About Lori Rice - Weddings, Carbs and Pugs

Last week, the weekly newsletter I received from a watercolor artist I follow was an introduction. I’d been following her for a while now, but this was the first chance I’ve had to learn some fun facts.

It reminded me that I rarely do something like this. But maybe I should. Some know a lot about me, others very little. And I don’t talk about myself a whole lot. 

In fact, when I first added teaching my art to the work I offer, I had people tell me they wanted to see more of my photos, the work I do. So I have to make it a point to add photos in these emails often, not just when I’m teaching from them. 

So I thought I’d do a little about me list, but the reason I’m doing this isn’t so much that you can learn more about me. 

I have a different answer each time I’m asked where I live. I always chuckle a bit when I get the whole - Oh, you live in California. Yeah, life is pretty great here. But I’ve only been here 10 years. I grew up in Indiana and I lived in Kentucky for 10 years. And want to know a secret? The local food scene in California can’t hold a candle to what I experienced in Kentucky. There is a much more personal touch there. 

I’ve been to a lot of weddings. My mom owned a cake business for most of my life. I spent my weekends helping her set up and take down wedding cakes. And no, I have no skills in the area. I actually turn down cake styling jobs because they are more frustrating than they are worth for me. 

I’m best known for pugs. Probably half the people who follow me on Instagram, do so because they liked my pugs. Our pug Macy passed away in 2021 at the age of 18 ½, our pug Dixie in 2019 at 14. Can I pet your dog? is the most common phrase out of my mouth. It’s my biggest motivation for taking walks on the beach. Most of ours here on California’s Central Coast are dog friendly so it’s a party every day for dog lovers. 

I once had a lot of energy. I’m a nutritional scientist in wellness and sports nutrition by education. I used to open gyms at 5 am and teach group exercise classes at 5:30 am nearly every day. It makes me tired just thinking about it now. 

I have a thing for carbs. I worked in a Great Harvest Bread Company during high school and the start of college. I baked, worked the prep table, and made sweets. Then I moved on to working in bagel shops.

Yes, I’d love a tour. My photography and writing has led me to some incredible visits and tours with my clients. Some of my clients have included California Olive Ranch, POM Wonderful, and the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (the little logo on the seafood you find at places like Target and IKEA).

I’ve been in an olive orchard during harvest and oil processing, in a pomegranate juice factory, on onion farms, in fig orchards, walked through hop processing plants during harvest season, in citrus research orchards, in an almond facility that makes most of the milks and granola bars we’re familiar with, and on a vineyard during night harvest. And I’m not done, yet. I still haven’t been on a date farm. I’m working on it. If you know someone, let me know!

Food culture is my true passion - the what, why, and how we all eat as well as where that food comes from. It’s strongly woven into my work. It began when I started traveling around 2003. I’ve visited about 26 countries so far and I lived in Southern Brazil for 3 years.  

I hate beets. I know, I know. I’ll eat them if I have to. But I won’t order them or make them on purpose. It’s the only food I can think of that I don’t like. 

If you are curious for more, here are a few posts and podcasts to check out: 

Creating the Three Tiers of My Small Business

Using Product Photography (and more) to Grow Your Product Shop - A podcast interview with Erin Alexander of Product Powerhouse

Lori Rice on Farm Fresh Photography - A podcast interview with Michael Kilpatrick of Thriving Farmer Podcast

An Interview with Professional Photographer Lori Rice - A podcast interview with food blogger and self-publishing guru, Jason Logsdon of Makin’ Bacon 

Want to browse some of my work, here’s my portfolio

When It’s Not Perfectionism

I hate the word perfectionist. 

I think it’s a word we use, specifically for women, to belittle them. To make them (us) feel like our priorities, our standards, and concerns don’t have value. 

Perfectionism is defined as the refusal to accept any standard short of perfect. 

If this is a standard you put on others, well, that’s not fair. 

But if this is a standard you apply to your own art, I don’t see the problem.

There are two things to consider, though. 

1. How perfect is measured?

2. Its misuse in creating. 

How is the perfect standard measured?

For me, perfect is self-defined. My perfect may be a far cry from what is perfect from someone else. The important thing is that I’m the one measuring it. I’m not trying to create my photos in a way that lives up to anyone else’s standards. 

Perfectionism is a positive force in my work when:

• It helps me envision exactly what I want to create and put in the work to do it. 

• Keeps my standards high for the quality of work I produce and the respect I have for those I work with. 

Perfectionism becomes a problem if:

• It drains my time for no reason due to picky details that I impose on myself. 

• It halts my ability to complete work. 

Is perfectionism being misused?

When I got into online business a few years ago, in terms of teaching and selling online, I was bombarded by the question being asked over and over - Are you just a perfectionist? Are you not putting your work out there or selling it because it’s not perfect? Then you are a perfectionist. 

Wait a minute. That’s not perfectionism. 

Finding a way to procrastinate on the completion of something is FEAR. 

People will sometimes say - Oh you just want it to be perfect. But in reality it’s the fear of putting something out there and being judged for it that holds a person back. 

Fear is an entirely different issue to deal with. And we need to identify it correctly. 

So if you have high standards for the quality of your work, so do I. Maybe you want them to be perfect. As long as that perfection is measured by your own standards then so what? 

It’s time to stop viewing perfectionism as a something that is always negative. It’s time to stop using it as a way to tell people they are doing things wrong and making them feel as though it’s something they need to fix.

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The Confused to Confident Photography Training opens September 2022! Hop on the waitlist to save on the course price.

The Small Business Launch Photoshoot Package

My goal in the last quarter of this year is to create more packages and services for purchase that help small businesses move forward. This includes those who want commissioned shoots as well as individuals who want more individualized mentorship for creating their own photos.

To kick things off is the Small Business Launch Photoshoot package, designed for those who can come to my studio in Cambria, CA.

I’ve created this package for small businesses just starting out who need a variety of photos to sell their products and tell their stories. We’ll spend a day working together to create photos you need for your website, online shop, and social media posts that will help you launch your business and keep it going.

This package includes:

One 30-minute consultation to determine photo style for your business based on principles of color psychology.

Simple product photos for online stores for up to 10 products.

20 styled photos including your products, we can include you or someone you bring with you in these photos.

Headshots or photos of you with your products so you can tell your story.

You’ll receive low-resolution copies of each image for web use, perfect for websites and social media shares.
And high-resolution copies for print, for when that local magazine asks to feature you down the road (yay!).

At just $500 for our day together, it’s such a great value. If you sell an artisan good that retails for $75, sell 7 and you’ve got it covered. And you’ll have everything you need to get a website up and running or give the one you have now a refresh. Not to mention images for social sharing, displays, and media requests.

If this speaks to you, I’d love for you to inquire. If you know someone in need of photos, I’d love for you to share it.