SCHOOLED STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: Emily Feinsod

This month we decided to do a series of student features, highlighting the students of my fine art portrait course, Schooled. This our second and last solo feature of the month but if you missed it we did a collaborative feature a couple weeks ago! Today we are excited to highlight Emily Feinsod from the Maplewood, NJ!

When you took Schooled, how many years had you been in business? And what inspired you to take SCHOOLED?

I had been in business as a photographer for 5 years prior to taking Schooled! I had not had any experience in photographing schools before.

I wanted an additional stream of income and as a former teacher/ current family + children’s portrait photographer, I knew it would be a natural fit.

Has school photography had other positive impacts on your business like providing direct marketing for other genres you photograph like Family Photography, senior photography etc?

100% – I focus primarily on maternity, newborn + family so boutique school photography (I only do preschools) has helped to get my name into the community with younger families. My own children are now 13 + 11 so it really helps to broaden my reach.

Last year I made approximately 17K gross income from just School Photography!!

Do you use natural light or artificial light for your schools? And what gear do you use for School Photography?

I started out using natural light but have started using artificial lighting, I find it helps with consistency for quicker editing.

The gear that I bring to a School is as follows, Nikon D750 + D850 Nikon 85/1.8mm lens – Lighting is single light set up using a Profoto B10 with 53″ umbrella + diffuser cover.

What was the most eye opening thing that you learned from the Schooled class? 

How something I was already doing (children’s portraits) could lead to something so rewarding and profitable for my biz. I started implementing the concept of boutique school photography during Covid. I opened my garage, put up a backdrop, and started offering them to the neighborhood kids. Word spread and soon I was contracted with 2 local preschools for the next year!

Another thing I love is the Facebook Group! I love learning tips and tricks from others. I also just love being connected to others doing the same as me!

What would you say to someone who is on the fence about joining Schooled? 

DO IT! The course is beyond valuable. It’s a step by step guide to add additional income and direct client funnel into your workflow. IMO, invaluable!!

INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT SCHOOLED?