Traci Schwomeyer | Metroplex Headshots
HOW DID YOU FIRST GET INTO PHOTOGRAPHY?
I first picked up a camera in sixth grade during our class camping trip in 1979. I was always the one with the camera taking pictures. I would go to Walgreens and wait three days to get the film prints. I was taking selfies way before they were even cool.
WHAT FORMAL PHOTOGRAPHY TRAINING HAVE YOU HAD?
I took photography in college, and then I worked with a mentor who was a master photographer. In the late ’90s, I worked for a trade publication, and I took pictures of tractors, trailers, semis and John Deere combines all over the country.
WHEN DID YOU OPEN METROPLEX HEADSHOTS?
I started Metroplex Headshots four years ago specifically for business portraits. After I had my daughter, I didn’t want to go back into the corporate world. I knew this was something I was good at, so I started my own photography business.
WHY DO YOU FOCUS ON HEADSHOT PHOTOGRAPHY SPECIFICALLY?
As a photographer, you have to have a niche. Otherwise, you’re just lost in a sea of other photographers. There are photographers who will do everything — weddings, real estate, family portraits and headshots. I chose to focus on headshots because I like business people. Business people are smart, focused and everybody needs a headshot. Not everybody needs a portrait of themselves hanging above the fireplace.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE SO MUCH ABOUT PHOTOGRAPHY?
Every day, I get to meet the coolest people and have one-on-one conversations with them while we’re shooting. When they come in, everybody says they aren’t photogenic. But when they leave, they like the way they look. Making people feel good about themselves is the best part of this job.
HOW DO YOU HELP YOUR CLIENTS FEEL PHOTOGENIC?
It’s important not to make them feel nervous and give them a lot of direction. Somebody can come in here and nail it after like five shots, but some have to sit in front of the camera for a while and get relaxed. Sometimes I have to pull an expression or pose out of people a little bit. It’s a process, but it’s a good time. I make it fun to work with me.