Today we’d like to introduce you to Kara Manqueros.
Kara, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I have had a camera in my hands and have been viewing life through a lens as long as I can remember. My dad was a commercial photographer, and I actually grew up with strips of film in a darkroom and negatives strewn all over the dining room table! While I have always enjoyed taking photos for fun, it was when my Husband and I struggled a bit financially with a new venture. I thought I might turn my hobby into a business. It was really a very organic thing.
My friends started to tell their friends, and then I had a few higher profile type of clients, and the next thing I knew I was getting phone calls from people who were referred by people I had never even met. It’s really inspiring because I would never have had the courage to put myself out there like I have now had we not really needed the support. I just felt like I needed to do something, ANYTHING to help while things were challenging. It turned out to be our truth that necessity IS the Mother of invention.
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?
It has been an unbelievable ride. I have had so many mentors and well-wishers, and that has really buoyed me up along the way. The most difficult part for me is the “learn by doing” method I have had to employ. I don’t have formal training, and digital photography has such a steep learning curve. Luckily, we are past the days of film.
I was spending so much money on so many bad pictures! A big part of my job is making everyone comfortable and making the experience fun. My hardest clients are probably Dads during my holiday family shoots. I make it my mission to make it a pain-free experience, so they laugh and have a great time. Everyone loves the finished product, but it’s a process! If it can’t be fun, at least it can be quick.
Some of the other challenges have been centered around the scheduling aspect, and the weather is not cooperating. I want to always stay true to the art of my photography, and that means that I need to really focus on editing and making sure that I bring out the look that my Clients are going for.
The shot is critical of course, but it’s only part of the story. The rest of it is editing, cropping, and light. Like a movie, it’s the behind the scenes work that is so important. I try to create magic, and nobody wants to know what goes into magic. They just want to see the rabbit come out of a hat.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
My business is set up as a sole proprietorship. I haven’t advertised, so 100% of my business has been a referral. I have always enjoyed making memories for Parents by focusing on children’s photography, but family photography has turned into a specialty as well. As a Parent of three myself, I know how every Parent wants to capture memories of ALL stages of life.
It’s important, and usually, one Parent or the other has to take the photo which leaves them out of the memory. I love helping out in that regard. Senior portraits have also become a popular life event that I capture. It’s different than the old days of seated portraits. Photos of a Senior wearing their College gear and reflecting all of the excitement of those last days before they spread their wings is full of emotion and of course a little wistfulness.
It sounds silly, but if I do my job right, it’s all in the frame. I don’t know if my Clients know it, but the reason that they love my photos is because of my insistence of the right lighting. It is difficult to explain to Clients, but without the right lighting, it is hard to capture the emotion of the picture. I am also a photographer that just has two cameras and a couple of lenses I do not come with a ton of equipment. I like to keep it simple.
I am most proud of staying true to my ethos, and while it makes it difficult to scale a business, I am happy that I can look back on all of my portfolios with pride and know that I have given everything to every sitting. Success to me means satisfied Customers. It’s that simple. Honestly, and this might seem an odd gauge to use, but if I am happy with the end result of a shoot, I am always confident that my Client will be overjoyed. I use my baseline satisfaction as the marker of success. It is a rare event when I am thrilled, and a Client is not satisfied.
It does happen, and I am always happy to listen and make sure that we get it right even if that means a reshoot, but it’s uncommon. I wish all of my Clients knew how much harder I am on myself than they could ever be. I know that absolute perfection shouldn’t be part of anyone’s vocabulary, but I do try to come as close as possible! I do not do weddings, and I like to keep my pricing reasonable so everyone can have pictures to cherish for years to come.
What were you like growing up?
Wow, what a tough question to answer. I was so outgoing, really popular, always saying the perfect thing… At least that’s what it was like when I was alone. As soon as there were other people around, I was anything but the person that I saw in the mirror.
As an only child, I didn’t get to try out my quick-witted responses, or my fashion ideas on anyone but myself. That was tough, but it gave me an insight into the insecurities that everyone brings to a photoshoot. I have always cared about people, and if I wasn’t a photographer, I would probably be a therapist.
I have just always been so curious about the stories that people have, and the things that they are going through in their lives. The mosaic of a person comes through the lens. It really does. The camera doesn’t lie. I try to use my own experience of growing up, and the incredible love and support that I felt to get people to show their true self to the camera.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.karamanquerosphotography.com/
- Email: karamanqueros@gmail.com
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