As the sub-zero temperatures shifted back to the arctic where they belong, I sat down with Lora Larkin, owner of Pay One Price Photography, and a 100-lb Mastiff named Max who hasn't figured out he isn't a lap dog yet.
Besides the puppy, Larkin's family also includes sons Christopher and Eric and husband Les. Christopher was the reason Lora founded P.O.P. Photography during the summer of 2010.
"Christopher was going to graduate high school in early 2011 and we wanted to have senior portraits done. But there was no way we were going to pay $600 like some photographers were asking for. I thought, I've taken a lot of photos when the kids were growing up, I think I can handle this," Larkin explained.
And so she did. When she posted some of them online, they were good enough that a neighbor asked Larkin if she could do her son's photos as well.
"It's been word of mouth ever since then," she said.
A large part of her growing success, other than natural talent behind the camera, is the straightforward approach of her business model that was also its founding principle.
Instead of a complicated schedule of rates and options, a single price based on the type of event (family portrait, senior photos, wedding, etc.) covers everything.
"I take the photos, put them on a CD, and they're yours. And it's not just a few photos either; I take around 100 photos for the average senior session, for example," Larkin stated.
Last summer, Larkin left her job of 20 years at Jupiter Aluminum in Hammond to put more of her energy into photography. While the business grows (and as someone who is go-go-go and stays busy to stay happy) she supplements her income by working part-time at Hodges Chiropractic in Munster as a receptionist.
Larkin says her family has been very supportive as she moved from full-time work to running her own business. She has noticed a number of changes since leaving her regular job though.
"Actually when I was working full-time I had things much more regimented than I do now," Larkin said. "My house was in order. Now that I'm part-time, I find it hard not to be more laid back."
Larkin is thankful for the gift of a certificate of deposit from her grandmother in 2008 that allowed her to really get up and running.
"She gave it to me and told me I didn't have to tell anyone about it. She said when I found something I really wanted, I should use it for that. So after letting it sit for a while, I finally cashed it out and used it to buy my own camera. My husband was happy about that too, because when I first started in business I kind of took over his camera for a while," Larkin said.
As it turns out, Larkin has no formal education as a photographer.
"Start talking to me about f/stops and I glaze over," she admitted.
But one of the wonderful things about photography as a business is that the work so easily speaks for itself. Larkin's strong drive to figure things out and comfort with her camera mean she can offer terrific pictures at a more reasonable price than many other photographers. And Larkin has one other skill that gives her an edge over the competition:
"I scrapbook. I've been doing it since I was pregnant with Eric 15 years ago," Larkin stated. "Scrapbooking helps me conceptualize what sort of pictures to take because I think of them already displayed rather than just as loose photos. I also journal on scrapbook pages, and that's led to some ideas for photography that I haven't really seen other people do."
As an example, Larkin says at weddings she pays more attention to details beyond the viewfinder.
"Every photographer gets a shot of the first dance, but I like to listen to the song the couple picked and then add the chorus or some of the lyrics to the photo I took of them dancing to it for the first time. That comes from combining my scrapbooking hobby with my photo business," she said.
And with fresh ideas and her budget-friendly approach, the business has been doing very well in its first few years. Even with less than a year focusing on her business full-time, her portfolio already includes many family portraits, senior photos, and ten weddings. Larkin says she is happy with where P.O.P Photography is now, but that she would love to expand it.
"I have a small studio in my home, but I really love working outside," Larkin said. "My favorite type of work would be senior photos, because they're more relaxed. Girls in particular are a riot to work with."
Larkin can be reached at 219-776-5244 or at lora167@comcast.net. Samples of her work can be viewed on Facebook at www.facebook.com/payonepricephotography.
As someone with a family who quit her full-time job to pursue a dream, Larkin offers the same advice to people on the fence as she tells me she gave to a friend the night before we talked. The friend was agonizing over the details of a decision, and Larkin said it's often really as simple as the motto from the old Nike commercials: "Just do it!"