In this episode of The Portrait System Podcast, host Nikki Closser speaks with Paris-native and fine-art photographer Pauline Goyard, who lives in Indonesia and runs her fine-art photo business online. In this conversation, Goyard shares how she balances fine-art creation with being an educator, and how being an expatriate influences the way she works.

Before becoming a photographer, Goyard was a graphic designer and art director. When she discovered Sue Bryce’s work, she moved away from graphic design and became a portrait photographer. For several years, Goyard worked as a portrait and lifestyle photographer for local women and men and also worked for five-star hotels, providing portraits for wealthy tourists visiting Paris. After a time, Goyard began to feel burned out because her artistic side was not being fed with the style of photography she was doing. She realized she needed to bridge the gap between her creativity and getting paid.  

[Read: What Makes Fine-Art Photography Stand Out?]

For the last three years, Goyard has worked for Adobe. This enables her to produce creative work while she teaches, providing a novel way to get paid for her passion projects. Goyard also takes on portrait clients, but since she does not yet have the proper visa to do this in Indonesia, she only does so when she travels to Europe. And she only takes on those clients who give her full creative reign. 

Goyard says, “I do only clients who are going to give me this freedom and this trust in my vision. And it’s actually super amazing to realize they actually exist, you know? . . . It does not have to be separated. You can make money doing weird stuff, and it’s fine, and there’s always weird people who love this as well. That’s a good reminder.”   

To learn more about fine-art photographer Goyard’s work, including her education and one-on-one mentorship, visit her website.  

The Portrait System Podcast helps portrait photographers navigate the world of photography, business, money, and much more. Hosted by Nikki Closser, the podcast is powered by The Portrait System, a comprehensive, online educational platform that teaches all aspects of running a successful portrait photography studio.