photography to serve women of all ages in the stage, size, shape, and season they’re in. I want to give my clients the time and space to celebrate the great things their bodies have done and re-develop a positive, healthy view of themselves.
What my clients love and tell their friends about is the top-notch customer service they receive! From the first time we chat, I am answering all their questions, suggesting outfit ideas, and preparing them for the next step. They can look at their contracts and invoices at any time on their phone, and they all have my cell phone number. We also create a secret mood board on Pinterest to create a plan and vision for the session!
On the day of their shoot, they are greeted with a personalized sign, refreshments, music, and professional hair and makeup artists to get them all ready for the camera. My clients don’t have to worry one little bit about how to pose, what to do with their hands, or where to look–all that is my job, which really takes the stress off of them. The best part of their session is that they get to see their portraits on the same day! I don’t want my clients to doubt for a minute that they totally rocked their session, so I make sure we get to choose their favorites before they leave!
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I think the Fort Worth area is such a great place to thrive as a boutique-model business. The population is large enough and diverse enough for many businesses in the same industry to succeed and serve many women, which is fantastic. I have found many local organizations and networking groups to plug into since moving here, and everyone I’ve met has been very supportive of advancing small businesses like mine!
Pricing:
- Boudoir sessions are $345, plus tax, and include professional hair and makeup! Portraits purchased separately.
- Products start at $275, but what you choose and how much you spend is entirely up to you!
Contact Info:
- Website: http://elainedieballphotography.com/
- Phone: (661) 886-2257
- Email: edieballphoto@gmail.com
- Instagram: @edieballphoto
- Facebook: @edieballphoto
- Twitter: @edieballphoto
- Other: https://www.boudoirinternational.com/boudoir-photographers/elaine-dieball-photography/
Image Credit:
Headshot: Photography by Stina
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