Interview with Pat Hermann

Interview with Pat Hermann, newborn photographer

1. When did you first get into photography?

I first got into photography in 2013. I received a Nikon Cool Pix camera for a birthday present as I needed a camera for my graphic design classes as I was pursing a graphic design degree in college. I immediately fell in love with taking pictures when I started using it for assignments. I started out as just hobbying, and then eventually started shooting family pictures for friends.

 

2. How often do you create personal work vs. work for a client?

I create both pretty equally. I model call for newborns quite frequently to implement fun sets and ideas I want to test out. Work-wise for a client, I usually have 6-8 newborns that come into my studio a month. I offer Grow With Me packages as well for my clients to capture baby in their whole first year.

 

3. You shoot mainly newborns and newborns with mom/family. How did you decide you wanted to focus on newborn photography?

I have worked in childcare for over 8 years now. I constantly had people ask me if I took "baby pictures". I was always so nervous, especially to handle a newborn! Even though I work with babies ranging from 6 weeks-15 months of age everyday at my day job. So, I finally decided to take the plunge and try it out. Now I have photographed over 100 newborns. I love the pure joy & happiness babies bring, along with the fun challenge, and also creating little sets for them to bring out their tininess and newness.  I love how each newborn I photograph is vastly different from the last. They all have their own little personalities and features.

 

4. Describe the perfect photoshoot.

My perfect photoshoot would be a baby that heavily sleeps through a whole session. Not making one peep, and allowing me to pose them perfectly. I am such a perfectionist and want each shot to be perfect. I shoot, then adjust baby, shoot, then adjust baby until I get them exactly how I want them. I'd love to be able to have a newborn session on a beach. Beautiful outside scenery, while allowing it to be hot enough for baby to be warm and comfortable.

 

5. What camera and lighting gear do you use?

I currently use a Nikon D610. I am hoping to upgrade to a Nikon D750 soon. In studio, an especially newborns I shoot with a sigma art 35mm. The most crisp lens I have ever used. It's so sharp and allows all of babies features to be in great focus. I use Paul C. Buff's Alien Bee 400 strobe, with an 86 inch plm. In the past I have used a 51 inch plm & 64 inch plm as well. Plm is an umbrella system. I use only one light on the left side of baby to allow highlights and shadows to stream down baby's head to accent all of his/her features. I also shoot families outside during fall. I normally use my 70-200 sigma outside. Its long barrel allows for amazing, creamy bokeh when shooting close to 200. I rarely am outside though since I mainly do newborn.

 

6. Do you have any assistants or do you work mainly on your own?

I do not use assistants. The only time I do is when I am shooting twins, or multiple newborns. It allows for an extra hand when I work with both of them at once, and also if one baby is fussy, my assistant cane take over and comfort them while I move on with the other twin. When I have a single baby, I spot myself and am fine. I self spot for the froggy pose since its a comp. The 35mm allows me to be in arms reach of the baby, another reason why I love that leans ;)

 

7. Do you have any methods for advertising and gaining clients?

Word of mouth is key. 90% of my clients are word of mouth. I advertise on Facebook, and boost a post every now and then, but its definitely a hit or miss. I do a couple mini sessions throughout the year... Easter, Mothers Day, and Christmas. Mini sessions are a huge way to draw in new clientele. People love minis because of the low price, therefore you get new clients in the long run, even though they are not a money maker. The Clientele you gain is worth it big time in the long run.

 

8. Do you have any advice for aspiring photographers?

Go for it! You will never know until you try! I started shooting newborns in November 2015. I have worked extremely hard to get where I am today. Nothing happens all at once, it takes time and you have to work hard for it. I started out by traveling to clients homes, and now I have my own studio space. I have been discouraged plenty of time, but it gives me that much more drive and that much more fight to keep going. I always say to myself... "A comfort zone is a wonderful place, but nothing every grows there." A great motto to live by, especially when in the photography world :)

View Pat's Facebook here.