Life and Work with Lea Flores

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lea Flores.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I started my business in 2008, with a hope and a dream that I could be what I thought I could be. It was right after a family photography session with a newbie photographer, who was very nervous for the session, where I naturally just somehow took over. I told my husband right after the session, “I can do this.” Being the supportive hubby he is, he walked me into Mike’s camera to buy me my first Nikon and I started photographing everything I could get my lens on. I was working a full time job, while learning the trade and taking what jobs on the side I could get as well. When someone offered to pay me $75.00 for the first time, I was ecstatic. I drove 30 minutes away from my location to theirs, spent about an hour and a half with them, and photographed over 300 images of this beautiful mommy to be. Needless to say, I knew nothing about the business side of things and how to really make money then, I was just happy to be shooting.

I did my first boudoir photo shoot with a friend of mine. If you are unsure of what boudoir is: it’s a French word for bedroom. It is a little more edgy take on the old glamour shot photos, and allows women to take beautiful, classy, sexy, pictures for their significant other or just for them self.

I was in love with this shoot. I could see while we were shooting my girlfriend’s insecurities begin to just fall off. Pose by pose, she became more comfortable with me and herself as I guided her with voice prompts and told her just how gorgeous the pictures looked from the back of my camera. Her shoulders began to push back a little more, her head a little higher, and the damaging self talk about her “so called”  flaws began to stop. Magic happened there and I knew that this would be a big part of what I photographed.

I continued to work full time while building my name and reputation up on the side. Understand, we are talking about coming home from one job 8-hours a day, to start another where I would work until about 1 am. I have three kiddos, a husband, and two dogs, so this was not easy. However, I continued to get more busy with new referrals and my skills were getting better and better as I worked with a mentor and threw myself into as many learning courses as I could.

In 2015, I made a decision to build a studio in the back of my home and it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I was shooting more and more boudoir and less and less family and children.

In 2017, I had expanded so much, I decided to jump and take the plunge full time into living my dream, I quit my full-time job of 10 years. One of the most difficult decisions I have made but hindsight 20/20 another decision that was imperative to my growth. Today I am averaging about 750.00 per sale. make my own hours, and do what I love.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
There are so many struggles in starting a business. There are so many I could talk about, from realizing that I actually was not making money at all, to the reckless way people can try and ruin your business online simply because they are upset with you.

Basically, if you’re not failing, your not succeeding. Steve Harvey put out a video called, JUMP, some time ago and for anyone that is considering living their dream, they really need to look at this video.

There will be times that you feel like giving up, there are times that you will realize that you know a whole lot about nothing, there will be times where you are just plain tired, and the industry and the clients will beat you up.
KEEP GOING.

Finding a mentor was key for me in my business. Finding someone who was willing to work with me on the side while I assisted them. This was liquid gold, a basic work for education type deal.

Please tell us about Lea Flores Photography and The Boudoir Suite.
I now specialize in Boudoir. I decided in 2018 after doing one to many weddings, that I loved boudoir so much more and I should solely put my focus into this. Sure weddings are where the money is at, but there you will also find the stress, long hours, demanding families and lots of liabilities.

Boudoir is a way to build women up, empower them in so many ways, encourage them and allow them to see them self in a completely different light. I get to show them their beauty the way I see it, the way that their spouse and others see it. They come out believing a little more in themselves. The experience with me is truly what sets me apart from other photographers who are photographing boudoir. I tell my clients all the time, you just have to experience THE EXPERIENCE.

I am giving women space, where they will feel very vulnerable, however, they will also know very quickly there is no judgment here. Throughout the session, they begin to shed all vulnerabilities as they see they can open up with another woman who is praising her. The pictures, I tell them, are just the icing on the cake.

Who have you been inspired by?
In the photography industry, Sue Bryce was a big influencer for me. She talked so much on the importance of value. Learning first how to value yourself, only then will others value you and your work.

Jennifer Lopez is another big influencer for me, seeing a Latina woman come up out of nowhere with lots of hard work and dedication is so empowering to me. Seeing her continue to work hard and push her way through barriers is just amazing.

Finally, the woman who did our family shoot in 2007. Seeing her insecurities, how she looked to be unsure of herself, and yet continued to push through anyhow. That speaks so much to me now. Feeling unsure about herself and what she was doing but pursuing anyhow. I couldn’t even tell you her name now, or if she continued in photography, but I would thank her.

Contact Info:

• Address: 490 Winebrook Way
  Fountain, Colorado
• Website: www.leafloresphotography.com
• Phone: 719-201-4344
• Email: lalulu013@msn.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theboudoirsuite_byleaflores/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeaFloresPhotography/
• Other: https://www.facebook.com/groups/BoudoirSuite/

Image Credit:
Makeup artist Jessica Worster with Jessica Fay Beauty, Photographer Lea Flores

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