“There’s only so much of me to go around.”
Karen Marie owns Belly Beautiful, a successful professional photography studio in California. Focusing primarily on maternity and newborn sessions, she works hard to make sure her clients get the best experience possible. Here, she runs through her process from start to finish.
“Most of our clients are referrals from other clients. We haven’t had to do any marketing in eleven years.”
0:27 Maternity Session Weather
1:01 Who is Karen Marie?
2:20 Where does the experience start?
3:41 How do you handle “the question”?
4:59 Be Prepared
6:36 The Second Part
9:14 The Butterfly
10:50 It Sounds Like a Spa
12:27 Honing in on Actual Printing
13:50 The Reveal and the Order
16:05 The Payment Process
17:41 Social Media and Going Viral
21:51 The Best Thing
23:07 Helping Others Avoid Pitfalls
25:24 Where Can People Find Karen Marie?
26:42 The Importance of Providing an Amazing Experience
“My maternity shoot is the reason why I’m doing what I do now. I felt amazing. So, I want to provide that for each one of my clients.”
In my previous career, I was a labor and delivery nurse and a childbirth educator. I feel as though my experience in the medical field as well as being a mom to 3 children, gives me a unique insight in the handling of all babies; preemies through multiples.
My attention to detail, passion for photography, and owning fine art printing equipment is what develops my art into a superior heirloom product. “What is this family’s style of art? Do I have a headband/hat for this baby that matches their interests? Is the wrap lying just right on the baby? Are the baby’s fingers perfectly straight?” These are just some of the thoughts that race through my mind when I’m planning your custom Belly Beautiful experience.
I have gone to great lengths to invest in props, headbands, hats, maternity gowns, fabrics, backdrops etc. so that everyone who chooses Belly Beautiful for capturing their precious moments, will have full access to my studio as well as the peace of mind. Knowing that each of the thousands of babies who have been photographed by Belly Beautiful always has our undivided attention and safety in mind at all times. This is why I have assistants who I personally train to handle the safety of your baby.
People do not come to me for just pictures; they come to get the Belly Beautiful experience so that we can capture a short, perfect moment in time with beauty and emotion so that it can be cherished. I love documenting precious milestones such as pregnancy and the wee early moments in life.