Up to $2 million | 2025 Revenue: $130,000
As a new mother, Laura Davis printed camera snapshots of her children when she could, but the majority of her photos lived in what she calls “a digital pile.” They sat on a thumb drive in the back of a drawer, gathering dust.
Davis remembers wishing she had more accessible photos to remember her time as a new mom and to display the early years of her children’s lives.
So she created a company to do just that.
Pure Life Photography, established in 2011, specializes in maternity, newborn and family photography.
Davis provides bump- and postpartum-friendly dresses, and arranges for hair and makeup styling for clients. She stocks swaddles and kids’ clothing, and recommends outfits for siblings and dads.
Her goal, she said, is to pamper women, build mothers’ confidence and capture milestones.
Davis, 43, received her first professional camera, a Nikon D3100, as a gift from her husband, Paul. She took photography classes, attended seminars and went to events to speak with professional photographers.
“I like to be the best,” Davis said. “I know I can always learn and I can always expand. I don’t think I am the best. There’s always room for growth.”
Davis said she also was determined to turn her hobby into a business.
“I needed to find a way to make this more profitable to make sense for my family,” she said.
In addition to working in the studio, Davis travels to the beach or other settings at clients’ request. One client wanted a graffiti-tagged wall as a backdrop, she said.
Family photography can sometimes present challenges, Davis said. Fathers can be stiff. Babies cry. Toddlers squirm.
Davis instructs clients to engage with their spouse. A simple kiss on the cheek or whispering a secret can lighten the mood.
Sometimes she is more direct.
“I tell them exactly what I want them to do, and that seems to put them at ease — put your hand in your pocket but leave your thumb out,” she said.
She has a treasure box of rewards for young children who follow directions.
“I am not above bribery. I always ask the parents if they’re OK if we bribe, and no one has ever said, no, they are not OK with it,” she said. “I just try to make it as about them as much as possible.”
Davis has a part-time assistant and said she plans to hire an editor for weekend and night assignments. A marketer also is a goal. Much of her clientele comes by word of mouth, friends of past clients who admired family photos.
In the early years of Pure Life, Davis relied on props, such as boxes in which to place babies or puppies.
She now focuses more on the family. The only prop she can’t do without is Santa Claus.
“One of the Santas I would like to use, he’s already booked,” she said. “But there’s another Santa that did it with me last year, and he did an amazing job. I’ll use him again.”
Davis wanted to be a mom all of her life, and she still makes motherhood her priority. She has two children, ages 16 and 14. Her work schedule revolves around taking them to and from school, and attending their extracurricular activities.
Pure Life also has provided her the opportunity to talk with other mothers. They have shared successes and concerns, and offered advice and encouragement, she said.
“It can be hard, and no one was really talking about how hard it was back then,” she said. “And I just loved being able to tell the moms that it gets better.”