From Ember to Spark
Today we are sharing the story of the roots of Boston-area luxury photography studio, Show Your Spark, by Lindsay Hite. Show You Spark helps women celebrate themselves, their confidence, and their beauty through luxurious portrait experiences and artwork. From the first embers of her dream to the far-reaching powerful spark that is her business today, Lindsay’s initial dream and mission remain the same. Continue reading to learn more!
The First Embers
Growing up in Massachusetts, Lindsay always knew she wanted to work in a creative field. As a child, fashion and fashion design drew her interest as she designed and sewed clothing for her dolls. She also found a love for set design and the entire creative process behind curating a look.
As an only child, she entertained herself many weekends making collages from Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar pages while consuming many hours of late 90s music videos. She was fascinated with makeup, costumes, and the personas created by icons in pop culture. Sometimes this translated into questionable wardrobe choices as she walked the halls of her public high school, emulating Christina Aguilera and Gwen Stefani’s latest looks. (It’s a good thing social media didn’t exist in 1999 and yearbook photos are hard to find!)
Finding Photography
At age 14, she found photography. Her first photography teacher, Marky Kaufmann, encouraged her talents and taught her the basics, including black and white photography. Still a good friend to Lindsay, as a teacher, Kaufmann advocated for the power of self-expression, encouraging her teenage students to find their unique creative voice. Seeing the magic of her imagination come to life in the dim, red light of the darkroom further ignited Lindsay’s creativity and passion for the photographic art form. Unlike fashion design, photography held the appeal of instant gratification. She enjoyed watching all the elements and emotions of her frames come to life right in front of her eyes.
Story Telling
Her next love came in the form of storytelling. Maryland Institute College of Art proved to be a supportive environment for her as a young creative developing her artistic voice. Given the opportunity to study abroad in Paris, she spent a semester at Parsons in Paris, photographed runway shows, and worked for a magazine. Through that work, she learned to tell people’s stories across cultural borders despite linguistic differences. Her passion for photography and storytelling grew through the palpable creative energy found on every Paris street corner.
Wedding Photography Reimagined
Towards the end of her time at MICA, Lindsay discovered wedding photography. During her time in college, wedding photography underwent a massive aesthetic shift. No longer only about staged portraiture, new wedding photography trends encouraged photographers to use their creative vision to document the couple’s style, their relationship, and their special day in a way that aligned with the couple’s vision and wishes. She could be a creative AND a documentarian at the same time
The combination of fashion, creative storytelling, and documentary photography appealed to Lindsay. Upon graduation from college, she entered the field of wedding photography. Today, Lindsay draws on the skills developed as a wedding photographer, including quick thinking, creative lighting solutions, attention to detail, posing, and navigating many highly charged emotional situations. Often hired to document destination weddings, her wedding photography business took her around the world but away from family.
Time for Change
In 2016, feeling worn out and stuck, she began to question her next steps as a photographer. She felt a call to serve women in a broader capacity, desiring her work to create a ripple of influence impacting her community, the culture, and the world.
When least expecting it, inspiration struck.
During the meditative final round of her favorite cardio kickboxing-inspired workout, Kick it with Eliza, while laying flat on her back, dripping in sweat and reflecting on life, the song Rise Up by Andra Day began to play.
The Igniting Spark
As the song played, she had a vision. Here’s how she describes it, “I had a very clear vision of a light radiating outward from inside each of us. I began to wonder, “ What if each and every woman could see her light, her spark, take up space unapologetically, and confidently stand in her own unique power? What if we could shine our lights without fear? What world-change would occur if each woman could own their power and their voice?”
Realizing she knew how to celebrate people through photography, her new mission began to take shape. She desired to help women feel seen, beautiful, and special without the stress and societal expectations of a wedding day. Does that sound familiar? This idea pointed her in a new photographic direction, becoming the founding mission of Show Your Spark and her version of empowerment photography.
Developing a Vision
She started slowly, photographing friends and friends of friends in their homes. As a female photographer, she was keenly aware of the “male gaze” throughout the history of fashion photography. Knowing how stereotypes and beauty standards have been imposed upon women throughout art and fashion photography, she desired to develop her own photographic voice and vision in this new space. She honed in on posing and lighting, unique to this style of photography. Shortly thereafter, she met Michelle, our hair and makeup artist, at a wedding industry networking group. Having similar goals to create personalized, compassionate, and empowering experiences for women, the two quickly began to collaborate.
When launching in 2018, not having her own studio space, Lindsay and Michelle traveled to clients’ homes for Spark Sessions. As the idea of Show Your Spark grew, she quickly realized she wanted to lean into her love for hospitality by curating a luxurious in-studio experience for her clients where they could feel comfortable, seen, and taken care of.
Creating A Boston-Area Luxury Photography Studio Space
Lindsay found what was to become the Show Your Spark studio, a former autobody shop, on Craigslist. The building had lived many lives as various repair shops, yet Lindsay saw its potential as a Boston area luxury photography studio. For four months, she and her family designed and renovated the space, prioritizing creating a welcoming aesthetic and top-notch experience for her clients.
Today the space is a complete photography studio with multiple sets, a dressing room, a hair and makeup station, and an office area. Perhaps the most creative transformation is that of a private, mini-movie theater AKA Cinematic Premiere Room, in the former garage bay. This room witnesses the client’s emotions as they see themselves in a new light for the first time. The entire studio space continues to evolve and transform in response to client needs and new creative inspiration.
Growing the Team
In 2019, the amount and frequency of client orders began to rapidly grow. She knew it was time to expand her business by creating a new position to accommodate the growth of her studio. While thinking through her studio needs, she chatted one day with a client in the studio for her Spark Session about the new position. As she described the qualifications for the job, someone with attention to detail for quality and accuracy checks, design and retail experience, and someone who believed in the mission, the client raised her hand and said, “That sounds like me!” After interviewing a few candidates, it was clear that Jen was the perfect fit for the Production Manager position!
Continued Growth
Most recently, in 2021 the need for support grew again. Catherine began working with the studio as a freelance ghostwriter for the blog and website copywriter. In early 2022, as the client experience continued to develop, Lindsay realized the need for a dedicated Client Concierge. In her new role, Catherine helps meet the needs of our amazing and unique clients by managing email communications and overseeing our customizable payment plans. Catherine’s passion for storytelling, and helping women find their voices, propels the work and mission of Show Your Spark further than previously imagined.
Michelle’s role also expanded. In addition to serving as our hair and makeup artist, she also fills the role of our Client Experience Coordinator. Michelle brings her passion for people to the work of Show Your Spark as she speaks with inquiring clients and leads the cinematic slideshow premiere and artwork ordering session.
An Empowered Team
Lindsay firmly believes in bringing together an empowered, talented team who can help execute and achieve the mission together. She also has a team of trusted peers and advisors who help her continue to dream bigger and move forward, always keeping the Spark client in mind first. She constantly asks herself, “What would make the client’s life easier? What would she love to experience? What would mean the most to her to see?”
Life Inspiration
Behind the heart of Show your Spark is Lindsay Hite. Behind Lindsay, you will find her mother, constantly providing her with support and inspiration.
“I am inspired by my mom and her journey. Through every step of our journey together, she has wanted to do more for me to make my life better. She learned to hone her strengths throughout her life. I witnessed her growth from being a Kindergarten teacher, to a 2nd-grade teacher, to a principal to an administrator. She helped countless children and families be seen, supported, and thrive through her career in the education field.
She has always made me feel seen and celebrated. Knowing I have my parents’ support and belief in my abilities to pursue creative arts as a career propelled me forward with a sense of confidence and faith that all will work out. I want to create that same kind of respectful atmosphere and attitude in what I do with Show of Spark.
Your story, your challenges, scars, and your journey are important to me because although your past doesn’t define you, it has helped you become who you are today – and that is worthy of celebration”
Putting it Together
Beauty. Fashion. Photography. Storytelling. Passion. Respect.
These are the guiding principles behind Lindsay Hite and her Boston-area luxury photography studio, Show Your Spark.
Show your Spark, created with love, provides women with the opportunity to simultaneously step into a fantasy version of themselves AND a real version of themselves. Show Your Spark is a place for play, for exploration, and for shedding the layers that are weighing women down like a heavy coat. Here, you are invited to take up space, make noise and shine brightly like the gorgeous diamond you are.
You are the reason we built this space and this business. We hope you will choose to celebrate yourself through an empowering and luxurious Spark Experience. It would be an honor to document your Spark so you can be reminded, every day, of your beauty, strength, and confidence.
