MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: Debra Weisheit
Where are you from?
Born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago, but I’ve been a resident of Jupiter, FL for 42 years.
Tell us a little bit about yourself:
First and foremost, I’m a family person! I’m the natural mother of 2 kids in their 30’s, step mother of 2 more, also adults now, and Grandmother/adoptive mother of 3 (2 girls ages 6 and 2 and 1 4-month old little boy). I’ve been married to my husband for 39 1/2 years and we’ve lived on 1.25 acres in Jupiter Farms since 1985. We have 3 dogs and 2 cats. I really want a pig and chickens but my husband says no. My days are busy, but are full of life and love. #familyfirst
I’ve been working as a professional photographer since the year 2000. I had a commercial studio space from 2003 thru 2015, at which time I decided to change the direction of my business, and closed the studio to pursue the new direction. Looking back it was the best thing I ever did! I also obtained my Certified Professional Photographer designation in 2011. I’ve currently committed to obtaining my Master of Photography thru PPA. In my career I’ve personally photographed over 1000 weddings and many more portraits, both in studio and out.
My actual college degree is in the Science of Addiction, and I occasionally will volunteer or work per diem in local treatment centers.
How did you become interested in Photography?
I fell in love with it in college and took courses in school. The smell of the dark room was straight magic. The magic of watching an image come to life. I still remember dancing around the classroom shaking the film in the canisters to get the bubbles out. It’s all such good memories, and of course I started my career with film cameras, medium format and 35mm because people just kept asking me to take their pictures. I still have one film camera that I occasionally use even though getting the film developed now is a bit of a pain LOL
As digital came to be, I loved the freedom of it and the challenge of learning the differences in shooting it, and of course the HUGE learning curve of editing it. I learned off camera lighting while shooting film, so there was a bit of a learning curve there too! I’m all about the challenges, and although my journey from film to digital was every bit of a challenge, I mastered it all eventually!
What type of photography do you specialize in?
I’ve been photographing A LOT of children and families for the past 5 years. Because of my experiences with the foster/adoption system with the birth of my 3 grandchildren, all born addicted to fentanyl, crack, heroin and xanax, I’ve met a lot of families and children with trauma all over the spectrum and serious self esteem issues. I’ve been very much focusing on self esteem building portraits for the kids and most recently with the #weareachoice movement that myself and 6 other photographers from around the country and from Israel have put together, we are focusing on bringing about a new way to remind children and families that they have a choice in how they feel and what they believe in through photography.
In line with my mission of “Portraits with a Purpose,” I donate most of my session fees and a portion of most of my sales to the local foster/adoption/kinship projects in Norther Palm Beach County, and occasionally (just finished one in the month of August) for one month, I will make all session fees payable in what the greatest needs currently are for the foster kids. This past August all session fees were payable with diapers and new socks, and those diapers and socks were donated to a Palm Beach County and Martin County non profit that delivers these badly needed goods to emergency foster placements in both counties.
How did you come to specialize in this type of photography?
Through many, many years of finding my own voice, my own style and living long enough to gain the courage and strength to embrace doing exactly what I want to do, and not do what does not feed my soul and bring me joy.
When I first started, like so many I started with weddings. At the time I first signed up with The Knot, I was photographer #26 in all of South Florida to be on The Knot. Times were different, but because I excelled in it, I found it quite easy to grow the business into portraits of these families and the kids that came along after the weddings. It was through this that I found my love for photographing newborns, children and families. And most especially through working with so many families and listening carefully to what they say to me, I was able to really hone in on the self esteem issues that kept coming up. That was where my “Little Dreamers” series came from with young girls and the gorgeous gowns that I rent for them for their sessions.
What other attributes do you have that you think contribute to your success as a photographer?
The amount of time I’ve spent in education, from marketing to shooting, to lighting to post processing, I’ve done it all. Most recently in 2019 and 2020, I was mentored by Sarah Petty and was able to really take my business to the boutique level in the right way, and have learned how to market for it and sustain it.
Personally, I require a challenge to remain interested. That is an “across the board” necessity for my in my life. Photography is no different. As long as I continue to challenge myself in all aspects of the business of photography, I will continue to excel.
Where can others go to see more of your work or contact you for your photography services?
Website: www.weisheitphotography.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/debra.weisheit (most updated and current of all platforms)
www.facebook.com/debraweisheitphotography
Instagram: www.instagram.com/weisheit.photography
What advice would you give someone just starting a photography business? OR What advice would you give someone just starting to learn photography?
#1 It’s not a photography business, it’s the business of photography. Learn the business first. Treat it as a business.
#2 Set professional goals that include perfecting your craft (certifying) and perfecting your business skills. And learn from as many people as you possibly can, because you will gain nuggets from every single one of them.
#3 I learned very early on the power of simply being nice to my clients and treating them as if they matter. My word is my bond. I don’t cancel, and if I make a mistake (it happens to everyone eventually) I own it and stand by it. So many of my clients have become my friends and it snowballed my business.
#4 Never, and I mean NEVER compare yourself to someone else. Photography is an art. It’s meant to be unique. Find your own voice, follow your own heart, and charge what you need to to make a good living. Understand not everyone is your client, and that’s absolutely OK . . . in fact, it’s a Godsend to be able to recognize the people that don’t qualify to work with you and refer them elsewhere, where both you and they will be much happier. Never give up. You only fail if you quit, otherwise you’re simply a work in progress!
