Our featured photographer this week is Karen Obrist from Karen Obrist Photography in Seattle, Washington. We first heard about Karen through our friend Krystal at ProDPI, and her work is bright, fun and engaging. Check out more below.
How did you get started in photography?
I started photography back in good old high school in the darkroom. I took my first shots with a pinhole camera I made in class and then from there pursued a degree in photography at Brooks Institute!
What has contributed to your success?
Lots of shooting, especially second shooting weddings with other photographers in the area. This not only helped me gain a ton of knowledge in the wedding industry, but also helped me network with other photographers and learn the pros and cons of running your own business. I still and will always continue to work with other photographers as I think it helps keep me fresh and I take something away from each wedding I do. Seattle has an incredible talent pool of photographers, but the community is so welcoming, so that has definitely helped me succeed. I seriously owe all my success in the wedding industry in Seattle to other photographers in the area that took a chance on me photographing a wedding alongside them when I didn’t have a ton of experience doing that.
Specific people that have really helped me in the industry are Heather and Jon Almeda from One Love Photo, Catherine Abegg and Dana Pleasant. You should also go look up all their work because they are amazing photographers! Connections are great, but friendships are better, and I’m fortunate to call so many talented photographers in this area friends. They give me advice, share tools that have helped them and most of all are supportive of me and my work, which is extremely humbling and helps drive me to continue to be better at what I create.
What is the most important thing for your continued success?
Always stay grounded and humble. Growing up in Nebraska, I feel as though I really got lucky because most people in the Midwest are kind, humble and lead simpler lives. I was surrounded by so many great friends and family members that have believed in everything I did, from dancing oh so not gracefully for a few years to watching me go to photography school to run after my dream.
What’s the best business advice you’ve ever received?
Follow your gut and charge what you know you’re worth. Sometimes you’ll meet with clients that your personalities and styles don’t mesh well with, and that’s OKAY. Not every client is your client. It’s better to send them off to someone else you think might be a better fit then to just book them because you “need the money.” The reality is that when it comes to someone’s wedding day, you want to make sure that you make a great team together to then have the best outcome. Be honest with them – if their expectations are unrealistic for your business; let them know so that you are always on the same page. Communication is the key to success.
Coming straight out of photo school we were coached on charging what we’re worth because our job is important and expensive and hard. You just like everyone else need to make a living, so make sure to not be cheating yourself or burning yourself out just to book weddings. It’s ALWAYS slow as crickets in the beginning, but you have to have patience and believe in yourself. You will eventually start booking the weddings you want, but make sure to put out the type of client work you want to help you book the weddings or portraits you’re striving to do. I set myself up for success in the beginning with my pricing structure taking into consideration my education and also knowing that I had a lack of real world experience with weddings on my own, so I made sure to put myself in the right bracket. Just remember that your talent is one of a kind and is worth a heck of a lot and anyone would be lucky to collaborate with you because you’re AWESOME.
What is most important in your photography?
I mentioned this earlier, but staying fresh and continuing to challenge yourself is vital. Going outside of your comfort zone is scary but always rewarding in the end. You need to fail and fail again and again in order to get better. If you see something you want to shoot, don’t hesitate and go after it. Even if it totally sucks at least you TRIED. Support the people you look up to and surround yourself with great people and you will be great.
For more information on Karen Obrist Photography, visit her website, or follow her on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
All images © Karen Obrist Photography.
