April Meeting

FROM CPA TO CREATIVE:

The Invisible Structure Behind Luxury with Emily Donohoe

What truly creates luxury in photography?

It's not better presets. It's not more elaborate sets. And it's not simply raising your prices.

In this powerful and thought-provoking program, fine art portrait photographer and former CPA Emily Donohoe challenges the common myth that creativity and analytical thinking are at odds. Drawing from her unique journey from accounting to fine art photography, she reveals how structure - not aesthetics - is the real foundation behind sustainable, premium studios.

Attendees will discover:

• Why luxury is a structural decision, not a stylistic one • How intentional pricing and margin design protect artistic integrity • The hidden cost of underpricing time - especially in fine art and embellishment • A simple four-pillar framework for building a sustainable luxury photography business • How analytical thinking can multiply creativity rather than suppress it Through real-world insight, elevated perspective, and actionable structure, this session equips photographers of all genres and experience levels with the tools to design - not guess at - premium positioning. 

This program is ideal for photographers ready to strengthen their business foundation, elevate their offerings, and build a studio that confidently supports the value of their art.

Luxury isn't a look. It's a structure. And it can be built.

Register Here

Emily is the owner and creative force behind Pixels by Emily, a luxury fine art portrait studio in Mahomet, Illinois, renowned for its white-glove experience and heirloom-quality wall art. A Certified Public Accountant turned Master Photographer and Certified Professional Photographer through the Professional Photographers of America, she is currently pursuing her Craftsman Degree-further demonstrating her commitment to education, leadership, and mentorship within the industry.

Emily brings a rare blend of financial expertise, strategic business insight, and refined artistry to both her studio and the photographers she teaches. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Accountancy and spent more than a decade in public accounting before transitioning full-time into portrait artistry. Today, she specializes in museum-quality printed artwork, including hand-embellished canvases and custom-designed heirloom albums.

Her studio is guided by clearly defined client commitments centered on attention, connection, distinction, quality, and innovation.

Beyond the artwork itself, Emily is deeply passionate about using portraiture as a tool for impact and improving mental health-creating confidence-building Grace & Grit experiences for tweens and teens, and leading her current artist project, Through Purple Eyes, which honors and gives voice to individuals on the other side of domestic violence.

Pre-Meeting Event: TBD

Separate registration is NOT required for this pre-meeting event. Anyone registered for the monthly meeting can come in early and take advantage of this learning opportunity.