Life & Work with Lisa Calandrino

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lisa Calandrino. 

Lisa, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I have loved photography my entire life. Growing up, I used to collect calendar pages of landscapes and animals and take clipping from magazines of my favorite nature photos. Before I made my First Communion in the second grade, my aunt and uncle asked me what I would like as a gift to celebrate. That’s how I received my first camera. It was a gold Kodak point and shoot. I still have it today. Once I had that camera in my hands, I was completely hooked. From there on out, I have always had to have some sort of camera in my possession. 

When I was in college, I began taking nature photos. I was absolutely obsessed with chasing sunsets. If I saw a good sunset coming, I would take whatever friend was with me at the time and walk or drive until I found a spot to take a photo from. This is also when I began taking photos of leaves and anything else in nature that caught my eye. At this point, I was going to school for my degree in Communications (which I received) and had only mildly thought about doing photography as a career. I wanted a way to sell my nature and landscape photos, but I wasn’t sure how to begin. 

Fast forward to just after my college graduation, and I landed a job I really couldn’t stand. I was depressed and lost. Eventually, I reached a bit of a breaking point. I decided that I was going to buy my first professional camera and enroll in a college class to force myself to learn how to use it. I was going to make selling my photography a reality. For the last five years, I have been slowly but consistently growing my photography business. Not only do I take landscape and nature photos still, but I have expanded into portraiture, creating a brand that specializes in couples, maternity, and boudoir photography. 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I don’t know that it is truly possible for an entrepreneur to have a smooth road. It’s a long journey and even if parts of it come easy, I have found that it’s nearly impossible to avoid self-doubt and insecurities along the way. One day I will feel confident in both myself and my business, but the very next day feel like I am in a game of “pretend,” like everything I am doing is part of an act in a game. 

Entrepreneurship can also be very expensive. I think that is part of the reason I have grown my business slowly. You don’t have to go into debt to start a photography business, especially if you’re patient and resourceful. This might mean doing everything by yourself though (which takes longer!) until you can afford to pay for outsourcing and special software programs. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a portrait and nature photographer based out of Michigan. When it comes to portraits, I specialize in boudoir, maternity, and couples. Engagement and couples’ sessions are my favorite! I love learning about my clients, having fun with them during their sessions, and seeing the emotional connection they have with their loved ones. It’s also amazing to spend just a couple of hours with someone and see their support for your work continue long after having taken their photos. 

One thing that I think truly sets me apart from other portrait photographers is my meticulous editing. I do my best to carefully examine each photo in a client’s gallery. Instead of slapping on a preset or filter and calling it done, I look at each photo individually for stray hairs, fuzzies on clothing, and any other visual obstruction (no matter how small) and, within reason, remove what I can. 

While I do sell them as prints, my landscape and nature photos are taken somewhat casually. A lot of them have been taken as things have caught my eye while on vacations or while simply walking through my parents’ backyard. The photos are usually bright with a lot of color and intricate detail. At the end of every year, I take 12 photos from my portfolio that seem to fit together well and compile them into a nature and landscape calendar that I sell. My family and friends who have been supporting me along this journey seem to always look forward to the release of the new year’s calendar, and it is really fun to hear their reactions to it or to have them ask when a new calendar will be announced. 

I am also really proud of the way I have been able to embrace the word pábitel in growing Pábitel Photography. Pábitel is a Czech word meaning someone who is in love with life, fascinated by fate, and who finds beauty in the simple. This is someone I strive to be and an idea I strive to reflect in my work. I believe even the smallest occasions in life are worth photographing, and that the quiet, in-between moments are some of the most special ones. You can observe these themes clearly in my nature photos, where the smallest details are emphasized and the quiet, in-between moments can be felt. 

Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
I guess I would love to emphasize two things. 

First, to the other entrepreneurs out there: It’s going to be okay! Take advantage of your community and industry peers. It can be hard to connect with the “competition,” but it’s important to lift one another up. Encourage your peers, lean on your personal community, and take advantage of all of the free resources out there! A lot of photographers offer free trainings, and there are plenty of business podcasts out there. It might take a lot of listening, reading, and researching, but if you put the work in, you will pick up a thing here or there, and learn information instrumental to building your dream business! 

Second, to everyone: You do not need an important milestone or celebration to justify the investment of time and money required for hiring a photographer. Photos are your memories illustrated. They are about the people you love, your life, and your legacy. “Just because” sessions are just as important as sessions highlighting a big milestone, because they will provide you with a lasting way for you, or your family, to look back on who you were at the time the photo was taken.  

Pricing:

• Sessions start at $300

Contact Info:

• Email: pabitelphotography@outlook.com
• Website: www.pabitelphotography.com
• Instagram: For portraits: www.instagram.com/pabitelwanderer, For nature: www.instagram.com/pabitel_photography
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/pabitelwanderer
• Other: Nature and landscape print shop: https://pabitelphoto.shootshareprint.com/naturelandscape

Image Credits
Taylor Ingles Photography (Main Photo)