'Capturing the moments of life' drives Nichole Serrano in her photography business Painting with Light

Nichole Serrano of Neenah picked up her first camera when she was about 5 years old.

Whenever the family traveled, her mom bought her disposable cameras to photograph the trip highlights. That small beginning led to better cameras and more photos and a love for photography.

“I found my passion for it, and when I was in high school, I took my first classes,” Serrano said. “I learned all about aperture, panning, and other techniques.  From that time on, I wanted to make it my career.”

But the reality was that it was difficult to make a living at it. A Marine veteran, she married young and had three children. It wasn’t the right time to try to start a business, so she relegated it to being a hobby and went to work in administration at large companies for about a decade.

Yet the desire to pursue photography wouldn’t go away. After getting a divorce, she enrolled in the New York Institute of Photography and continued to hone her skills while also working. She made a first attempt at starting a business.

“I tried to start a business in about 2012, but it didn’t work out," she said. "I had remarried and we had six children between us. It was overwhelming and I didn’t feel like I had the time to stick into it.”

When the youngest was getting ready to go to school, her husband nudged her and suggested that she try again.

“He told me that if I was going to follow my dreams and make something of the business, it was time to jump in,” Serrano said.

One of the first steps was selecting a name and it proved to be one of the easiest parts of starting a business.

“The business name, 'Painting with Light,’ comes from a quote by Berenice Abbott. She said, ‘Photography is not only drawing with light, though light is the indispensable agent of its being. It is modeling or sculpturing with light, to reproduce the plastic form of natural objects. It is painting with light,’” Serrano said.

With a name in place, she ventured forward and thought the best way to get known was to provide free sessions. She tried to talk to anybody and everybody, and if there was an event that needed coverage, Serrano did it for free.

“In the very beginning, I gave away so many sessions," she said. "But nothing happened. Literally nothing. People took their free sessions and I gave away the whole house and got nothing out of it. People would take the free print and just walk. It took a lot of soul searching to realize I couldn’t keep giving away things for free.”

She decided to change her marketing and pricing strategies. At first, she priced below other photographers but realized she was underselling her skill. She changed that, and also her target market. Although she does family and business portraits, the focus changed to women and high school senior photos. At a convention, she heard about the value of using student ambassadors and developed a program.

As she integrated the ambassador program into attracting senior photo sessions, that part of the business experienced strong growth. She then turned to developing a marketing program for her other niche group: photos featuring women.

“Many women spend much of their life in the back seat," Serrano said. "We put everyone else first. Our partner, our children; we even prioritize our jobs. I recognize that and encourage women to come as they are and take space to find themselves again through fine art portraiture.”

Although she does photograph men, a big part of the business are boudoir photos where she takes a sophisticated approach. For those images, she provides hair and makeup (she will also do this for senior photos, if requested) and says the photos are elegant, dramatic, and glamorous.

As that part of the business has increased, marketing is more of a challenge. That led her to sign up for eSeed classes at the Venture Center at Fox Valley Technical College. She enrolled in a special program, directed by Amy Pietsch, for veterans. Serrano’s goal was to learn how to run both specialties under one business name.

“I wanted to keep the boudoir separate from the senior photos,” she said. “I have decided on separate websites and Facebook pages. It is hard to market this, and I struggle to find the right technique.”

At the Venture Center, Serrano learned how to develop a business plan by using a business model canvas. As a self-identified visual learner, she said it was “eye-opening.” She filled the canvas with post-it notes; it helped her organize thoughts and get a clearer picture of what the business could look like.

“I am learning how to set goals and how to figure all of this out,” she said. “This is strictly a numbers game. I know what my overhead is and what I want my salary to be and the number of sessions I need to have. If I could go back five years, I would go through this program then. There is such a wealth of knowledge in those classes; Amy is great at providing resources for us.”

And, although there is quite a bit of competition, Serrano says that people in the industry are also a big help. If a photographer needs something, other businesses are more than willing to assist. With the large numbers of people to market to, she believes that there is work for everyone and that it is “community over competition.”

Her increase in sales proves that she is on the right track. After the pandemic caused a decline to almost zero, the numbers were strong last year, and she anticipates it will double this year. As a solo operator, she does everything: marketing, client appointments, administration, photography, editing, printing; the entire process. When she is able, she plans to outsource many of these functions.

“My husband tells me that five years ago, I dreamed of being where I am today. It is important to remember how far I’ve come and how many hurdles I’ve already jumped,” Serrano said.  “My devotion to capturing the moments of life drives me. The moments of our lives are an integral part of us. They make up who we are. Our beliefs. Our hopes. Our dreams.”

Tina Dettman-Bielefeldt is co-owner of DB Commercial Real Estate in Green Bay and past district director for SCORE, Wisconsin.

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Nichole Serrano, owner of Painting with Light, captures life's moments