Kristen Joan Schnipke, a Northwest Ohio portrait photographer specializing in woman empowerment

Get to know Northwest Ohio’s fine art newborn & beauty photographer!

Kristen has worked with hundreds of women and newborns throughout the course of her career which began in 2013. She has extensive training in studio lighting as well as newborn and beauty posing. Her expertise assures your baby, your self-esteem, and your portraits are safe in her hands. She is an award-winning photographer and a master of her craft. She is known for her timeless photographs and heirloom products. She is very passionate about each client building confidence through their session and acquiring high quality images to highlight their beauty and decorate their home. Her full service, hands-on process reflects this.   

A note from your photographer…..

“I am blessed to be able to work with so many women both expecting and seasoned mothers, not only capturing amazing images for them to enjoy for years to come but also helping them build confidence through their portraits. As a woman and mother myself, I understand how our self-confidence can fluctuate throughout the years and want my clients to leave their session feeling beautiful with a boosted self worth. Whether you are visiting the studio as a new mama, a business owner, or a mother of 5 grown children I want you to feel empowered from the moment you walk in the door to the moment you take home your products and for years to come following your experience at The Studio. I love human connection, and this passion is woven into my portrait process. When I’m not at the studio you can find me networking with other women entrepreneurs, homeschooling and empowering my three daughters, or in the gym training female volleyball athletes. I truly enjoy connecting with new people and would love to meet you!”

ABOUT THE STUDIO

At the studio it’s all about making your your life easier while capturing images that you can’t wait to share with the world. 100% posing guidance (you never have to pose yourself), all the props needed for your session, studio lighting so we never have to cancel for a dreary day, wardrobe guidance along with a client closet full of GORGEOUS gowns for mama, hair and makeup available onsite, and custom designed heirloom products packages. We’re all busy & rarely feel prepared for photographs that’s why The Studio is a full service portrait studio.

Pregnant lady preparing for her maternity photoshoot

More About Kristen & The Studio

Kristen Joan has been a fine art portrait photographer since 2013. She owns and operates The Studio in Ottawa Ohio which is a full-service portrait studio offering clients planning consultations, wardrobe guidance and a studio gown closet, personalized reveals, fine art editing, and custom products. Kristen specializes in woman's empowerment photography including maternity, newborn, beauty, and branding images.

As a homeschooling mother of 3 daughters Kristen understands how important self-esteem is to women of all ages. She has experienced and overcame her own battles with self-confidence throughout her life, especially through motherhood and now aims to help other woman feel empowered through their portrait experience. The mission at The Studio is to empower every woman who walks through our doors—whether she’s an expecting mother, a new mom, a young woman, or a seasoned entrepreneur—to feel like a goddess and leave with a renewed sense of self-worth. For this reason, she provides her clients with a pre-consultation to set their mind at ease prior to the session. The Studio also houses a glamourous gown/wardrobe closet, provides hair and makeup at sessions, and provides all props and wardrobe (or wardrobe recommendations) for children and husbands if needed. This allows women/mothers to relax focus on their beauty throughout the session.

Kristen also founded and hosts Empowered Women of Putnam County meetings in The Studio. This group is designed to support, educate, and inspire local female entrepreneurs and businesswomen. The group meets once a month and discuss topics such as social media, balancing work and family life, resilience in the business world, and much more. The meetings are open to any local woman looking for a support system within the business realm.

Kristen also is the co-founder of The Empowered Businesswoman Podcast, a new podcast launching in the fall of 2024. Her and the co-founder Liv Croy from Signature Look Boutique in Ottawa, Ohio discuss business topics specifically pertaining to female-entrepreneurship including the particular struggles female entrepreneurs face, success stories from woman in business, and inspirational conversations surrounding the life of a businesswoman.

Kristen also trains female volleyball athletes through Cut By Coach out of McComb, Ohio. This position allows her, a previous athlete herself, to help young woman gain confidence through the love and dedication of a sport. Her focus is not to only provide skill training but mental strength training as well.

A note from Kristen "We all struggle at times to know our worth - young women, expectant and new mothers, seasoned mothers, business owners, and women of all ages. Whether you've struggled with your body image, grief, poor health, confidence issues, etc. you deserve someone in your corner, you deserve to feel like a goddess. Your worth is more than your struggle and growth is not linear. Which means at times, we need help remembering and finding that inner goddess. We can accomplish that at The Studio".