Hidden Gems: Meet Margot Robert of La Petite Photo

Today we’d like to introduce you to Margot Robert.

Hi Margot, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I was born and raised in France and was known as the « camera girl » by all my friends and family. I can’t recall a single day without capturing people or the simple beauty of everyday life. After graduating college with a Master’s in Art History, I began managing a famous street art gallery in London. But the world called, and travel became a passion for me. One day, while doing a six-month solo backpacking trip in South East Asia, I met my husband, who was a dj in LA.

A couple of months later, we were married and I was starting a life in the US. He was the one inspiring me to consider photography as a career and he introduced me to a couple of amazing wedding photographers that I got to assist over the next months. I remember the first wedding like it was yesterday: it was love at first sight! The sacred ritual of two people in love and the celebration of that moment made me realized that this was the job I wanted to do for the rest of my life. After a lot of work, developing my skills, understanding the wedding industry and getting months of experience by assisting, I launched my business, La Petite Photo.

Today, La Petite Photo gets me to capture people’s love and wedding all around California. This is a dream come through, being surrounded by Love and photographing one of the most important day in someone’s life.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Being a foreigner and having your own business has its own perks. I had to master a new language, understanding a rich culture that only LA offers, and manage the stress of working in a high pace environment where each shot is as important as the next. I am fortunate to work in some of the most beautiful places in the world and photograph what matters the most: love. Balancing work and personal life was challenging the first year. I was a young mother then but to get experience, I shot 50 weddings that year. It was an amazing but very tiring season! I don’t regret that challenging time, as this taught me about being a better manager of my time, my energy and my business – and that always means happier clients.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I’m a visual storyteller who’s always looked at photos with amazement. These delicate moments are true windows to our collective and personal past. What’s important for me is to photograph weddings in a timeless way – trends are ephemeral and always changing, but the memories from your wedding day should be forever. My work is romantic, with a touch of vintage, a pinch of wilderness and a huge dose of love! I like to use movement to create a fun and romantic tableau that tells the story of each of my couples.

Honestly, I pour all my heart into my craft. It’s not rare that I shed a tear or two while I photograph the “I Do” or have a huge smile on my face for hours and hours as I edit the photos afterward. My work is about connection, and that doesn’t end the moment we say our goodbyes. I love being involved in my client’s wedding day but also staying in touch after. Getting to know them and understanding who they are helps inform the story I tell through my photography and gives it that extra special something.

Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
I launched La Petite Photo a couple of months before the world shut down, and like everyone else, La Petite Photo was affected by it. The wedding industry was deeply changed after that and we had to learn to be flexible and adapt even more than before.

A wedding is one event in a lifetime, and the couple is often surrounded by friends and family they don’t get to see often. The Covid-19 crisis told us to appreciate each moment spent with the one we love. We can’t take it for granted anymore.

The magic of wedding not only comes from the traditional union ritual but also from all the love and joy from the guests. I love working with assistants because it gives the couple an extra pair of eyes to capture all the little moments, their guests reactions, the in between… You don’t get to notice these during your wedding day, it often happens like a blur. The couple is the center of the attention but all the guests and what unfolds around them is as important. My couples often tell me how precious it was to have candids of their best friends and cherished members of their family and how they love watching over and over these pictures.

Pricing:

• Weddings start at $2700
• Engagement Sessions start at $350
• Elopement start at $800

Contact Info:

• Website: www.lapetitephoto.me
• Instagram: @lapetitephoto.la
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyINQozbtV4
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/la-petite-photo-long-beach
• Other: www.weddingwire.com/biz/la-petite-photo/40c880df42ffc7ac.html

Image Credits
La Petite Photo