Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Shipp.
Stephanie, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Growing up in Denton, TX, was a complete immersion in art in various mediums. I stayed involved with art since I can remember and there was always an avenue to pursue it, in Denton. The University of North Texas and Texas Women’s University keep Denton infused with Music and Art. With my background in Visual Arts, I launched the marketing for the restaurant concept, Red Onion Bistro in 2000; taking on the responsibility of the restaurants design concepts, marketing, and promotion. The concept was very popular, and we received many accolades in numerous newspapers and magazines. I began to offer graphic design and marketing services to various local businesses. With the needs of the client being foremost in mind, the necessity for good photography in advertising became apparent to me. I invested in professional photography equipment, started taking classes, and trained with other local photographers. During this time, I discovered an undeniable passion for photography. I spent many years perfecting my ability to photograph diverse subject matter in various settings. This ability is so very important in photography as you have to perform, and perform well, regardless of the conditions or circumstances. Shooting weddings really built-up my chops and strengthened me as a photographer. I was staying busy with word of mouth around town, so I decided to start my own business and do it full-time. With the 2009 opening of my photography and design studio, Luminous Photographs, in downtown Denton, I began to offer my services to the public. This January we celebrated our 8-year anniversary. Through the years Luminous has changed and grown. The concept was started as a solo venture, I shot several events and weddings by myself for the first two years. I look back now and wonder how I did that! The need for assistance on my larger projects was very apparent, so I brought in an assistant, we now have 3. We also have several photographers that we work with when multiple photographers are required for a project. I take each project very seriously, so I usually like to handle most jobs personally to make sure it is the best it can be. When other photographers are used, they’re chosen by the type of photography they specialize in, so I you can be certain that the photographer representing Luminous is experienced in the type of photography needed.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I have had many experiences in my years, and I would say this one was relatively smooth. The challenges I face are as a small business owner. Being an artist is one thing being an entrepreneur is another. There are so many things you need to do to successfully market your business. It can be very consuming on its own, and you still have a business to run. Being a mother of three boys (2 are twins) time was my biggest challenge. Having a compelling website that ranks on the first page of google for key words is one of the most important things that you can do for your business marketing. I handled the web design and Search Engine Optimization personally. It was certainly a learning curve that took a few years to perfect. During those years I pretty much didn’t get sleep. I photographed during the day and did edits and web design or SEO at night. It was a very serious commitment of any and all of my spare time at first.
So, let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Luminous Photographs story. Tell us more about the business.
Luminous has grown and changed through the years and mainly because of the needs of our clients. We offer a wide variety of photography and design services that set us apart from other photographers in the area. The other thing that we do that sets us apart, is we cultivate confidence in our clients. We have several techniques for making our clients feel confident during a session. I like to say, “Having a great photo session is the equivalent of a trip to the salon”. Many people are uneasy and perhaps a little uncomfortable in-front of the camera. We strive to make our clients feel not only at ease, but beautiful and confident. A great photo session can refresh your confidence and give you a personal boost. That is why the experience is as important as the outcome to us at Luminous.
Luminous has several services for both business and personal needs. Our corporate services offer everything a business needs from exceptional photography to design and collateral. We have performed hundreds of shoots for large living communities and high-rise real estate in the DFW area. Our Real Estate Photography packages are designed specifically for the needs of these large communities. With our corporate services, we also offer product photography and modeling. Depending on the client’s needs we can photograph their product in a composed setting, a solid color background, or showcased by one of our models. We have a very diverse selection of models to choose from and can subcontract any model of your choosing, if desired. In addition to those services, we offer an array of services for corporate and small businesses. Our most popular package is the Corporate Profile Package, with this package we will shoot your location exterior, interior, products/services, staff, management, and posed candids. All of our corporate services include hi-resolution images, magazine quality editing services, and unlimited copyrights for website, social media, and local marketing use. To round it all out nicely, we have a full line of marketing materials and printing services to enhance your business image. Many concepts have used our photography and design work for their advertising and marketing promotion.
With regard to our personal services, we have quite a few. Number 1 on the list is our bridal and wedding photography. We have weddings happening all year round and they are always amazing! I am very proud of our weddings because I personally strive to make them the best they can be. Weddings are serious business. You only have 1 chance to get the photos, if you miss it you can’t go back and do it again. Wedding photography is only for the experienced photographer because of the challenges they present. Various lighting scenarios, unpredictable movement, and a plethora of other circumstances make some weddings more challenging than others. Being that weddings are where I really honed my techniques, I am very comfortable with handling those challenges. I love weddings. It is such a happy occasion. People are in good spirits and usually make it easy to get great photos. I have worked with 2 of my assistants for 6 years now. We have it down to a science. All of our wedding packages come with a 12×12 custom designed, hardcover, press-printed album. We have a system that we use when photographing a wedding, to ensure we get every shot we need to design a beautiful personalized album for every wedding. Our brides love our magazine quality editing services, if something isn’t perfect on the wedding day, no worries, we can correct almost anything in edit. The chin and neck are a “hot spot” for many of our clients, but you, and they, will never know that! A single wedding can take more than 40 hours to edit with the design of the book. We take pride in every photo, and many of them will go into the album which usually holds about 150 images. our editing services are included with all of our packages.
In Denton, we have two colleges UNT & TWU that have graduation ceremonies twice a year. During those months, we stay busy with the students and their graduation photos and announcements. Our graduation sessions take place on-location at the campus in which the client is graduating. We have a system for photographing the graduates at both campuses to ensure the shoots go smoothly and comfortably for our client and we have the appropriate shots for the announcements. I absolutely love working with the graduates! They are always such a pleasure to work with. It’s an exciting time for both the parents as well as the students that are graduating, so I just really enjoy those sessions.
We also have several personal and family photography sessions. Being located on the historical downtown Denton square, we have access to endless settings. Downtown itself offers an urban look with several different eclectic opportunities for photos. One block over is Quackertown Park, where there is a beautiful natural setting with bridges, trees, flowers, and pathways. We also shoot at other desired locations in the DFW area. Luminous print services are the best. We have been working with our photography lab for 7 years. I will use no other, the quality prints we receive from this lab are consistent and the best quality I have found. Our print prices are kept in-line with what a person would pay at a lab. This gives our clients more of what they want and we can make sure the prints are appropriately sized and are printed correctly, to ultimately save them time, money, and frustration.
We have worked with several aspiring actors and models to design portfolio’s, comp cards, and other marketing materials. I have some personal experience with beauty pageants and modeling, so I personally handle these sessions. I know what the agencies are looking for, how they like their shots set-up, and the industry standards for these photos and materials.
Finally, our editing services are one of the features of Luminous that really makes it stand out among the endless other photographers out there. Our service is way beyond a few color corrections, with Luminous Perfection we take each photo through an intensive editing session to make our clients look their absolute best. This service is included with every package we offer.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I am not a believer in good or bad luck. I believe very much that we create our own destiny. We can hold ourselves down with excuses or open ourselves to possibilities. When we take steps towards our desires we come closer to living the life we desire, and it really is as simple as taking the steps necessary to get you to your goal.
Pricing:
- Personal Photography starting at $ 150.00
- Corporate Photography starting at $ 599.99
- Wedding Photography starting at $ 2799.99
Contact Info:
- Address: 108 N. Locust St. Ste. 100
- Website: www.luminousphotographs.com
- Phone: 940 368 4918
- Email: stephanieshipp@msn.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/luminousphotographs/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/luminousphotos
- Other: https://plus.google.com/b/107104448608446948941/+Luminousphotographs
Image Credit:
Luminous Photographs
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