Today we’d like to introduce you to Peggy Warny.
Peggy, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I’ve loved photography since I was a kid. I bought my first 35mm camera when I was 12 years old using my lawn mowing and babysitting money I saved up (Pentax K 1000). My mom agreed to pay for developing one roll of film per week through a mailing service— so I could take 36 pictures every single week! I bought books and magazines I studied and I learned how to use the settings in my camera.
I would keep a notebook and write down settings that I tried so that the following week when my developed prints came back I could sit down with my notebook and see how it looked and what adjustments I had to make. I always love taking pictures of people, of course, I took some landscape pictures and some flowers, pictures of my pets… But what I love was taking pictures of people. I would study magazines like Time and National Geographic and look at the expressions that the photographers captured.
I grew up in the Midwest, and after I graduated from high school I moved to Oklahoma and I interned with a well known and respected wedding photographer, Kevin Hurdelbrink -Portraits by Kevin. He taught me lighting, posing, composition… he taught me the importance of the entire photo session experience, how to interact with clients and put them at ease so you can draw out the emotion you want to capture. Now obviously, that can only be taught to a certain point the rest of it just has to be part of your nature… fortunately for me, that came very naturally.
After working with Kevin I worked for a couple of other photographers, I train photographers for a while for a corporate chain. Then in 1994 I moved to Northern Arizona and I open my first studio- Portraits by Peggy. I had the training, now it was time to get that needed experience. As time went on I built a very thriving photography business and became a high-end portrait photographer. I specialized in babies, twins triplets, people with handicaps and disabilities both physically and mentally. I did a lot of big groups, families, weddings, and events. In 2002 I moved to San Diego, I open my portrait studio and it quickly grew. And then just a few years later a series of events happened almost simultaneously. The economy crashed, which left a lot of people not having money budgeted for luxuries like family portraits or baby portraits.
About the same time cameras were becoming very popular in cell phones. And also at the same time, DSLR camera‘s were released to the market at an affordable price. My industry was changing and it was changing very fast! I had changed from film to digital early on, so I wasn’t behind the learning curve like a lot of professional photographers, but that didn’t change the fact that now “Uncle Joe” bought a new camera and all of the sudden, even though he had no training, no experience, and no idea -he was a “professional photographer”. So almost overnight my thriving business dwindled to just a handful of regulars. I tried several things to keep up, drum up new business… But being a photographer was no longer what it used to be!
And I had to make some pretty serious decisions pretty quick! I had never had a “real job” in my life, no training in anything other than photography, some business training because I owned and ran my own business but I didn’t feel confident to step out into the business world… nor was I interested in doing that. So I started doing corporate headshots. The professional world seems to understand that they needed a professional look and they were willing to pay for it. Don’t get me wrong, I love doing photography and photographing people in any area, however corporate Headshots did not let me express my artistic needs. About four years ago we moved to Los Angeles, I started doing Talent Headshots regularly. I realized that an actor needed something special in their headshots, that even though it was just a headshot it would push my limits creatively.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Headshots by Peggy – what should we know?
There are many kinds of photographers, we all use the same tool… a camera, but past that we all possess a very different set of skills and talents. I moved from being a portrait photographer to specializing in headshot photography about four years ago. I work hard to make sure that the finished images that I give me clients are effective and will help them market themselves and accomplish the goal they have set. I am very honored to have so many repeat clients and know that my business grows based on the wonderful word of mouth my clients give me.
What sets me apart from other photographers is the fact that I’m willing to go the extra mile, this isn’t just a job to me it’s actually my passion. I spend hours watching videos and learning about marketing for actors. I take acting workshops, I make sure I stay current with industry standards and trends. I realize that an actor’s Headshot is the biggest part of their marketing strategy and it’s my responsibility to know how to work with each one of my clients to make sure that they get an effective Headshot that can get them in the door. This is accomplished by being able to bring out their macro expressions and capturing them.
Knowing how to combine that with proper lighting, posing, background, clothing and making sure all of those factors fall into place to create an effective Headshot that accurately shows that actor’s casting type. I only succeed when my clients succeed! I know that it’s a tough business, and so I have been uploading weekly vlogs for over two years with the intention of Encouraging, Inspiring & Education people in the industry. I talk about headshots, what to do with your headshots once you get them taken, I also have an amazing guest on that share lots of great acting tips and advice for people at all different levels in their career. I have had well know veterans actors and directions such as Stephen Tobolowski, Bill Duke, A Martinez, and Frank Collison to name a few, this vlog is uploaded to my FB page, YouTube & my Website every Thursday.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I have a natural gift coupled with years of experience that allows me to connect to my clients quickly, put them at ease and help them to bring out the emotions that I want to capture.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.HeadshotsByPeggy.com
- Phone: 213.616.8100
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/headshotsbypeggy/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PortraitsByPeggy
- Twitter: @PeggyWarny
Image Credit:
All images were taken by Headshots By Peggy
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