Inspiring Conversations with Kristy Lehman of Kristy Lehman Photography

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristy Lehman

Hi Kristy, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My life has been dedicated to the arts! I am thankful for supportive parents and wonderful teachers as a child. I remember my parents hiring an interior designer that lived in our neighborhood to visit our house weekly and teach me art classes. As a teenager I switched to a different high school that offered more art classes knowing I wanted to pursue an art career.

My dedication to the arts has been a lifetime pursuit. I have always loved how art can transcend to different mediums because the possibilities are endless! My photographs are known for dreamy cotton candy skies; this is a common thread from my watercolor paintings in high school that were displayed in art shows at the Arvada Art Center and won the Congressional Art Award. In high school I recall dashing outside with my Kodak film camera to capture memorable sunsets and mesmerizing storm clouds.

I continued my education with a Bachelor’s degree in Art from Colorado State University and a concentration in Graphic Design, graduating with honors. During this time I enjoyed a wide scope of fundamental art classes; photography, drawing, painting, sculpture, fibers, graphic design and art history. At an internship with CSU international students, I worked with individuals from over 150 different countries to create artwork that transcended age, nationality, race and language. I graduated top 4 in my class and my graphic design poster was displayed in the Curfman Gallery at CSU. One fun note, if you ever find yourself enjoying a scoop of ice cream at Ben & Jerry’s in Old Town Fort Collins, I painted the mural that is sitting behind you!

Prior to becoming a Photographer, my professional life as a Graphic Designer took me up and down the Front Range of Colorado. In the Denver Tech Center, I designed million-dollar pharmaceutical projects for GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis, and Wyeth for clients from Japan to Australia. I also worked for a Tradeshow Exhibitor designing booths 40’ wide and 20’ high with banners for nationally recognized clients like Time Warner, Coors, and Chaco to grab the attention of any passerby at convention centers. In Boulder, I was a Creative Designer at a hip web agency conceptualizing corporate identity packages, web designs, advertisements and marketing for small businesses. In Loveland, I was Senior Designer for a Christian Media Publisher directing catalog photo shoots with 3+ photographers and 30+ children models.

My life changed significantly with my first born son and the blessing of having 4 kids in 8 years. I am grateful for the time I was able to spend with my kids during the formative years and witnessing all of their milestones. I am a kid at heart and will always cherish this fleeting life stage. While my kids were at home, I did a small amount of freelance design work as well as illustrating children’s art for wall art and cards. In my 8th year of being at home while pregnant with my fourth child, I started to feel a creative ache in my heart. I missed the creative arts and the freedom of expression that became fully consumed by the busy lifestyle of taking care of young kids. At that moment I had this inspiration to photograph my fourth child’s newborn portraits. Three days after we brought her home from the hospital, I took her to a historic Victorian flower garden in Longmont. I displayed these beautiful and meaningful images on my personal Facebook page and received a lot of positive comments. From this I received a friend request to photograph her daughter’s senior portraits a few weeks later. This was officially my first photography client booked, even before I cleared my 6-week postpartum check up! I never intended to launch my photography career so soon after my last child was born, but the moment was special and the timing was right. I remember coming home that night and seeing the senior portraits download onto my computer screen; they were so beautiful with sunflowers singing in the setting sunlight that it brought me to tears! This was the pivotal moment when I declared my business and started charging for my photography service with interest from friends and family.

In the years that followed, I earned a master’s certificate in family photography by the National Association of Professional Children Photographers (NAPCP). My work has been professionally published 12 times, printed in the NAPCP magazine, and I was selected as one of the Top 100 Kids Photographers internationally. I am also a professionally certified photographer by the Professional Photographers of America (PPA) and only 6% of photographers achieve this honor. All together with my Bachelor’s degree, my professional certifications, and my 25 years of experience, it puts me in the top 1% of all photographers nationally. Lastly, it has been a great honor to be featured multiple times on social media by the Norman Rockwell Museum, which is one of my favorite artists!

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I give myself grace as both a mom and a business owner. These two roles have been both the biggest blessings in my life, but also have brought me to my knees. This is why I have an extra big heart for clients who are also working moms. You do the best you can everyday, but sometimes the challenges can be overwhelming. Three of my children have had life-threatening health issues when they were just babies and toddlers. As a business owner who works face to face with clients, the pandemic also brought very unique physical and financial challenges where I had to close my doors for 6 months during mask mandates, distance protocols, and having to restrict visitors into my studio.

One of the biggest lessons I learned in becoming a successful photography business owner was that mastering the arts was only half the equation; you also need to be a master at business. This comes down to developing systems, structure, customer service, marketing, pricing and accounting. In order to stay in business long term and remain profitable, you must know your numbers and be able to manage your gains and losses in an organized and responsible manner. I learned an important lesson to value my time, education, experience and artistry. When I say “yes” to someone, then I also say “no” to something else (like family time, exercise, sleep, etc.). This is why I raised my prices and it’s based upon professional standards of PPA and Portrait Masters.

My business model is “quality over quantity” for both images and clients. I prioritize having a work-life balance, so I only take a limited number of clients. I also learned that not everyone is my client, and that is okay. But the clients that work with me absolutely love my artwork and receive the best service, experience and heirloom artwork. I like to spend time with my clients via questionnaires and design consultations to provide the best service and meet their photography expectations. My images stand out and are unique because of my painterly portrait retouching style. It takes me up to 30 minutes to edit each image and composites can take 45 minutes to 1 hour. I want each image I give to my client to be worthy of a museum canvas or an heirloom album. I also take time to have a Reveal Session where my clients select their favorite images. I use my art history skills to talk about the images (composition, color, pose, lighting, expression, etc.) and it’s ultimately their choice to purchase only images they truly love. During the Reveal Session, I provide a valuable service and help them on how to best display and enjoy their images in their home. It can be hard for a client to know what size of image is appropriate and which frame best matches their home decor. I have software that superimposes the exact size and frame on the walls in their home so they can feel confident about the purchase they make. I take care of all these details (colors, print management, album layout, etc.) so the next time they see me I have their wall art framed, albums printed, holiday cards designed, gift prints beautifully packaged and ready to enjoy for a lifetime!

On the surface it always seems easy, fun and desirable to have the motivation and excitement to start a photography business by yourself. But the hard part is staying in business for many years and remaining profitable when perhaps you need to invest in newer or nicer equipment, or rent a studio, or invest in technical training for the skills you lack, or need to hire one or more assistants that allow you to take on more clients by helping with props, lighting or editing. According to Rangefinder and WPPI statistics, 60% of photographers quit in the first year and an additional 25% quit in the second year. This means that only 15% of photographers make it a long-term profitable career.

During the early years of my business, even though I was charging clients for services, it was not enough to be profitable. After subtracting out all the business costs and time I invested shooting and editing, I was making less than minimum wage and working way more than 40 hours per week! This “shoot and burn” syndrome is very common in this industry and is one of the main reasons why 85% of photographers don’t survive past 2 years. You always think to yourself that if you take on more clients you will make more money, but if your profit margins are not set up right, you will simply burn out with all the extra workload and not really make any more money for your time and effort. Intentionally avoiding this type of burnout required me to refocus and learn the business side of photography to charge sustainable prices, market and get outside of my comfort zone in order to grow and survive! I am proud to be in my seventh year of business and thriving with abundance. I am grateful to serve my clients with an amazing experience and heirloom artwork to be cherished and passed down through generations!

We’ve been impressed with Kristy Lehman Photography, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I own a boutique portrait studio on my small, fairytale farm with rows of lavender, lilac bushes, wildflowers, mammoth sunflowers and a white, colonial style farmhouse. I specialize in newborn, children, family and high school seniors. My style is colorful, creative, timeless and magical—inspired by children’s books and art history. I am a Colorado native and I’m inspired by the majestic Rocky Mountains, golden light fields, dreamy flowers and whimsical skies. My work has a storybook feel that expresses the joy and love of babies, childhood and family.

My clients are busy working families because I understand their time is precious! I guide them through every step of the process to make it as enjoyable, memorable and stress-free as possible. As a full service photographer, I offer Design Consultations at my studio and custom design their dream photography session, which includes details about location, clothing, color, and review sample products. Additionally, clients receive an interactive clothing style guide that makes choosing family’s clothing a breeze. The purpose of the Design Consultation is to help them prepare for their upcoming photography session so the day of the session is carefree and fun! This attitude results in wonderful, genuine expressions on their faces which make it a joy and a privilege to capture.

My newborn mom clients enjoy a relaxing, luxurious, professional hair and makeup session with a coffee/tea bar and light snacks. While mom is being pampered nearby, I safely photograph the baby in my cozy studio with a warm temperature specifically set for the baby’s safety and needs. I have a wide assortment of baby props, a full size bathroom with a baby changing station, three light setup, and multiple backdrops. After mom is done with hair and makeup, she is looking and feeling absolutely stunning after some well-deserved pampering. We make sure the baby’s needs are met (feeding, diaper change, etc.), then we photograph mom, dad and siblings all together with the baby in a variety of poses to capture every combination desired.

For children, families, and high school seniors, they have the option to capture photographs either in my studio, or outdoors with some of the most epic and well-known Colorado mountain backgrounds. My clients are lucky because I offer seasonal portraits on my acreage when lilacs, lavender, wildflowers, and sunflowers are in bloom at different times of the year for a truly unique and beautiful experience!

I offer unique, heirloom, high-quality art products to tell your family story. My custom packages include a variety of storyboxes, albums, framed wall art, holiday cards, gift prints, slideshow movies and digital files. A best-seller is my walnut wood or champagne gold storybox from Ireland that holds 20-30 matte prints and frames. A classic album with your choice of acrylic, velvet, linen or leather cover with thick gold edges is also very popular to display on a coffee table or end table in your home to share with loved ones. I offer three different lines of frames, best in the world museum canvases, and some incredibly unique farmhouse frames made by master carpenter who reclaims the wood from 100 year old barns on the Eastern half of the United States. I custom design baby and senior announcements, as well as holiday cards printed on gold foil and pearl luminescent paper. My clients cry happy tears at the Reveal Session when they get to see their printed images for the first time and simply love having stunning artwork for their home!

My expertise in print management is another area that separates me from the vast majority of photographers out there. As a senior graphic designer, I was trusted to print million-dollar design projects that included expert file format and resolution, computer calibration, communication with professional paper and print vendors, quotes, archival system and color management. Clients can trust me as the design expert to ensure the print quality of their family heirloom wall art and albums will stand the test of time.

I am known for my unique retouching that has a painterly look and timeless feel with a sprinkle of magic. My vibrant color palette is my trademark style and makes my work recognizable on many professional platforms. My artistic vision and magic have been internationally awarded and featured by the Norman Rockwell Museum. My expert understanding of color theory helps to create sophisticated, rich, jewel tone colors and cinematic contrast lighting, equal to a magazine cover or book cover design. I like my images to have a warm feel that brings back happy memories of the love, joy and beauty of family and nature.

Did you know that displaying photographs of your children on your walls and in albums boosts their self-esteem? They notice this thoughtful gesture daily that says “You are important to me, and I value you!” Photos on the wall are more than just decorations, they serve as love notes to your children, your spouse and your family. When these moments pass, your children grow up, and your parents are no longer with you, what will you have left to remember them? Together we carefully select some of the finest printed products only available to professional photographers, and we will create a custom collection of artwork that will not only make a statement in your home, but will fill you with joy every time you look at them. As a master photographer and graphic designer, this is my area to shine as I bring your story to life!

I have dedicated my life to the arts and I am constantly taking classes, learning new skills and polishing the skills I have. I strive to be creative, unique, timeless and to capture the imagination of childhood. When we meet for a photography session, I bring decades of education and experience with me every time I pick up my camera.

Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
I believe there is an interest in newborn, family and high school senior consumers wanting to print their portraits. Images saved to a dusty USB drive left in a desk, or thousands of files lost somewhere in the cloud, are a persistent problem of nearly every person I talk to. Modern technology has allowed us to take thousands of photographs on our devices every year, but the vast majority of these images are never printed out, displayed on the wall or in an album, or ever shared with loved ones in a meaningful or lasting way. Most families are too busy and don’t know where to begin when it comes to printing and framing large images in their home. This is why I love to provide my clients with full service photography; to make sure their images are printed in albums and displayed on the walls in their home to enjoy on a daily basis. I strongly believe that the images I capture of you and your loved ones can be shared with your children and your grandchildren to preserve a family’s legacy and heritage! A photograph is a moment in time, meant to stand the test of time.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kristylehmanphotography.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristylehmanphotography/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KristyLehmanPhotography/

Image Credits
Kristy Lehman Photography