Today we’d like to introduce you to Joanna Law.
Hi Joanna, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I started my maternity and newborn photography journey with a question from a friend. A friend of mine wanted to have her maternity photos taken but did not have a budget for it. She asked if I could do it since I was doing product photography for my own Etsy shop. She also knew that my husband is a hobbyist photographer with professional equipment. I wanted to help her out so I researched maternity poses best ways of using natural light and found Ana Brandt and Kelly Brown’s instructional videos. My friend got beautiful photos and we both shared it on our social media. Pretty soon, I was doing sessions for several of my friends and their friends who were starting their families.
After about a year of “YouTube University” and practicing with my friends and their new babies, I decided to get formally trained by Ana Brandt (in-person), as well as Stevie Cruz. I also took a few baby handling courses offered by local healthcare professionals to ensure that I will be handing newborns safely. I got to know a few lactation consultants and newborn caregivers to help me understand baby feeding and soothing.
I am now coming up on my 7th year of business and I love creating beautiful experiences and images that are truly family heirlooms for women who are bringing new life into this world. Most of all, I love that I now have a growing network of resources for new moms who need support from pre and postnatal care providers. New parents receive more than photos from their session. They leave knowing that there’s someone they can talk to whenever they have a question about their new baby or when they need a referral for additional help with their new role.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not always been smooth. As a working first-time mom myself, it is always a struggle nearly every day trying to balance family time and business time. I have had to cut back on the number of clients I can take on since the birth of my son. I’ve also had to extend my turnaround time so that I can give equal attention to details on my editing and be present for my son, my husband and my aging parents.
Recently, I decided to try taking on my usual full load of clients after a few months of my son being in daycare. Even though he loves his daycare and asks to go every day (including weekends), my work life quickly overspilled into family time and that impacted his behavior. As soon as his teachers mentioned this to us (husband and I), I decided to cut back on the number of clients again. As business owners and parents, we have decided this will be the case for as many years as needed so that we can be parents first and entrepreneurs second.
It has been an amazing journey as being a mom has been extremely fulfilling. It has also been a beautiful journey as a photographer creating many families’ “first” portraits. It’s always a joy to get text messages and emails from clients who truly LOVE their photos.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I specialize in fine art maternity, newborn, children and family portraits. When people hear the word “photographer” they do not realize that there are specializations just like any other profession. It is so important to choose a photographer who specializes because of their experience and talents will be unmatched to that of a generalist. I decided to specialize in photography that builds a relationship from the beginning of a mother’s journey and beyond.
Maternity photography is so special because when done properly, it can make an expectant mother feel so beautiful and empowered. I love pampering mothers at this stage of motherhood because I personally know that as a pregnant woman, we don’t always feel beautiful. We don’t often see how much we’re glowing. That is why I provide hair, makeup and gowns for all maternity portrait clients. It brings me so much joy to give a mommy makeover (so to speak) and surprise their spouses with the first look. So many of my clients have said they haven’t felt as beautiful since their wedding day.
Mostly, what I am known for is being the “baby whisperer”. Parents are always amazed at my gentle and patient techniques of soothing, handling and posing their babies to create artistic images. This is what fine art photography is all about. Creating a vision, artfully setting up props and patiently posing the subjects to bring the vision to fruition.
I have pride myself on being a boutique photography studio that focuses on client relations. Clients get to keep in touch with me and I get to watch their kiddos grow up. Building relationships is so important in photography and it is often overlooked due to profits and client budgets. When a child gets to see an adult whom they have a connection with only a couple of times a year, it can be a treat. I make photography fun and exciting for the kiddos and they love coming back time after time.
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
Oh…my! What haven’t I learned from Covid-19?!?!
This unfortunate global crisis has made me realize that life is ever so precious and pictures are treasure! The portraits I create are true family heirlooms. I have had clients thanking me for capturing professional images of their loved ones because that’s what they have left to cherish and to accompany their memories. Especially the images I’ve created which included grandparents.
The pandemic has also validated my studio cleaning and sanitizing practices. I have always cleaned and sanitized every prop, outfits and accessories. (I’m a bit of germaphobe; so in a sense, I was already prepared and had been practicing the Covid mandates).
This crisis has also taught me about investing and believing in yourself. In the midst of the pandemic, we (my husband and I) saw an opportunity to move to a larger studio space. It was a huge risk but my husband believed in my work and pushed me to grow. It has been a blessing that we made the right decision to get a larger studio. The lesson I learned from this is that – invest in yourself as an artist and people who value your work will find you and keep on supporting you. Art brings joy and light into lives and it is especially needed when the World is suffering.
The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that I too need to make annual family portraits a tradition. After all, you never know how much those photographs will mean to your loved ones when you are no longer here with them.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.nestledintimephotography.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nestled_in_time_photography/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NestledInTime/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JoannaLaw/featured
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/nestled-in-time-photography-pasadena
- Other: https://linktr.ee/Nestledintimephotography
Image Credits
Copyright – Nestled in Time Photography, LLC
