Leah LaLiberte
How to become a photographer + market yourself
“Hi! My name is Leah and I am passionate about remembering life - both the large and small moments. I want to inspire others to travel, capture their memories, get creative, and encourage those to live their life to the fullest.”
Leah’s initial interest in photography started at a young age - middle school. It was moments like capturing memories from family vacations and taking portraits of her friends that sparked her creativity.
“Instagram was just kicking off! Everyone had an itch to get creative and take photos (like those really terrible contrasted edits with text all over it), so my love for photography blossomed from there! I started working with brides, seniors, and brands in college which ultimately led me to where I am today!”
GET YOUR GEAR HERE ↓
Canon 5D Mark II: Canon 5D Mark II
Canon 5D Mark IV: Canon 5D Mark IV
Canon 50mm 1.2: 50mm f/1.2L
Full List of Camera Gear: https://hael.studio/blog/2020/6/8/whats-in-my-bag-camera-gear
What’s your favorite thing to photograph?
“Beautiful landscapes - especially people or things present among the landscape. Moving from Minnesota to Utah has given me the opportunity to create more content with this style (vast views and mountain ranges).”
NOTE: Learning how to shoot in Minnesota was KEY to her photography brand and style. When shooting, us midwesterners have to focus on photographing the beauty of the subject and emotions in the moment to get that “wow” factor.
EDITING STYLE
Everyone has their own editing style. Whether you learned via being self taught, taking a class (online / in-person), a mentor, etc., it’s often tweaked to fit your own eye. Leah’s style is unique in the sense that she focuses on bringing out color instead of sticking to a muted edit. “I think one of the most beautiful things in life is the color all around us. Sunsets, bright blue mountain lakes, the colors of fall - I try to keep my editing style as close to how I remember seeing it in person.”
MARKETING
There are three simple things that are important to Leah when marketing - be personable, welcoming, and engaging. To put it this way, she says, “Be professional when you need to be, and be casual when you need to be.” In order for you or your brand to be memorable to others, consistency is KEY. When people come across your art, you want them to know it's yours before they look.
Additionally, try reaching out to people - whether you do that via social media DM’s, a friend of a friend, contest/giveaway online, etc. offering up your services for a cheaper cost to get more experiences, build your network / name out there, etc. just might be the opportunity you’ve been waiting for.
BRANDING
Can you describe your brand in three words?
adventurous
colorful
joyful.
Was building your brand difficult?
No. Time consuming - YES!
“I think when building my brand, it was easy in the sense that: I know who I am, I know what services and experiences I want to provide people, and I know what I want it all to look like. Executing on that is another whole project. I spent months creating a website I was proud of, re-editing old work, creating networking opportunities, and everything else that comes with it. It’s a lot of work, but once it was published and I was proud of it, I couldn’t wait to tackle the next challenge.”
FOLLOW ALONG WITH LEAH
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hael/
Website: https://hael.studio
Being her friend + coworker now for a couple years, I can attest to her professionalism, creativity, drive + spirit, and overall kindness to everyone. Leah’s work is extraordinary and if you get to chance to met her, I promise you that her photography will be the last thing you love about her.