Meet Renee Bowen of Renee Bowen Photography in Santa Clarita

Today we’d like to introduce you to Renee Bowen.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Renee. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I am a nationally published Photographer based in the suburbs of Los Angeles, CA.
A Louisiana native, I found my place amongst the stars in 1995 and have been here ever since. Los Angeles was never going to be my final destination – it was initially just a stop along the way … but I met my husband not long after moving here, and since he is an actor, LA eventually did become home!

My father is a photographer, so I grew up shooting film, but never planned on making this my career. I had many interests growing up and eventually earned my BA in Psychology from LSU. It wasn’t until my first son was born that I rekindled my love of photography. He became my muse, along with my twins who were born two years later. I eventually made the switch to digital and the rest is history … I began shooting weddings and family portraits, but I’m most known nowadays for my upscale fashion-inspired High School Senior Portraiture.

I very much wanted to create a niche for myself – one that would allow me to use my love of fashion and my creativity – to bring life to a genre that was not focused on here in SoCal. Senior Portraits were a big thing in the South and even the Midwest, but it wasn’t really a “thing” here at all …. so back in 2007, I decided to launch that part of my business. I wanted it to be special – and experience – something far more than just pictures. The hair and makeup artist I work with has been with me since those early days as well! Even though I have shot everything from celebrities to how-to books and everything in between, it’s my High School Seniors who get most of my attention … I just adore working with them!

My greatest accomplishment is the connection I have – and foster – with my clients. These are not simply people who come and go…. they are friends & cohorts…. relationships that far exceed just a family portrait or senior portraits, or even a wedding. My clients become family, and the bulk of my business is from their referrals. I am focused on creating and maintaining these connections while producing exceptional editorial quality work.

Great, 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?
Definitely not! Business ownership is a wild ride that’s for sure – especially when you have NO business background! I literally had to teach myself everything about owning a small business and it was not an easy road for me; I did it all while raising three kids as well. Luckily I’m a quick learner, but that’s not to say there were no struggles. Besides honing my photography skills and keeping up to date with editing, there was marketing, planning, invoicing, client relations …. the list goes on and on. I had NO idea when I started how much work and hustle this would be! I’m grateful for it, though, because I learned so much along the way. And now, I get to teach other photographers! I love mentoring fledgling photographers – saving them time and energy while passing on knowledge is thrilling to me.

Renee Bowen Photography – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I’m definitely most proud of my High School Seniors …. they are the heartbeat of my company. As mentioned earlier, this has been my favorite part of my photography journey. I love being able to give them an unforgettable experience that is not only uplifting but also yields beautiful images – that MEAN something.

I always say that what I do is “way more than just pictures” …. and what I mean is that what we do for our clients goes far above and beyond a typical portrait sitting. I spend time with each one, making sure they are completely prepped and ready for their session. We collaborate on locations/wardrobe/makeup – to make sure their experience is UNIQUE and all about them. I want to bring out their personalities and show all the different sides of them; I want them to unfold and trust me …. so that we can create something amazing together.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
There are so many of these …. it’s hard to nail it down to just one. I love that I’m now shooting the weddings of my past High School Seniors … and babies! What a gift to be able to document all of these incredible moments for them and their families!

But I think my proudest moment is working with Lulu Cerone. Lulu is 18 years old and I’ve been shooting her headshots since she was 12 or so …. she’s an incredible young woman. She created Lemonade Warriors when she was just 10 years old (and has raised thousands for charity) – and now has written and published a book – that teaches young people how to be a philanthropist. The book is called “Philanthroparties” (available on Amazon) and she asked me to shoot this for her. Every image in the book is shot by me and I am SO proud of the work we did together. It was yet another chance for me to stretch my creative muscles.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.reneebowen.com
• Phone: 661-505-8470
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reneebowen/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ReneeBowenPhotography/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/ReneeBowen
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/renee-bowen-photography-santa-clarita
• Other: https://www.youtube.com/user/yourphotogurl

Image Credit:
Hair and Makeup by Jami Cox
Models: Taylor Husman, Maddie Sosa, Caryn Johnson, Lauren Smith, Jessica Horowitz, Presley Sinderman, Georgia Storm and Bailey Allen

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.