Today we’d like to introduce you to Phoebe Solomon.
Phoebe, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I LOVE commercial airliners. On many occasions, I’d drive down to LAX and spend a few hours taking photos of landing planes on my Sony a6000. At some point, I realized that I could make a career of taking photos, and through force of will and many long hours spent in training, I made it happen. I had spent time in the dark room growing up, and I’ve always enjoyed the science behind photography. This work has been challenging, exhilarating, frustrating, elating, and rewarding, and I am so glad I took the leap.
Has it been a smooth road?
Photography is an expensive career. Building my initial collection of equipment was extremely challenging because I wasn’t making very much money, but I needed the gear to get the type of clients I was focused on attaining. It was a catch 22 all around.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
I take product and lifestyle photographs for individuals and companies in need of new or updated branding material. I also do real estate and architectural photography, which are fun because the setting is so different from the studio where I spend most of my time. I also enjoy photographing people, and have lately been getting into model and portrait photography.
Recently I photographed Shaquille O’Neal for a product client, and that was a blast. Yes, we took a photo together, as I am barely 5′ tall.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Los Angeles is a city unlike any other. There are as many cons as there are pros to having a business here. I may recommend to someone just starting out in this field to gain a solid client base in a smaller market just because it is so difficult to break into the photo business in such an enormous city. Alternatively, I would suggest any rising photogs find a professional photographer and assist them. That is where all the learning happens.
Pricing:
- Know your worth. What should you be making per hour worked in order to stay afloat?
- The right client will understand that quality photos are not cheap.
- You aren’t being paid to press the button, you’re being paid to make sure the artistic and technical elements are all in order.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.phoebeshoots.com
- Phone: 8182317576
- Email: phoebeshoots@gmail.com
- Instagram: @phoebeshoots
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
