Shoreline Business Spotlight: Lara Grauer Photography

Lara Grauer, business owner

By Jeremy Gross

Photos by Lara Grauer Photography

For this edition of the Shoreline Business Spotlight, I spoke with Lara Grauer, the creative force & owner behind Lara Grauer Photography

She’s also the current President of the Shoreline Chamber of Commerce! 

I learned about her evolution from theater major to full-time photographer – and she also sent me a funny picture of her at the new light rail station! Check it out toward the end of the article.

Jeremy: To get us kicked off, tell me a little about yourself, and about the inspiration to start your own business.

Lara: I kind of meandered my way into this business. I was a theater major in college, but my big hobby during those years was photography. There was a dark room in my dorm, and the photography professor offered a class just for the people who lived in our dorm to learn how to use the darkroom. I was like, ‘What could be cooler than that?’ I got credit for learning something I already wanted to know.

I started out doing black-and-white photography back in the 90s. Since I was a theater major, I had a lot of friends who needed headshots, so I started by helping them out. I’ve always been drawn to people and characters, which was why I was in theater. That transferred over to photography - capturing someone’s story is just part of who I am.

I decided to get a job at a high-volume portrait studio and I also started with a lot of promotional work for student theater groups. I felt like I was contributing to the community, which is a big deal for me.

I was a part-time photographer for many years, and did the stay-at-home mom thing before going full-time in 2016.

Current home studio

Jeremy: How has your business evolved since you started?

Lara: The portrait studio I worked at was a high-volume studio and they did a one hour turn around. That was hard to do, but we did it. We had 15 minutes per person to do an entire family photo shoot with five different poses. So, it was just like cranking out whatever you could - you got one shot.

When I was in college, I did a couple of little events like a Bar Mitzvah and a wedding or two. For the most part, it was headshots and production photography.

But then when I had little kids, I was photographing them all the time. And of course I met other moms who had small children. And it sort of built on itself – it was just easy and fun. But when you start photographing a lot of people and it takes a lot of your time, you start thinking, “Maybe I should charge for this!”

The big turning point for me was in 2006. A friend got engaged and asked me to photograph her wedding. I decided that I needed a digital camera, and it needed to be a business. So, I got a business license and made it real!

Jeremy: Was that your first big customer?

Lara: I charged tax and had a contract and all of that!

My friend who was getting married had pictures like just your typical American ceremony outside with a little archway and everything. But her husband’s family was from Pakistan and it was a 3-day celebration. There was henna, and different outfits, and jewelry and lots of details.

I remember that first night, when they sat under a canopy and people paraded through. We set up this little vignette on a couch and people sat on the couch next to the bride and groom.

The groom had a big entrance on a horse, and they signed an agreement between the families in this backroom to mark the official “now we're married” moment. It was very interesting and really fun and eclectic because both families wanted to put their stamp on it. So yeah, that was my first – I think there must have been 200 people.

Current home studio

Jeremy: What was a big challenge you faced while getting the business up and running?

Lara: I think the biggest problem I had was that my foundation was from the high-volume studio. They were selling a low price point because they had an entire studio. They were doing $1,000,000 a year out of that studio, but the average sale was like $150.

There were a lot of people coming and we were busy and swamped. The Christmas season was just insanity… people sitting anywhere they could find a spot while they waited for their turn. We were always running behind and they had three camera rooms.

I got good at thinking on my feet. But I didn't have any business background and I didn't understand how to be profitable.

So, when I started, I just really priced myself way too low for what I was capable of providing. And when you're a part time business, it's easy to not notice that you're not making any money. When I went full time, everything changed. It became clear really fast that I couldn’t actually make a salary charging $150. I couldn’t serve clients in the way that I wanted. I'd rather build relationships with people.

Jeremy: Your website says you focus on specific niches – like headshots and branding - why did you choose areas?

I find headshots and branding to be fun because I can dig in to people's goals and find ways to help them communicate their brand and their message to their potential clients. And even on a personal level of people looking for a headshot for a new job and they're just going on interviews… there's a brand that you're trying to communicate and you want people to know what your strengths are.

There are ways we can set up body language and expression. And visually, there's that connection right away: “oh, this person looks like they know what they're doing” or “this person looks like they take things very seriously.”

It depends on what industry you're in. If you're a creative type, are you confident enough to break the rules with your attire or your hair? Or maybe you're looking off to the side, not at the camera, something different to show that you're bold, you're willing to make strong decisions.

All of those things come through in our conversation. My job is to let people know in a visual sense, how to make that connection right away.

Jeremy: And it looks like another area of expertise is portraits for home?

Lara: With families and personal portraits, there's still that same element of digging down and finding out who that person is and making sure that we're telling the story that they want to revisit. When you hang something on your wall, it tells a story and you get to reinforce it every time you see that.

A happy customer with Lara's family portrait!

I want to make sure that I understand what is it that a mother sees in their son and makes their heart sing so that we can emphasize that in the portrait. So, every time they walk by, they get that feeling and it just strengthens their relationship and their connection to each other.

It’s albums or wall art that embodies these stories that make you feel like all of the craziness in your life is worth it because you've made this awesome thing with your family.

Jeremy: You’ll help me forget about my kids' messy rooms!

Lara: Last summer I photographed a high school senior who is a musician. He plays many string instruments and composes music. He had a little music corner in his house with sheet music everywhere – he's always learning and writing, and then printing it out and making notes all over.

His mom said his music spot is just chaos all the time! Sheet music is all over the place. So, we laid him down on the floor and stuck sheet music all over him and photographed him from above, just hanging out in the mess.

Sometimes the mess is part of the memory that you want to keep.

Jeremy: Let’s talk about community – you’re the Chamber of Commerce president. How did you get involved? And more importantly, do you get to use the big scissor at ribbon-cutting ceremonies?

Lara: I don't get to cut the ribbon, but I get to bring the scissors!

When I went full time, I knew I needed more clients and I needed to be more connected. And the business world tells you go join your local chamber. The Shoreline Chamber was always very welcoming.

The thing that really intrigued me, especially with Shoreline, is all the speakers that come in and how much I got to learn about what's happening in the inner circle around business legislation and real estate and what the City Council is working on. And also, how the Chamber can work with the city on issues that businesses are facing.

Jeremy: What challenges have you encountered while doing business in Shoreline?

Lara: One big problem right now is the city had this vision when they did all that rezoning and promoted that businesses could move into those little houses on 5th Ave near the light rail station. But they didn’t update the code in a way that allowed for that to actually happen.

Lara at the light rail station

I know of a couple of people who actually bought houses with the intent to make it into a business, and they physically cannot do it. 

There are limitations to the signage and also the biggest problem is the required parking. There has to be enough parking spaces for a certain number of clients, and that parking has to be situated in a particular way in relation to the street. 

Traditional single-family homes don’t have room for a parking lot in front or behind the house, so it’s just not feasible. You have to tear down the house and build a new one.

That’s why we’re not seeing these cool little mom-and-pop shops pop up in those neighborhoods. 

The only option to do anything there is to buy multiple homes, tear them down and put up a big apartment or condo building. 

They're requiring ground floor business now - that's an improvement.

The Chamber submitted a request to amend the code, and we’re hoping the City Council will hear the message.

Jeremy: What advice would you give to someone looking to start their own business?

Lara: My advice would be to look up the Small Business Development Center and talk to an advisor. It's free, and they have so many resources. It’s right here at Shoreline Community College! The other thing I'd say is, do the math. Don’t do anything until you've done the math. You don’t realize how much you spend to keep the business running until you write it all down and figure it out.

Jeremy: What’s the next adventure for your photography business? Are you looking to expand, maintain, try something new?

Lara: I've been working in my converted garage for the last eight years. But we recently got a studio space nearby and are building it out so I don't have to be home all the time. The primary driver is separation between personal and business life. 

Lara in action with a client

There's also a dream for taller ceilings, since my current space has beams and garage door tracks, making certain shots difficult. Additionally, my storage is in another room, so shelves have taken over my family room and downstairs!

I'll keep working with portraits for families, kids, and pets. I'll continue with headshots and branding. My new studio design will allow me to photograph people there, reducing travel time. 

I'm also planning to offer photography classes, having taught at the Community College before. I love seeing students progress from basic skills to creating incredible work. I'd like to use my knowledge and space to teach on my own terms. I may hire a couple of employees, so I can travel to visit family without shutting down the business. 

We're also working on a business program for photographers, focusing on running numbers, pricing for profitability, and monthly masterminds.

Jeremy: What's the best way for someone to reach you and learn more about your business?

Lara: My website is the best way to learn about me. I’m at LaraGrauerPhotography.com. 

On my homepage, for families, I have a free PDF you can download that talks about “Seasons to Remember” - the times throughout a person’s life when it’s important to be photographed, reasons why, and what to do for those moments. 

It’s under the “When is the best time for portraits?” section and “Get My Guide” button. There’s a lot of info about me and the work I do. If you want to talk to me, there are forms all over the site you can fill out, and we can have a conversation.

Business Contact Details

Lara Grauer Photography can be found online here. or call 206-724-2177 for more information.


Interviewer Details

Jeremy Gross

Jeremy Gross is a personal & business finance and cash flow coach for small business owners. He loves learning about each business owner’s journey into entrepreneurship and helping others on their business adventures! 

You can reach him at jeremy@youpluscash.com or learn more here.

If you have a favorite business that you’d like profiled in Shoreline Area News, please let Jeremy know!