We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Michelle Robertson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Michelle below.
Michelle , thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?
This is a no brainer for sure! Haha, I get my resilience from my parents. My father had cancer all throughout me growing up but he never let it get in the way of anything he did. Even on some of the days he didn’t feel his best he still showed up and you would’ve never known he was struggling. All the way up until the weekend before he passed away, he was there helping me get settled back into college. I saw how he recovered from every chemotherapy session and got right back to living life as if he wasn’t even going through anything. My mother, after losing her father and a few years later losing her husband, my father, she continued to be the best mother and be there for me as I continued with college. She continued to smile, enjoy life and be there for my brothers and I. She never stopped showing up no matter how she was feeling that day. She was able to spring back to life after all she endured and losing the love of her life that she had been married to since she was 18. My parents exuded resilience not just in these instances, but all throughout my life. They taught us to get back up no matter what we go through and to keep showing up and giving our all because the world does not stop.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I am Shots by Mimi, a Houston based Photographer. I specialize in portraits, family, maternity, graduation, content, and product photography. I also do event and small weddings upon request. I enjoy capturing moments for my clients that they will be able to cherish for a lifetime. Photos are so important to me and I believe that there are moments we want to remember forever, so photographs are the best way to capture those moments. My work, my perspective is unique compared to others and that is what sets me aside from other photographers. I tailor my edits to what look the client is going for, or sometimes I go with a more creative eye to my edits when the client allows. I love to showcase my creative abilities so when the opportunity presents itself I enjoy those moments. I also enjoy art, so I find pleasure in creating artistic photography with different artists. I am really focused on growing my business. My goal is to work more with artist and models and collaborate with brands in the near future. I want to showcase my abilities beyond the day to day norm that we are used to seeing.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Looking back on my journey, networking, practice, and confidence were honestly the most impactful. I had to get out there and start talking to people, attending events, and get out of my own shell. In order for me to get more clients, projects, and bookings I had to learn how not to be shy and that made a huge difference in where I am now. PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE! It did not matter how many YouTube videos I watched, how many books I read, how many classes I took, if I did not practice then it did not help at all. Practicing was the only thing that was improving my work and my skills in general. Confidence; this is one of the biggest things. You have to have confidence in your own work or you will just quit. There were so many times that I got compliments on my work and I would turn it down, but this helped me continue to push through once I realized that I had to get the confidence in my own work and compliment myself. My advice would be learn how to network and what areas to network in. Imagine yourself in the place you want to be in your business and network in those areas. Start practicing your skills to better them and improve. Believe in yourself because even if no one else does, at least you will and that will keep you going.
Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?
Someone who knows which poses to hit and how to flow throughout the shoot. This person feels comfortable behind the lens and isn’t afraid to try new poses or be creative with it. They are open to suggestions and new ideas. They exude confidence and tell a story through the lens.
Contact Info:
- Website: shotsbymimi.com
- Instagram: @shotsbymimi_htx
- Facebook: facebook.com/ShotsbyMimi
