The Camera Lens at the Artists Collective is on Portraiture and Helping Other Photographers Thrive
By Bruce X. Forey | Photography by David Teran
A Chicago transplant brings her unique eye for photography and business acumen to 78209. Nancy Canseco owns The Artists Collective, located at 6702 N New Braunfels Ave. She recently moved to San Antonio to be near her parents and start her own family. In Chicago, Nancy owned a thriving business called Studio This Is. The Artists Collective is a similar concept. It’s where Nancy operates her photography business while offering a place for photographers to work with their clients.
“I have a very big space and rent it out to creatives for their photography needs. We have memberships for those needing access to the studio more frequently,” said Nancy. “I also host workshops and networking events to meet people and get more involved in the artistic community.”
In addition to being a creative space, Nancy also offers management services through The Artist Collective to help her peers prosper on the business side of photography.
“A lot of them don’t know how to price their service profitably,” Nancy added. Many don’t know how to respond to clients in a timely fashion. They don’t understand that the customer experience is more important than the art they’re making. Those are some of the ways I help them be more successful.”
Mixing art and business is something that comes naturally to Nancy. She would like to see more creatives take business courses, and more colleges offer business classes tailored to art students.
“Artists develop their skills, go out into the world, and don’t understand their market value, so they don’t charge enough,” Nancy said. I’ve always been a good problem solver. I understand I need to generate a certain dollar amount per month before I can scale. I enjoy putting those pieces together.”
Nancy says she was very successful as a wedding photographer in Chicago but basically had to start over in San Antonio. With a new child, a fresh start in 78209 was an opportunity to adjust the focus of her photography business.
She said, “It’s hard to let go of weddings because I love them and am very good at them. However, as a new mother, they are time consuming. My 20 years of experience also made me an excellent portrait photographer. I’ve learned how to put people at ease quickly, and I love working in the studio.”
While building her portrait clientele, she discovered a specialization that brings tremendous satisfaction.
“My most fulfilling part of my business is photographing women. It’s just my favorite thing right now.”
This niche inspired Nancy to create a project called, 40 over 40, which celebrates women as they age gracefully. She offers a specially priced package to women over 40 years old. It includes makeup, a photo session, and a printed portrait for framing. After 40 women are photographed, Nancy plans to host a show to celebrate the women who participated in the project.
“One of the things I’m passionate about with portraiture is women feeling confident in themselves. As a woman over 40, I understand how we can be hard on our appearance as we get older. So, I really want to celebrate age and beauty. I want to give women an opportunity to feel empowered through portraiture,” Nancy added.
With a growing portrait, studio rental, and management services business in place, Nancy envisions a future by expanding her photography to other specializations like newborns and more. “Empowering portraiture to different people,” she says.
“My portrait business is creating art for people and ensuring they have something lasting, not just something digital.”
