Today we’d like to introduce you to Paula Bishop.
Hi Paula, 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?
Totally unknown to me, I’ve been preparing for my passion of 1st year baby photography for the majority of my life. I say “unknown to me” because photography was nowhere near in my “focus” from the start. In high school, I was an avid basketball player until my hoop dreams came crashing down when I sustained an ACL injury and had to undergo surgery. That injury would put an immediate end to my basketball career, but little did I know that the injury would open the door for a new passion, physical therapy (“PT”). After my surgery, I had to attend PT rehab and with each session that I attended my curiosity for the body and the way it worked grew more and more. By the time my PT sessions ended, I’d made up my mind that I would pursue a career as a Physical Therapist. I graduated from Florida A&M University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Therapy. As a licensed physical therapist with 20+ years of experience, I have worked with thousands of patients of all ages but there was always one category of patients that I loved working with the most, the babies! For many years I worked in the NICU with both preterm and full-term babies.
Again, “unknown to me” my work in the NICU assessing muscle tone, movement, sensory responses and reflexes sharped my skills with handling, calming and soothing babies; skills that I put to use with each of my newborn clients during each photo session today. One Christmas in my home state of Tennessee my family and I had family portraits taken by a professional photographer and during the session, I felt drawn to the camera. I was in this family portrait session and realized my desire to know more and more about how the camera worked and what it must be like to capture the most precious moments of life for a family. When I returned home to FL, my first purchase was my very first Sony mirrorless camera. I enrolled in some photography courses and was blessed with an awesome photography mentor and soaked up every bit of knowledge that I could about photography. While working at the hospital one day, a co-worker of mine who knew about my newfound passion for photography asked me to take pictures of her newborn. Although I was a bit nervous, I happily accepted the opportunity and that’s how my photography business was birthed. My business grew in the most genuine and organic way imaginable, one referral, baby and family at a time. Today I have photographed hundreds of babies. My family lovingly calls me the: “Baby Whisperer”, a nickname that I proudly accept.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My business has taken off non-stop since my first client. In fact, shortly after my first client, the pandemic hit and who grows a new business during a pandemic right? Well, I did and it has grown exponentially over the past two years. I never view growth as a bad thing, but my business has grown so rapidly that I have now outgrown my current studio space. Luckily, I will be moving into a new studio space the 1st quarter of this year.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a newborn and first year photographer. I offer newborn photography sessions that are typically performed within the first 14 days. This is the standard and allows for beautiful posing while baby is sleeping. I offer sitter sessions for babies once they are able to sit independently without support. I personally recommend 7-8 months for these sessions. I also offer first birthday cake smash and splash sessions for baby’s first birthday. I provide all wardrobe, props, backdrops and accessories for my sessions.
How do you define success?
People define success in many different ways. I imagine that definition is different from one person to the next. However, the definition of success that resonates most with me is one provided by the late, great poet laureate Maya Angelou. Ms. Angelou’s take on success is among the best: “Success is liking yourself, liking what you do and liking how you do it.”
Contact Info:
- Email: PaulaBishop09@gmail.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/paulabishopphotography
Image Credits
PaulaBishopPhotography
