What does it take to be a successful photographer? Lisa Rhinehart is one of the lucky individuals with the answer to that very question. Rhinehart is owner of Rhinehart Photography, a local photography business that caters to individuals all over the East Coast.

Rhinehart graduated from Shippensburg University in 2001 with a major in elementary education and a minor in reading and concentration in children’s literature. While in college, she was involved with extracurricular activities and co-founded the organization Bridge for Kids with her now husband, Kris Rhinehart.

Since graduation, she has been making waves in the photography business. In 2015, Rhinehart was rated one of the top 100 wedding photographers in the U.S. by Brandsmash. In 2013, she was listed as one of the top 50 photographers by Fearless Photographers. To date, she has won a total of nine Fearless Photographers’ awards, seven of which she has won in the past two years. Winning a Fearless Photographers Award is no easy task, according to the organization’s website. Less than one in every 10 images submitted are awarded for excelling in creativity and the photography craft.

To have a successful photography business, it is crucial to stand out. Rhinehart takes the time to connect with every single one of her clients in order to capture their unique story. She finds much of her inspiration in the individuals that she photographs. Her whole photography process centers on knowing each client on a personal level.

Rhinehart takes many different types of photos including wedding, engagement and individual portraits. The majority of the photo shoots included in her online portfolio are wedding photos. For weddings, she spends a large portion of the day photographing a mix of candid photojournalistic images and posed modern portraits. She also spends time photographing details of the events including centerpieces and rings.

“It requires a lot of discipline to keep work-life balance in check, especially when I am running the business through the week and shooting weddings most weekends, but it is worth it and possible because of my incredibly supportive family,” Rhinehart said about her busy schedule.

Rhinehart spends a large amount of time per week connecting with clients, working in Adobe Creative Suite and marketing through social media. Contrary to popular belief, she only spends about eight hours behind a camera weekly. For those interested in photography full-time, she recommends to work for someone managing the business aspects of the job and to partner with someone with a business degree or to obtain a business degree. Fortunately for Rhinehart, her husband Kris graduated from SU with a business degree and advises her on many business aspects of her company.

Regardless of the responsibility and the stress it entails, Rhinehart loves her job.

“I get to exercise all of my creative muscles, meet interesting people, travel and create art that I am passionate about and make a solid living while doing it,” Rhinehart said.

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