Today we’d like to introduce you to Ivette Mollan.
Hi Ivette, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
It was exactly one year after the covid 19 Pandemic began. I was 2 months post-partum with our second child. I remember needing my creative outlet to help with the depression and desiring to never go back to a 9-5 job again. The government had sent “stimulus” checks to help everyone get back on their feet. Instead of putting it all into the savings account, I took a chance on myself to start a business. It was relatively quick from there that within a week I had done the paperwork for becoming a registered business in Florida to having an EIN. I haven’t stopped since I started. Reading a ton on photography, putting it into practice, and truly investing in continuing education for editing. Never would I have guessed that I would still love what I do for a living and look forward to it every time I step out to do a session.
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 opened late February of 2021 offering Easter Mini Sessions for five dollars per image/session. Then I moved on to offering newborn sessions at similar prices. My first investment in backdrops was a flop. Mid-year, I invested all the earnings from the first half of the year back into the business to replace the awful quality of the first. I’ve consistently scaled up by reinvesting back into the business from the earnings. That helped put me in a place where I could offer comparable services to other professionals in the area. Learning on my own about the business as I went for me was the toughest aspect to being a photographer. The accounting upkeep, the marketing, website management, and finding out what my target audience was. I did have help once I began to connect online and in person with other professionals and learned from them as well as exchanged tips. I have never viewed other creative geniuses as “competition”. I feel there is a plethora to learn from the collective photographer community in Central Florida. I still have so much to learn, and I am excited to see what tomorrow brings.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I opened Lensational Mirage Photography with the idea in mind to create beautiful works of art that would rival paintings. The level of craftsmanship I aspire to solely produce and be known for one day is Fine Art Photography. The name “Mirage” as part of the business name is to clue in that there will be photoshop involved. While most of my clientele selects basic editing, I adore going all out on pictures to take them to the next level. I offer newborn, maternity, family, cake smash, and event photography, however, I crave creative sessions most. I tend to shoot best when clients are not posed and everyone is just having a good time. In other words, candid photography.
I feel most proud of having the ability to edit various different styles. Most photographers focus on consistency and delivering their galleries all with the same look. I like to keep it fresh. I also pride myself in being a neurodivergent business owner/photographer. I usually contract out assistants who are also autistic/ADHD/ or other neurodivergent artists for events and creative sessions. It is so important for me to end the stigma that neurodivergent people aren’t offering anything of value to society, where in reality most of us contribute in the most dramatic ways. Many scientists and great thinkers in history are the reason we are where we are today in technological/medical/ advancements. I love to burst the box everyone tries to put us in. I hope to inspire other creative minds by sharing this with you all.
Any big plans?
The direction Lensational Mirage Photography is heading is certainly growth. I’m looking forward to hiring new team members to expand hours of operation. No concrete plans to open a new studio location, however, it is in the works.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.lensationalmiragephotography.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/LensationalMirage
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LensationalMirage
Image Credits
Lensational Mirage Photography
