Rising Stars: Meet Julie Sterk of Los Angeles

Today we’d like to introduce you to Julie Sterk.

Hi Julie, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
It all started with me wanting to photograph my new born, while I was on maternity leave from my career of 20 years. So I took to the internet and enrolled in a few photography classes and editing classes. I was not looking for a career shift; I just wanted to take nice portraits of my baby. While I was enrolled in some classes, I started seeing classes for boudoir photography and thought how amazing it was for women to do this. I didn’t know a single person who had a boudoir session and I thought, why not learn! I photographed my friends and decided to run an ad and boom overnight I had a inbox full of women who wanted to have a session! It was scary. I created a process and a workflow that I still use to this day. At a certain point it became serious and I took it more seriously. I’ve always been a go-getter and pivoting from my corporate career to becoming a photographer was scary and crazy but I felt it was possible. I had the most amazing support from my husband and family and looking back on my origin story, I’m so proud of myself. I’ve built an amazing 2nd career, I have more time with my family, I can travel when I want and the impact I have on the clients I get to service adds tremendous meaning to my 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?
It was not always a smooth road. I had 2 major struggles early on that really taught me self-worth, value and perseverance. The first one was once I actually had do this full time, I didn’t know where to start or what to focus on and for a good 6 months I felt like I was fluttering around. I was taking classes on marketing, how to attract clients, how to run a Facebook ad, how to build a website, how to do specific editing techniques and I was frustrated. I wasn’t getting clients as easily anymore and women would want the moon for $1. I didn’t have the capital to outsource things out so I could focus on the actual photography, so I had to learn it all. It was a slow process trying to do 10 things at once. The 2nd major struggle was COVID. Once COVID hit, I actually put my camera away for 6-8 months. No one really wanted a session in early-mid 2020 but I had a client who had pre-paid her session and we were coming up on her deadline. For months we pushed the date back because LA hadn’t opened up yet. Finally, with the counsel of my family, I decided to open again. I built a shield for my camera and I had protection measures in place for my sessions. It was scary to start again after so long, but it was amazing! I think when I finally reopened, women were tired of being home, tired of being teachers to their kids, tired of constantly cleaning up after people, I know I was, and so once I opened back up, my business just took off. I was booked every month, I got my own studio and am grateful for each moment that got me to where I am today.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I specialize in giving women permission to want to feel and look sexy through photography. She can be fully dressed, completely nude or anywhere in between and she will love her experience! Boudoir photography, at least with me, is not about what you are wearing, but it’s about how you feel. Most of my clients are nervous, scared, are out of their comfort zone but they all have one thing in common – they want to be in touch with the side of them that is sexier than their normal everyday self! I am wonderful at creating a safe space for anyone to explore who they want to be during their session. My session days are filled with nerves, giggles. Laughter and amazingly sexy portraits. I created a process that handholds every client through the entire experience, through phone calls, prep guides, advice, collaboration and more. I am your hype girl throughout the day as well. I’m so excited when that shot shows off a deep arch, a soft touch, that exhale, the beautiful light cascading into my studio and I can’t wait to show my clients their images throughout the session! I am most proud of the process that I’ve built and the experience I have created.

What sets me apart from others is simply me. I am unlike most photographers! I’m all about empowerment but I grately feel unexperienced photographers go that route – screaming empowerment from the rooftops. Boudoir is not only about empowerment. It is about self acceptance, being seen, feeling a certain way, finding a part of oneself that is either put aside for various reasons (motherhood for example) or needs to be ignited, it’s about giving a vulnerable gift to someone, doing something brave and tapping into a side that just wants to have fun too. I’m a woman first and everything else second! I’m a wife for 20+ years and I’m a mom. My universe revolves around my family: I’m a chauffeur to my kids, I go to sports practices, sports games, plan birthday parties, fight with my parter, love my partner, get mad at my kids, have a week and a weekend that makes people without kids second guess if they want kids HA! And after that, I’m everything else. I have a full life and can relate to every client in some way, whether they are newly engaged, getting married, having kids, single and/or going through a family situation. My unique relatability is my superpower!

What was your favorite childhood memory?
I have too many amazing childhood memories. I had 2 parents who loved me and nurtured my hobbies, my creativity and my dreams. I felt I could go to the moon if I wanted to. If I wanted to be treated like an adult (at a certain age), I had to behave like one. I was never told “you can’t have” I was always tasked with how I could earn it. I knew I had a seat at the table, so to speak, and my thoughts and ideas were never shut down. I was probably in a bubble, but I always knew I had a support network within my family. My dad used to always say to me and my brothers: “I may not always agree with you but I will always support you”.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.adorelavie.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adorelavieboudoir/
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@adorelavieboudoir