1. All images ©Audrey Woulard
Audrey Woulard moves to downtown
Chicago to photograph children and families
in her all-natural, contemporary style.
BY LORNA GENTRY
CHICAGO

2. DREAMER

3. n April, children’s photographer Audrey Woulard opened
a new 2,200-square-foot studio in downtown Chicago.
She cites global warming among her reasons for building it. “Last year we had a horrible
heat wave,” she says. Her former studio was on the third floor, had 26 windows, and no
central air conditioning. “It was like a sauna,” she groans. Some of her most loyal—and
honest—clients told her, “You need to get it
location and the opportunity to design a
amid the perfect demographic for her busi-
together and get central air!”
space from scratch to suit her style and
ness: married couples, ages 28-40, with one
needs. She’s in a trendy area of Chicago,
or two young children. “I have a large re-
Instead of renovating, she found a new

5. turn-client base, and those kids are older—7,
8 and 9 years old—because they’ve been
with me since I started in 2004 and 2005,”
Woulard says.
Most urban Chicagoans move to the suburbs once their kids reach a certain age, says
Woulard, and when they do, parents spread
the word in their new neighborhood about
her photography. Word-of-mouth advertising has always been her only advertising.
She understands that being true to her authentic self keeps clients comfortable and
loyal. “Pictures go only so far. I maintain my
client base by being myself, and that cannot
be conveyed in pictures or words.”
Being open and available is the reason

6. behind not having a reception area in the
In addition to studio sessions, Woulard
rapher who has a studio is higher. Not that I
studio. “I want to maintain my approach-
shoots on location, part of her original busi-
would ever tell a photographer they must get
ableness so that I’m the first point of con-
ness plan that she plans to keep. “Going on
a studio, but it’s an entirely different ball-
tact,” she asserts. Woulard had a special
location gives me life, because you never know
game. I stand out because lots of photogra-
sloped wall built in the studio “that looks
what you’re walking into.” Woulard believes
phers who had studios gave them up when
like infinite light,” she says. The studio is all
having a studio gives her a leg up on the com-
the downturn happened. There are no com-
white, including the furniture, “which makes
petition. “Because there are so many photog-
peting studios in my area.”
the bright colors kids wear pop.”
raphers now, the perception of a photog-
Woulard takes full advantage of social
media and blogs. Recently she started a second, lower-profile blog, a place where she
feels free to experiment. She admits to having a creative restlessness, and an addiction
to her iPhone camera. At alwinspire.com,
the new blog has a casual, spontaneous feel.
She shares her iPhone pictures and quotes
that resonate with her.
Woulard has also been experimenting
with video on her Nikon D800 camera and
makes movies of clients in casual moments.
“I like video because it uses a different part
of my brain. I chat a lot with my clients
because it breaks the ice in the beginning.
Often I take pictures without them knowing
it. I’m thinking of doing video during that
time. It’s a time when the kids don’t know they
are being photographed so they aren’t ‘on.’ I
want to pair the videos with music and offer
them to clients as a bonus. I wouldn’t ever only
do video, but I like playing around with it.”
In addition to her D800, Woulard shoots
Nikon D700, D300 and D200 digital SLR
cameras and uses only prime lenses. Her other
commissions include commercial work for
Pottery Barn Kids and IAMs pet food. No
matter what she’s photographing, Woulard
uses 100-percent natural light. In fact, she
teaches workshops all over the world on
photographing children and families in natural light and has published a book on the
topic, “Natural Enlightenment Photography.”
She also teaches best business practices
in her workshops. “I mostly focus on those
who are starting their business or those who
have started their businesses haphazardly

7. and now need to fix things. You have to get
zles her. “Maybe it’s the Internet. It makes
intends in the next year or two to photograph
the business part right first. Do a business
the world smaller, so you compare yourself
families out of state. She is also interested in
plan and plan for future, not the present.
with others. I tell people to compare yourself
opening a second studio, perhaps in another
I’m not the most organized person in the
with yourself and you will always see you are
city, like Dallas. “But that’s in five years or so,”
world, but the best thing I did was begin my
getting better. It’s humbling rather than dis-
she says. For now she’s looking forward to a
business slowly. In the beginning I was
couraging. It’s hard to grow when you’re dis-
cool summer in her new digs. This year the
shooting just one day a week. It’s easier to
couraged. I suggest they go through
weather is working in her favor. She has dis-
build things than [to] take them away.
magazines and tear out pictures they admire.
covered an upside to global warming. “It’s been
“I’m a big dreamer and I’m not afraid of
It will help them figure out their own style,
so warm in Chicago this year that my slow sea-
taking chances,” she continues, so when
and because the pictures don’t have names,
son hasn’t been slow at all. I’m staying busy.” I
photographers in her workshops admit to
they won’t compare themselves to others.”
feeling insecure about their abilities, it puz-
118 • www.ppmag.com
In her own business plan, Woulard
To see more of Audrey Woulard’s work visit
alwphotography.com.