May 15, 2017

Meet Liana Bond Cosgrove of Squid Inc. Studios Photography in Walpole

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Liana Bond Cosgrove.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I’m a documenter at heart– I’ve always loved capturing moments and images. I tried photography years ago with a film camera but my thumb always seemed to creep into the photo somehow and it was hard to wait so long for the images to be processed. Then came digital cameras. For the first time, I was able to see my images as I captured them. The images became my teachers; they gave me immediate feedback about settings, focus, light and framing. For a few years, I practiced my photography skills by walking around my neighborhood in the South End, taking photos of flowers in gardens and elements of the beautiful architecture. I also photographed my students (I’ve been a kindergarten teacher in Boston Public Schools for 20 years). I started entering my photos in online contests and gained a lot of great knowledge from the critiques and feedback from my peers.

In 2006, I was fortunate enough to have my photographs of children featured at an exhibit in Boston. That experience really helped me gain the confidence to start building a photography business. When I had my first baby in 2009, I tried taking newborn shots of her and failed miserably. I didn’t know how to pose her and keep her calm and sleepy. Frustrated, I started researching newborn photography and paying close attention to images and advice from photographers I admire. I invested in better lenses and created props that helped to pose my daughter properly. I practiced on my friends’ newborns and did freebie sessions with new clients so I could learn the art of newborn photography. Eight years later, my clients now refer to me as “the Baby Whisperer.”

I still can’t believe I get paid to do what I do. I’m so lucky to have turned my favorite hobby into a business. My business became so solid that in 2010 I was able to switch to a part-time teaching job so I could stay home with my girls. That’s the greatest gift of all!

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
My greatest struggle was figuring out how to set a fair price for my work. Because all of my formal education and experience was in early childhood education, it took me a really long time to have the confidence to think a side hobby could actually be worth something. How do I set a price for a skill that came to me through years of fun, practice and trial & error? I scoured other photographers’ websites and tried to get a gauge on what my work was worth but kept coming up against the same problem: their businesses were formal, “official” photography businesses and I saw mine as “a kindergarten teacher pretending to be a photographer.”

With the encouragement of my husband, family and friends, I took a chance and started putting out business cards in a few local places. I’ll never forget the day I got my first business call. I was sitting in the parking lot of my school, shaking like a leaf. The client asked me what my session fee was and I closed my eyes, crossed my fingers and threw out what I thought was a fair number. She casually accepted the price and asked when I was available. I couldn’t believe it! From then on, it became easier and easier to set my pricing structure with confidence.

Because I’m a part-time teacher, I am fortunate enough to be able to keep my prices fairly affordable by today’s standards. I’ve been told that I could charge a lot more but I know that if I did, I would greatly narrow the field of folks who could afford my services. The most important thing to me is being able to serve a wide variety of clients. There is a lot of diversity in my portfolio and that is completely by design. I have made a conscious effort to keep my prices in a range that is accessible to as many people as possible, while still earning enough to make it worth the time I spend away from my family.

Please tell us about Squid Inc. Studios Photography.
The name Squid Inc. Studios came from my upbringing in Hawaii. My Dad would come home from diving and bring fresh fish and mollusks for dinner. When I was three, I would reach into his bucket, pull out an octopus and put it on my head, as a child, thought it was a really funky feeling to have the sticky, cold tentacles against my cheeks. My Dad and his fishing buddies starting calling me “Squid” and the name stuck (pun intended). When I got older, I thought it would be clever to have a business called “Squid Inc.”

Babies, children and families have always been my favorite photography subjects. Because of my experience as a kindergarten teacher, I am able to interact comfortably and naturally with my young clients and quickly put them at ease. Goofiness is my specialty and I have absolutely NO trouble embarrassing myself if it puts a genuine smile on a kid’s face (this approach generally works for stoic husbands as well). Clients often tell me that they had fun during their session and that’s really what I’m all about. My ultimate goal is for my clients to end up with photos that capture them at their best and happiest.

I use only natural light, conduct lots of my sessions outdoors and I have a wide variety of props (most of which I made myself) to create original, joyful images. I really take my cues from my clients– some are interested in very natural, classic images while others want me to tuck their newborn into a catcher’s mitt to capture their love of the Sox. As long as it’s safe, I’m ready for anything!

I’m most proud of the diversity of my images and the way that I am able to capture the peace of newborns, the joy of children and the love of families. It’s such an honor to be able to create images of people at different stages of their lives. I look back at the photographs of my own family and I cherish the way they really inspire feelings and memories. If I can inspire those same feelings for someone else, it’s the pretty much the greatest thing ever.
(Plus, it’s pretty awesome to cuddle a brand-new baby for a few hours and then hand them back to their parents. I’m a notorious baby sniffer but I really have no interest in going back to the days of sleep deprivation!)

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
There is one message I wish I could get out to the general public: newborn photography sessions are usually booked several months before the baby arrives. I can’t tell you how many clients have contacted me saying, “I had a baby yesterday and I want to set up a session…” There is a specific window of time during which a newborn is best photographed and that is 4 to 12 days old. Any older and they start to lose that sleepiness and flexibility that makes those cuddly sessions so great. So, if you’re at all interested in getting your newborn photographed, please contact the photographer several months before you’re due! It’s just like wedding photography– no one would expect to book a wedding photographer a day before the ceremony. 🙂

In general however, I don’t think I’d change a thing. My business and style have evolved naturally and I appreciate the time it’s taken for me to gain the confidence to call myself a “photographer.” I love all my clients and often have the honor of photographing families over time and watching those tiny babies grow into big, beautiful children. Word of mouth is still my #1 source of new clients. There is no greater compliment than someone who recommends your services to others.

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