Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Rabbitt.
Melissa, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My business sort of happened by accident. I owned an entry-level Nikon and was just a hobbyist for a few years. I photographed anything and everything, but I most often photographed what was going on in my second-grade classroom at the time. Parents seemed to enjoy the photos I was sending them, and eventually, some of my colleagues started asking me if I could take pictures of their kiddos.
One day, sort of on a whim, I made a Facebook page where I began posting the photos I had taken of my co-workers’ children. Honestly, I was really insecure about making a “business” page. I didn’t know how it would be perceived by my friends and acquaintances.
Before I knew it, I was getting inquiries for family sessions and small events, and I had NO clue what to charge because I didn’t really expect anything to come of my page! I had a lot to learn and I had to learn it FAST. The next year or so was a blur of trial and error, picking the brain of a good photographer friend of mine, watching YouTube videos, and taking online photography classes.
During that time, a childhood friend asked me to photograph her wedding. I thought she was insane, and I still think it’s generally a terrible idea to hire someone with limited experience to shoot a wedding, but looking back, the photos really came out okay. I didn’t miss any critical moments, even when my flashes died during the father-daughter dance in a dimly-lit barn. Holy heart attack!
That was four years ago, and since then, I’ve taken more classes, upgraded my equipment, and met other photographers who I’ve learned from. Truthfully, I never thought I’d be where I am today, but I’m not done growing this business yet! I have so many more goals that I want to achieve.
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?
Yes and no. As I mentioned, things sort of happened fast and unexpectedly. Word-of-mouth got me a lot of business for the first year or two, and working in a school was enormously helpful since there were tons of families and kids at my disposal. I also took almost every inquiry that came my way in the early stages of my business. I was just so excited that people actually wanted to hire me that I never wanted to turn anything away!
Over time, however, I realized I really didn’t want to be a jack of all trades. I wanted to specialize in what I loved most, and what I love is photographing families. 2017 was the first year that I only shot families and newborns. No weddings, no small-scale events (other than kids’ birthday parties), no headshots. Since cutting out all of that, I feel like I’ve really grown, but being so specialized certainly comes with its challenges.
Since I am looking for very specific types of bookings, I really have to market to find my ideal client. I want clients who share my vision of authentic and honest photography. I don’t do a lot of posed work and I don’t use any props, so if someone is looking for that style, I will kindly refer them to another photographer who does. I also limit my travel since I am a busy mom who works 2 jobs (I still teach!), and I just can’t spend all of my time on the weekends driving to and from sessions.
Another challenge for me is not comparing myself to other photographers. It’s a really saturated market and there is SO much talent out there, so it’s hard to not look at everyone else’s work and say “Oh, they’re doing x, y, and z better than I am” or “They’re so much busier than I am!” I am really trying to focus on how far I’ve come and where I’m going next instead of worrying about what’s going on around me.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Melissa Rabbitt Photography – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I am a lifestyle family and newborn photographer, so I don’t have a studio and my style is pretty authentic. While I certainly take a few “everyone-look-at-the-camera” shots at each shoot, my sessions are generally unscripted and the images look natural. There are a lot of photographers who do this though, so I’m not sure it’s necessarily what sets me apart. I guess I’ll just answer this question by summarizing the feedback I’ve gotten from a lot of clients.
Many have commented on how responsive I am. I’m pretty proud of that because I think I have plenty of excuses to NOT be responsive (I have a 10-month old, two dogs, and a full-time teaching job), but it’s really important to me that my clients and prospective clients are never left hanging. The longest I’ve ever taken to respond to someone was three days, and that’s when I was in the hospital giving birth!
I also think that my background as a teacher has been instrumental to my success as a family photographer. I am confident that I can get even the most unruly children to play my little photo game (at least for a short time!). Photographing the most temperamental of toddlers is nothing compared to wrangling a classroom of 25 children!
A few clients have also told me that they hired me because of a large number of dog photos on my website and social media :). This makes me so happy! I worked at an animal hospital for many years (in high school, college, and beyond), and I think those experiences have also been extremely helpful to me as a family photographer. About 80% of my 2017 clients had dogs and included them in their sessions!
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
Hmmm, good question. I’m not entirely positive what the future may hold for my business, but one thing I’ve had on my radar is potentially offering my clients video in addition to photos. I have dabbled in this during the slow months and have made a few videos for newborn clients, and it’s something I’d be interested in learning more about.
Maybe I’ll take a class or two. What I’d really like to do is team up with another photographer and offer video/photo sessions together. How fun would that be?? I’ve actually spoken to a photographer friend of mine about it, so who knows, it could happen!
Pricing:
- Packages range from $550-$675, including digital files
Contact Info:
- Website: www.melissarabbittphotography.com
- Email: melissarabbitt@melissarabbittphotography.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melissarabbittphoto/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mjrabbittphotography/
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