Shlomit Levy Bard
Capturing the Beauty in Everyday Moments

By Christy Rippel

When Shlomit Levy Bard graduated with high honors from UCLA in political science, the world was full of possibility. 

"I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do career-wise, but what I really loved to do was photography," says Shlomit, who tossed around the idea of attending law school, among other things. "I remember thinking to myself 'you know what? There are people making a living doing this, so why can't I? I might as well give it a shot.' "

Give it a shot she did, unearthing a talent that led her to an award-winning career in photojournalism, and, now, a successful Los Angeles-based studio, Studio SLB Lifestyle Photography (studioslbphoto.com).
 

Breaking Into Photojournalism

Shlomit's interest in photography was sparked at an early age, when she'd watch her father work on his beloved hobby--bringing images to life in his darkroom. In high school, Shlomit signed up for a photography elective course and her own love for shooting soon blossomed. "As soon as I started the class, I immediately fell in love with it," Shlomit recalls. "I loved taking pictures, loved spending time in the darkroom."

Her passion for shooting only intensified as she gained experience and beefed up her portfolio, trying to crack the competitive world of photojournalism. But there were some humbling moments along the way—one of which was submitting her early work for criticism.

"The first time I showed my work to anyone, I was very nervous," says Shlomit, who submitted prints to a student contest run by Julia Dean, a well known workshop leader in LA. "I was so completely out of my league, but I realized that I couldn't grow unless I opened myself up [to criticism]."

Shlomit began aggressively seeking others' feedback, and managed to score a meeting, through Julia Dean, with the then-director of photography at the Los Angeles Times, Larry Armstrong. "I asked if I could come meet him and show him my work and get his feedback so I could learn," says Shlomit. "I look back at those images and can't believe I showed him those. But he was so generous with his time, and he gave me incredible insight as to how to improve." Larry Armstrong even let Shlomit tag along with a couple of Times photographers to see how they worked.

But Shlomit was no closer to landing a position. "I was already out of school for a couple of years, and no one wanted to hire me, even for a free internship,” she says. “I had to find my own way, and knock on doors myself. I sent out a lot of inquires, and I worked hard on my portfolio."

Her dogged persistence paid off. A cold call to a different photo editor at a community section of the Los Angeles Times finally secured her an internship. "I asked if I could come show him my work, and he agreed to a meeting," Shlomit remembers. "He really liked my work, and said I could intern—for free, of course."

After working for a few weeks, another photographer took a leave of absence and Shlomit was offered his job. She ended up staying for the next three years, during which her work was featured at the National Press Photographers Women in Photojournalism exhibit. In 1999, Shlomit was one of 100 photographers selected worldwide to attend the prestigious Eddie Adams Workshop in Liberty, NY.

While working as a photojournalist, Shlomit dabbled in private work and enjoyed building her side business. After being laid off from her job at the Los Angeles Times post-September 11, she did some freelance work for The New York Times as she contemplated her next move. "I was more and more aware of the difficulties of making a living in photojournalism," says Shlomit. "I considered a couple of positions, ones that would have me move out of state, but ultimately decided to pursue my own business. I just wanted to have more control over my destiny."

Becoming Her Own Boss

She opened a studio, Day One Photography, in 2001 with a partner whom she worked with for more than six years. They parted ways last year, and Shlomit emerged with a new name in her solo act: Studio SLB Lifestyle Photography.

Shlomit's office, where she does her editing work and meets with clients, is adjacent to her home. Her husband, David Bard, who has a background in art and graphic design as well as an MBA, also helps out with the business, in addition to a full-time office assistant who helps with managing orders and basic photo editing duties. The office has a space for Shlomit to shoot but, like any true photojournalist, she prefers to work on location.

Her background in photojournalism has greatly influenced her style—as has her personal role as a mom to two sons, ages 5 and 1. "Children are our best teachers," says Shlomit, who finds the younger set fascinating to shoot. "The things they think are beautiful are things that we adults take for granted."

Shlomit tries to tap into that “seeing it for the first time” mentality when on a shoot, be it with a family, an expecting mom or a child. "I try to find the beauty in every day moments that other people might not see the beauty in… the daily routine… things like reading stories, giving baths, or learning how to ride a bike," she says. "I want to discover what is unique about each client… I try to be like a tourist in a new country on each shoot—to approach and see things that way."

In order to truly capture a family's personality, Shlomit may spend anywhere from two to six hours on a shoot, depending on the client's preference and the type of shoot. Just as her persistence paid off in her newspaper days, her persistence and dedication to her craft now produces a horde of happy clients, who are thrilled to sing her praises.
 

Kathy Katims of Pacific Palisades, CA, has been inviting Shlomit into her home for eight years to shoot her family and two children, now 12 and 8. She first saw Shlomit's work hanging in her pediatrician's office, and was so struck by the images that she contacted Shlomit immediately. She describes the photos she saw, even all these years later, as "spontaneous" and "refreshingly candid."

"Shlomit's genius is in her patience, her humor,” Kathy says. “My son is autistic, and she gets the best pictures that there are of him. I don't know how she does it, but her rapport with the kids is great. I think it's a combination of her rapport, patience and persistence that allows her to get the great shot."

Over the years, Shlomit has photographed the Katims family in a variety of settings, including the beach, a local park and a playground—but the photos Kathy cherishes the most are from a day-in-the-life shoot that Shlomit suggested, a style that could be described as her signature—though Shlomit shies away from labels, always wanting to be creatively outside the box. "The photos are really a slice of our life," says Kathy. "The kids on the computer, playing basketball, having a playdate, dressing up in their Halloween costumes. All of these times are fleeting… Shlomit captured a moment in time for us."

While on a shoot with adults or older children, Shlomit has the power of communication on her side as she strives to be as unobtrusive as possible. She can steer a family in the right direction to get the shots she wants. But how does she capture the stunning images of babies and toddlers that she showcases in her online portfolio?

"With infants and toddlers, so much of the communication is non-verbal," says Shlomit. "It's more of an intuitive, soulful connection. With children under a year, I also know if the home is dark and doesn't have interesting light that I can set up my own lights. If the baby is crawling, I know there is no point in setting anything up. I'm prepared ahead of time, but always knowing [with young children] that I may have to wing it."

While Shlomit can't point to a favorite age to photograph, she says, "There are those sessions that are going to be just magical, whether [the client] is a newborn, a 12-year-old or a pregnant mom…. a lot of it is the chemistry between me and the subject."

Defining Success

Shlomit is thrilled at the direction her career has taken, and envisions one day balancing more freelance journalistic work again—once her sons are old enough for her to be dashing off to a story. But she also cherishes where she is today, raising her family and running her studio.

"I think everyone defines success differently," says Shlomit. "When I please my clients, I feel most successful, but the most fulfilling thing for me is that that I set out to pursue a seemingly impossible goal—being paid to take pictures. I'm never reaching for the finish line… I never want to stop growing and developing as a photographer, a person, a mother. I feel really fortunate that I can do what I love to do."

Christy Rippel, who just purchased her first digital SLR (a Canon Rebel XSi), is a frequent contributor to Rangefinder and the WPPI newsletter. The Winston-Salem, NC-based writer has also written for the Los Angeles Times, Pregnancy, Skirt! and others. Learn more about her work at christyrippel.com.