Meet Theresa Schumacher | Portrait Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Theresa Schumacher and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Theresa, why did you pursue a creative career?
I always had a creative mind as a child and used to say that when I grow up I want to be an artist. I didn’t really know what that meant, I just knew I wanted to do something creative. However, growing up as a child to immigrant parents I was encouraged to study a field that would give me a lucrative career and lifestyle. So I studied business IT and got a great paying job, traveled to different places and could buy all the things…but I never felt fulfilled and was always searching for my life purpose and something that I could be passionate about. Once I started allowing myself to get creative again, I found happiness in my heart and was able to slowly build my business through word-of-mouth marketing. It was mentally challenging to leave behind a steady salary and paycheck but with the support of my husband and family and a new  definition of success, I was able to pursue my passion!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
When I think about my photography art, I think the main reason I have been able to thrive on it is because of my sense of intuition and my ability to create something beautiful out of something so simple. I am also obsessed with natural light. I seek out the light to “paint” my pictures…sometimes the light isn’t there but I love the challenge of finding ways to naturally create that light. It used to be finding the right spot maybe across from a metal wall or a white building or open sky that would give me the light I was looking for. As I started to narrow my photography niche to mostly high school seniors, I started to use a foldable reflector to light up the eyes and the face. Now as I am continuing to grow in my photography I am starting to learn how to create the light artificially with off camera flashes and continuous lights. Having the passion to capture beautiful photos is key, but you also have to have the desire to continually learn and be challenged by the art.

One of the challenges that I encounter almost every year is work life balance. With a photography business in the midwest that focuses mainly on high school seniors and families, the busiest time of the year is from June – early November. It is so easy to get carried away and to say YES to every client that inquires but with every passing year I have learned how to say No and to value my time and work.

Another challenge is the creative rut…I think as a natural artist this happens to us all. I overcome this ever year by coming up with a personal creative project or just focusing on another artist; a lot of times it has nothing to do with photography. My favorite thing to do is to watch food shows and cooking competitions and project runway with the fashion designers.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I have to give extra special recognition to my children whose active lives constantly inspired me. When my boys were little, I started taking the time to notice little precious moments and the details that made those moments so beautiful. In the morning when the sun would shine through the window and light up the crib, the silhouette of my boys as they peered out the front window waiting for dad to come home from work, the way the golden hour light would highlight their cute little bodies as they played outside in the grass. Capturing those beautiful moments on camera would flood my heart with happiness and inspired me to keep learning and fuel my passion for photography.

I also want to give a little shoutout to all my early clients who saw that I was starting a photography business, believed in me and trusted me to capture their memories and then shared my name with their friends and families. My business has been successful because of that word-of-mouth marketing.

Website: www.theresaschumacher.com

Instagram: instagram.com/tschuphotog

Facebook: facebook.com/theresaschumacherphotography