We are fortunate to have worked with many photographers for long enough to have watched as they've grown within their craft. Marissa Boucher is one of those talented photographers, and makes it look easy, since she lives and breathes photography while empowering others from behind the camera. We're excited to have the opportunity to share about her inspiring work as a professional boudoir photographer and educator in this creative industry. Enjoy!
Tell us a little bit about your background in photography.
"I focus mainly on boudoir photography and I also love photographing musicians (I live in Nashville now even though my studio is in San Diego). I fell in love with film photography and the dark room when I was 12 at summer camp! I was hooked. Ten years later I had a portrait studio up and running and I loved focusing on women. I loved how excited they got when they saw their images and they continued to come back over and over. In 2005, at 22 years old I launched my brand 'The Boudoir Divas' and haven't looked back since!"
Your education involves not only photography but inspiration and creativity. Where is your inspiration derived from?
"My inspiration is derived from imagination and a childlike sense of wonder. It's easy to let that wane as we get older and I work hard to keep it alive. I think that's one of our biggest purposes as photographers.
I also want to remind photographers that it's easy to compare yourself (your work, your brand, your profits) to other photographers. But try not to do that. It's wonderful to learn and get inspiration from others but it should serve you not hurt you. You can create anything you can fully visualize - our imaginations are powerful tools. I'm not saying it won't be hard, but it will be worth it. My studio has photographed over 4000 amazing women. Many of them flying in from all over the world. Create a unique photography experience and learn how to showcase that experience and marry it with a fun and trustworthy brand. The sky's the limit! Serve your clients well and they will tell everyone they know about you."
Which Bay Photo products do you choose to offer your clients, and use for your business?
"I use so many of your products in so many different ways. For our clients we want to keep the options simple. Our base collection includes a 5x7 Press Printed BayBook and we work to upgrade them to a Pacific Album. I love selling Framed and Matted Prints for wall art. Especially black and whites. They are so timeless and classic. We also offer MetalPrints and gorgeous Wood Boxes.
We use MetalPrints for signage, love the Brochures, and Thank You Cards, oh and especially their Tri-Fold Cards. I use Wallet Prints to create cute inspiration takeaways."
How do you display and sell your work?
"We used to operate in 6000 square feet. I know! Crazy right?! We put the art we wanted to sell EVERYwhere. When we wanted to move 2 blocks from the beach we had to downsize massively. I wouldn't trade our new 600 square feet studio for anything, but we need to be very deliberate about how and where we hang and display our art for sale. What we want to sell the most is what we have hanging and displayed all the time, the other stuff we pull out for all sales viewings."
Congrats on your recent website redesign launch! What is the next step for you and your business?
"Thank you! We're getting ready to launch a big giveaway. It's how we collect contact info to sell packages down the road to those that enter the giveaway. In fact I'm hosting a FREE 5 day "Get Bookings" challenge where I teach this strategy. Just 25 minutes a day might help you fill your calendar. We will even be giving away an awesome Bay product every day!
You can learn more about it here."
Any other thoughts or words of advice for our community of photographers?
"I wanted to share this super fun project we did recently.
A photographer gave us the keys to her space to totally revamp the studio. This is an example of the many episodes and tutorials that I have in my membership area. I've given it the fun name, 'Marissa's World' because it has resources on all the subjects I'm passionate about: shooting, lighting, posing, marketing, branding, business, sales, editing, video, and more."
Special Thanks to Marissa Boucher
The foundation of Marissa Boucher's business model is built on a belief that every woman should have an empowering photography experience. That mission is what ignites her passion to equip as many photographers as possible to do just that! To learn more about The Boudoir Divas, and for more information about a 10-day trial with access to 40+ tutorials, visit this page.