A photographer’s dream

It’s a work day for 31-year-old Lolita Kozyreva when we have this interview. She is taking what she calls a cake smash photo shoot. The star of the show, a cute little girl, is turning a year old and she is celebrating her day by exploring the textures and taste of her birthday cake. Lolita is here to immortalise the moment.

“Before I had my three-year-old daughter, I was terrified of babies,” she says. Looking at her handling the little one during the shoot, it is hard to believe this. On hand, other than her assistants, is Yury her husband, who is playing with the child as Lolita clicks away. “It is work for me but it has to be play for the children. It is the only way to catch them in their element,” she says.

Lolita’s Kozyreva’s businesses started with a love story. Her love story with Kenya. Six years ago, she visited Kenya on holiday from her home country Russia with her husband. They were seeking the magic and the hidden gems that they had heard Kenya held. Instead, they found a home to raise a family and fertile grounds to grow a business. They relocated to Kenya that year.

Back home in Moscow, the economics and finance graduate from The Russian Institute of Economics and Finance had held a government job. In her new home, she found herself dedicating most of her time to home making while her husband began a tours business. A year in, she had her daughter Alteya.

PASSION INTO BUSINESS

“Photography isn’t new to me. I worked as a part time model from the age of 16. Being around cameras spurred my interest in photography,” she says.

It was only a hobby then. She bought a camera but she only ever took photos of her family and of places she visited. “When my daughter was born, I started celebrating the happy moments the only way I knew how. I would show the pictures to friends who visited and one requested that I photograph her newborn. Slowly, I started getting requests from friends of friends. I realised how immensely I enjoyed working with babies,” she says.

A few months and countless photos in, she decided to turn her love for photography into a business. She went back to Moscow for a few weeks to take a baby photography course before coming back to set up the business. 

“In terms of registration and putting the paperwork in order, it is definitely easier to start a business here than in Russia,” she says. But there was also the fact that she was in unfamiliar territory and there were all these photographers and studios offering the same service as she was. She needed to provide something different.

“Competition led me to think outside the box. I hardly ever do studio photo shoots.  Each shoot that I do, I make sure to bring in new concepts, props and settings. In turn, my clients love it,” she says.

In 2015, two years into her business, she thought of blending her two passions – fashion and photography. When she looked around, she realised that while there were adult modelling agencies, there weren’t any catering to children.

“Then I saw many queries on social media from mothers asking for places to nurture their children’s modelling talents. I saw a business opportunity and founded a children’s modelling academy.”

Almost two years in, Little Star Children’s Modelling Academy has held five runway fashion shows. They train the children in modelling and then partner with clothing brands to give the children a runway experience.

Lolita isn’t planning on leaving Kenya any time soon so she is working at getting more children on board at the moment. Her dream is to open international opportunities for the Little Star children – to see them modelling on international catwalks. Her other dream is to attract big international clothing brands to Kenya using her runways.               

Lolita’s words of wisdom

• The first rule of business is that the client is always right. Treat the situation as if it were, even when it doesn’t seem that way.

• Business isn’t just about making money. It is about making money while giving back something. It is giving your clients value for their money.

• In this line of business, the product speaks for itself. If you are keen on quality, you will not have to worry about business growth.

• The first few months of business are never easy. This will call for some patience.