Happy Thursday, all! You are definitely in for a treat, as today’s featured photographer is Stephanie Piscitelli of Bellini Portraits. Just looking at Stephanie’s work will send you floating into a tranquil land of soft, warm light. You’ll see what I mean in just a bit, but her pictures truly have a dreamland quality to them that’ll make you feel calm and excited all at once.
About Stephanie: Stephanie Piscitelli is one of Boston’s most sought after photographers for newborn, children’s and family portraits. In business since 2007, her name and brand have become synonymous with creamy, soft, airy imagery. Stephanie’s work has been featured on popular photography blogs such as Clickin’ Moms, Evoking You, Reverie Mine, The Lens Loves, Inspire Me Baby, Lemonade & Lenses, The Fort, Little Bellows, Dreamer Journal and Rock the Shot.
Most notably, she was one of three photographers asked to contribute to the e-book, “For the Love”, by world renowned photographer Barb Uil of Jinky Art. Stephanie’s commercial work includes fashion photography for The Measure, Little Goodall, and for numerous newborn accessory designers. Her work for The Measure was featured in German children’s magazine “Kids Life”. Stephanie is a regular contributor to Baystate Parent Magazine with 2 fashion editorial spreads and 7 magazine covers under her belt.
Peek into Stephanie’s world with our Q & A:
When did you first realize you wanted to be a photographer?
It was 1995 — when I stood in the darkroom of a lab/studio I worked in for a Long Island portrait photographer — that I knew I had to have photography in my life some way, some how. The rush that I felt when I saw my print coming to life, underneath the red light, was incredible. I literally had to catch my breath–it was an amazing feeling.
When and how did you start out in photography?
It took a lot of soul searching, but I knew in order to make my dream of being of a portrait photographer a reality I would have to put 100% of myself into starting my business. So, in 2006, I decided to leave a job that I loved as an art buyer (producing photo shoots for advertising), get a beautiful and professional website up, and start building a stronger portfolio. In early 2007, I bought my first DSLR and it all began from there! It was the best decision I’ve ever made!
How would you describe your style?
Soft, airy, dreamy.
What’s in your gear bag?
Canon Mark III (Mark II back up), 85mm 1.2L, 50mm 1.2L, 24-70mm 2.8L, 100mm 2.8L
What’s one lens you can’t live without?
I shoot most often with my 50, but I’m not sure I could ever life without the 85. It’s really an incredible lens. But being a close shooter, it’s hard to have my 85 on all the time. Therefore, I guess I’d have to say my 50!
How did know when the right time to start charging was?
I actually charged from the very beginning. Before I started full time shooting, I was shooting film so I needed to cover my costs for film and processing. It was a couple of years into shooting full time that I started raising prices for prints.
How much did you charge for your first session and how much are you charging for the same type of session now?
In the beginning I was charging $200 for the session including proofs and the negatives! Now, I charge $350 for a session and that doesn’t include prints or digital negatives.
How did you market yourself when you started out?
It was really just word of mouth. I did one Daily Candy advertisement (which brought me only one inquiry/client) and a few parent paper ads, which I don’t believe generated any inquires or bookings. I quickly realized that advertising was not going to benefit me. The best advertising you can get is your happy client telling all of her friends about how fabulous you are! 😉
We are going to play a game. Name the first person who comes to mind with each type of photographer. Write down the first person — no cheating!
- Newborn photographer: Carrie & Britt
- Wedding photographer: Jose Villa
- Lifestyle photographer: Tara Whitney
- Most inspiration person: Anyone who can be bright and positive in the light of adversity
Did you go to school for photography or were you self- taught? If self-taught, what helped you the most?
I was self taught and, as I mentioned I started with film when I was very young. Learning digital wasn’t a huge leap for me, as I already was already comfortable with shooting manually, but there was still a lot of trial and error. Making the change from shooting JPG to RAW, getting a better camera that can handle really low light situations, etc. Luckily the Internet provides endless amounts of information! I wasn’t aware of photography forums when I started out and didn’t have the luxury of Facebook photography groups, both of which are great places for getting informed answers as well as constructive criticism.
What has been some of the hardest things to overcome in your business?
Finding a separation between work and my personal life. I find that I’ve let it become all consuming. It’s so hard for me to shut my office door and walk away from work. There needs to be more of a balance and, even though I know this, I still find it very hard to do.
Do you have any tips for photographers just starting out?
Educate yourself! Really know your camera before going into business; you will not thrive overnight. It will undoubtedly take time to build a reputable portfolio, to create your brand, to become who you are as an artist. Have fun in this learning process. Take your time — do it right!
If for some reason you couldn’t be a photographer, what do you think you would be?
Professional traveler 😉 Otherwise there is nothing else I’d rather be doing!
What’s the best lesson in photography — business or shooting — that you’ve learned so far?
This is a great question. I do believe that you can burn out from shooting too much, and, on the flip, you can really loose your passion when you aren’t shooting enough. However, getting some time off and then returning to your love of photography can really ignite that passion for shooting again. We kept getting slammed with rainy days up here in the beginning of the summer. Many shoots had to be rescheduled around an already busy personal schedule. With that there were many days between sessions and I was starting to feel indifferent. Getting back behind the camera and reviewing my sessions? It was like a breath of fresh air. I feel invigorated again — and that’s a really good feeling 🙂
Find Stephanie Piscitelli online:
