Today we’d like to introduce you to Claire Thom.
Hi Claire, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I am a Scottish chocolate-loving Mom, and I have always loved photography. I studied Business Management at university, and once I graduated, I went into Human Resources. In 2008 my husband and I moved to Dubai to work in oil and gas, I was the HR Manager at Petrofac until my daughter was born in 2010. This is when my love of photography grew – wanting to capture and hold on to the day-to-day as well as her milestones in a natural and unposed manner. I started studying photography, attending endless workshops and courses, inhaling all of the knowledge that I could. Not long after this, my son arrived in 2011. We moved back to Aberdeen in 2013, where while I continued to study, I also started a Scottish-themed children’s clothing company. Then in 2018, we moved to Houston and I sold my business. When we arrived in Houston, I made the decision to make my passion for photography also my career, and I have not looked back! I love photographing families at all stages, I love the diverse people it allows me to meet, and I still love capturing and cherishing my kid’s mundane and milestones.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road has been interesting, I am delighted to be where I am today, but I am always striving to improve my photography as well as my business skills. When I first started up, the non-photography-related skills I needed were vast, from building my website to mastering social media – I love Instagram but using it for a business is very different to using it for pleasure! The biggest challenges I face are the same as all Mom’s, maintaining a good work-life balance while running kids to and from horse riding, baseball, gymnastics, etc. Also, travelling to workshops and courses to perfect my skills takes me away from precious family time. I have been overwhelmed by the demand for my photography, so scheduling can also be a challenge. But I would not change any of it!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I capture memories by photographing you and your family; my style is lifestyle photography. Which means that I am not looking for a posed photo with everyone looking at the camera. I want to capture the real relationships and love that exist within your family that are unposed and natural. I specialize in maternity, birth, newborn, school and family photography. I am mostly known for my family photography, and I love the fun and chaos that comes with these sessions. As a Mom, I know how stressful these events can be, so I aim to help relieve the stress, make it fun and ensure that you have high-quality, beautiful artwork at the end of it. Since I started photographing professionally, I have been blown away with the feedback I have received; my clients love firstly that I provide gorgeous artwork for them to cherish, but also that the session is relaxed and fun.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
Over the next 5-10 years, I think that the industry will continue into the digital age, with less and less photographs being printed. Which for me is very sad. I print photographs every month for my family to ensure that they have them to look and hold in their hands. I love having memories captured in artwork on my walls; it really makes our house a home. Printing photographs is so important, is a photograph even a photograph if it hasn’t been printed?
Pricing:
- Family Session average investment $500
- Newborn Session average investment $500
- Maternity Session average investment $400
- Birth Session average investment $750
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://clairethomphotography.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clairethomphotography
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/clairethomphotography
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChFrW-T4G7kxT-3Dau-gwJw
Image Credits
Claire Thom Photography
