August 29, 2016

Meet South Bay Photographer: Karin Fuire

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Karin Fuire.

Karin, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I’ve been passionate about photography since I was a teenager, borrowing my father’s Minolta all-manual film camera, teaching myself how to use it and shooting with it whenever possible. It wasn’t until my daughter’s birth in 2001 that the desire kicked in to take my photography to a new level. Documenting her growth through photographs provided me with priceless memories and I knew at that time that I wanted to be a professional photographer specializing in children and family portraiture.

Today, my business, On Location Photography, is celebrating its 10th year of documenting families in the South Bay. I create natural, lifestyle images that capture a client’s true spirit and personality. Most of my sessions are held at the beach, in local parks, along hiking trails or at a client’s home – I do not have a studio.

Has it been a smooth road?
The biggest struggle for me is to keep the creative juices flowing! I’m constantly trying to find new and interesting spots to shoot, checking out new exhibits at local museums, or attending a workshop for inspiration. The worst thing for me is to become predictable!

Tell us about your childhood, what were you like growing up?
I grew up in St. Clair Shores, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The town was located along Lake St. Clair and my family enjoyed year-round activities on the water. In the summer, my siblings and I swam in the lake and in the winter we ice skated on it! I was always very active as a kid – playing baseball, riding bikes, roller skating, ice skating, skiing – I don’t think I really ever stopped moving!

Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My favorite memory of my childhood are of the family camping vacations we took every year. We had a big station wagon towing our little camper, our two German Shepherds in the back of the car, and my two siblings and I crammed in the back seat and off we’d go! My parents took us all over the U.S. and today I really enjoy looking back at the photos from those trips. Great times!

So, what should we be on the lookout for, what’s next in store for you?
My biggest plan for the future is to continue leading and teaching my daughter how to survive and thrive in this world. Life is a lot more complicated than it was when I was her age. She’s just entering high school and then college will be on the horizon.

Pricing:

I have a base price for my session. A typical session lasts any where from 60-90 minutes (a newborn session is usually 1-1/2 to 2 hours).
Included with the session are a pre-session consult where the client & I discuss what he/she wants out of the session…what’s the look or vision they have for the images; we talk about where they want to shoot. It can be 1 spot or up to 3. We brainstorm about what everyone will wear for the portrait. I usually recommend a palette of 2-3 colors that will compliment the environment in we’ll be shooting. I provide Pinterest boards to my clients and I’ll even help them go through their closets to choose clothing! Then, after the shoot is done, I schedule an in-person image review and purchasing session. The client will see a slideshow, set to music, of their proofs and then make their purchasing decisions.
All prints, digital files, packages and other products are sold a la carte, and there is no minimum order. I try to encourage prints or print packages as these will last a lifetime and become family heirlooms. I provide digital files with each print purchased. Digital packages are available, however, I find most clients just want to share images on social media an not print them. What happens when that USB drive becomes obsolete?

Contact Info: