Today we’d like to introduce you to Judith Soule.
Hi Judith, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’d love to say that my photography journey started because I had this irrepressible urge to create beautiful photos… but unfortunately everything got going out of a sense of desperation.
March of 2009, I had two small babies, was going through a terrible divorce, and had to figure out how to make a living. From where I was sitting, there seemed to be two options: 1 – go get a “real job” and put my babies in daycare for 10 hours a day, or 2 – make this photography thing “work”.
I photographed my first wedding two weeks after having my daughter, and haven’t looked back since!
Some would say that I “got lucky” with my photography, but the truth is that I made a commitment that I was going to make photography work no matter what. And that meant that I wasn’t too good to say no to any paid photography jobs.
This philosophy led me to some very interesting gigs: photographing a go-go bar competition, doing “headshots” for a guy against his shower curtain… lots of stories, but ultimately everything I did helped me grow and become a better photographer. In 2012, I started teached at the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), and that was pivotal in helping me feel confidant as a photographer, and now as an instructor.
The first couple of years helped me refine my work and get to a place where I was happier with the work I was producing. I realized that I wanted to focus my work on weddings and couples photography, and spent the majority of my career capturing love stories for some of the most amazing people!
In 2014 my handsome hubby Eric came on the business as my second in command (and second-shooter extraordinaire), and we became a kick-ass wedding photography duo. It was so much fun to spend wedding days (which are super romantic) with my husband, and capturing all the fun of the wedding day together.
Plus – what other job can you go to work and eat cake every time?!
As much fun as weddings were to photograph, I started to dislike how much time it was taking away from my family.
And then came COVID-19, which shut down the whole world, and big weddings weren’t a thing for a while (whomp whomp). For my business, it seemed like a natural time to transition away from the world of weddings and figure out what the next chapter would be.
Enter – the branding photographer era.
I discovered a true love of working with women business owners and entrepreneurs. I am a natural hype woman, and love getting to cheer my clients on and help show them exactly how amazing they are through the photos we take.
These days, you can still find me teaching at MOCA, as well as the Hermitage Museum and Gardens. I love working with photography students of all levels, and really enjoy seeing that lightbulb moment when something clicks.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Oh man – this has not a smooth road at all!
The challenge of trying to build a profitable business, while raising tiny humans, AND trying to have a social life… not for the faint of heart.
At the time, I made the best decisions I could – which usually meant I was booked and working (just about) every weekend. In my mind, if I was busy and working a lot, that meant that I was making money and providing for my family.
However, one thing I did not take into account was the fact that I was sacrificing time with my family, and I ended up missing school talent shows, baseball games, open houses, etc.
As you know, we’re big fans of Fresh Look Photography. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I specialize in creating kick-ass headshots for women business owners and entrepreneurs who want to create that scroll-stopping image in order to create that know, like, and trust factor with clients.
No matter who is in front of the camera – I am going to be your biggest cheerleader! I want everyone to walk away from a session with me feeling like a million bucks! Fresh Look Photography clients are going to be treated to a VIP day, and walk away with a full gallery of images that are joyful, bright, and FUN.
I’ve been running my business since March of 2009, and one of the reasons I am so successful is because I have a pretty good head for the business side of things. As artists, a lot of us are REALLY talented when it comes to our craft (photography, painting, etc), but a lot of creatives ride the struggle bus when it comes to running a successful and profitable business.
As I said before – my philosophy from the beginning was that I am not too good to say no to paying work.
These days, it’s easy to say “I don’t want to work with this person” or “this company won’t give me what I’m worth”… and that may be true, but how can you turn that mentality around to make it a win for that person/business as well as yourself?
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
Virginia Beach is my hometown – I was born and raised here – and absolutely love it!
I’ve got a lot of hometown pride, and really like the diversity in Hampton Roads, as well as the fact that the small business community here is really tight-knit and supportive of each other.
Pricing:
- Full Branding Session – $1575
- Power Hour Brand Session – $675
- Studio Headshots – $275
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.judithsfreshlook.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freshlookphotog/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FreshLookPhotog
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/judith-soule-927ba264/
