Hidden Gems: Meet Lisa Shaw of The Bigger Picture Photography

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lisa Shaw. She shares her story with us below:

Lisa Shaw is the founder of The Bigger Picture Photography (www.lookatthebiggerpicture.com), specializing in lifestyle and documentary images, with a fine art edge, for over a decade. She has a Bachelor of Fine Art with a concentration in photography from Eastern Michigan University and has earned several awards for her work. She was an on-call consultant for magazine design and layout in Maui, and a photojournalist and journalist for Maui Weekly. In addition, she managed a fine art gallery and assisted with exhibitions at a visual arts center in Maui. Expertise chose Lisa as one of the “24 Best Wedding Photographers in Grand Rapids, MI” in 2020. Peerspace chose Lisa as one of the “9 Best Wedding Photographers in Grand Rapids, MI” in 2019. Her photography and articles have been featured in many major publications throughout the years. Her fine art photography has been shown in national exhibitions, including the Ann Arbor Art Center’s juried “Art Now” show, where her images were selected from over 450 professional photographers. Also, her fine art drawings and other artwork have been exhibited in many galleries across the nation. She recently taught drawing at The Grand Rapids Public Museum.

Lisa also uses her documentary style and fine art background to help entrepreneurs grow their business. She speaks on “How to Grow Your Business with Personal Brand Photography”. This is a deep dive, long-term approach, for branding, marketing, and advertising and gives clients ongoing content. Lisa’s passion is empowering women, helping them grow to reach their full potential, in their business as well as on a personal level.  The focus is still a documentary style mostly, creating trust and likability with their target market from the first impression.

To check out that work, please visit: www.yourinfluencerimage.com

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There’s a saying that owning a photography business is about 3% actually taking pictures and 97% behind the scenes, or the business side of it. There are so many many hats to wear, especially when starting out. After college, there were still so many things I had to learn- coming from the darkroom and going digital, legal contracts, website coding (ugh!), client organization, to marketing and advertising (which social media sites seem to always change the rules on us), etc. I started this business while working full-time at other jobs, waitressing late nights at bars… I would get up early and work on my business. I was always very driven, but yeah, it’s tough when you’re just starting. I am extremely grateful for where I am now and that I get to do what I love every day. The field has changed so much in this digital world, now that we have cameras on our phones… but I will always hold on to the belief that professional photography is necessary and valued. I also love that if you put a group of professional photographers in the exact same location/scene, each person will produce different images. It’s all about their eye and individual artistry. We all see things very differently and force the viewer to see our own main message or reason that’s worth focusing on in that moment.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
My specialty is photojournalism, documentary style, with a fine art edge. The Bigger Picture Photography focuses on weddings, boudoir, families, and high school senior portraits. My work background as a photojournalist and fine artist brings something unique to my images. I am more concerned about the memories of what is REAL- personalities, connection, even the environment (because you aren’t going to live in that house forever, so boudoir and family photos become so much more meaningful and intimate if you consider using your own space). My favorite images are never people smiling at the camera. My professors always said that those shots tell you nothing about the people, aside from that’s just how they looked at that time. I focus on stories, connections, and relationships. I love shooting “A Day in the Life” family sessions, where nothing is posed. It’s all real life. When the kids grow up, those photos mean so much more than traditional family photos.

With wedding photography, I love using more fine art balanced with photojournalism. I usually do everything in camera as well, using different things to give it an artistic and unique edge. Sometimes, you don’t have much to work with, and that’s when I like getting creative and using what is around me in different ways. One wedding had a complete blackout! I was grateful that I had my lightsaber so the couple could eat. Just then, the ring bearers came up to the bride and I got some really cool shots of that.

I am proud of the awards throughout the years, but I am most proud of all of my reviews. I’ve been working since reviews were a thing! But to have come this far with all happy clients makes me proud. I am detailed and help brides with the planning and timeline from the initial consult. I bond with my clients throughout the year of planning, and I love to keep documenting their stories after the wedding, as their families grow and new chapters evolve.

Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
The first and most important supporters have been my parents. It can’t be easy to go along with your daughter wanting to get into this field or fine art for that matter, but they supported me every step of the way and pushed me to keep going after my dreams. I have been so lucky to work with amazing photographers that were patient and great teachers, a lot of them in Maui. Even the negative experiences that I’ve had working for others, bad experiences with other photographers, all turned positive because it pushed me to go out on my own. GROW is a great resource for entrepreneurs, and I was lucky that they hepled me at the start. Of course, my clients have made my business year after year! They put their trust in me with their most precious stories. It means so much anytime someone recommends me, likes or comments on a post, or leaves me a review. You have no idea how much that means to small business owners. I love continuing to photograph clients every year or new chapter of their lives. Also, I recently got married, and am so fortunate that my husband is not only completely supportive and understanding, but he pushes me to think bigger, in ways I never thought possible. He understands the many hats I wear and the weird calendar at times. He knows my routine, and does the heavy lifting for me pre and post-wedding, loading up my car, clearing it, and warming it up for me in Michigan winters. And he always has a glass of red wine waiting for me when I get home from a wedding.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.lookatthebiggerpicture.com
• Instagram: the_bigger_picture_photography
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebiggerpicturephoto
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-shaw-3239352/
• Other: www.yourinfluencerimage.com