The Business of Beauty

What The Business of Beauty does

The Business of Beauty, legally operating as Erin Blackwell Photography Studio (DBA: Erin Brannan), is a privately held, founder-owned luxury photography studio founded in 2011 by self-taught photographer Erin Blackwell. The studio specializes in magazine-style branding, beauty, boudoir, and maternity photography, with a flagship "Ultimate VIP Production Day" product that bundles planning, styling, posing guidance, and shoot execution into a full-service celebrity-treatment experience. Underlying delivery relies on professional camera equipment, studio lighting, and a small team of stylists/assistants — there is no proprietary technology platform; the website is built on Squarespace and functions primarily as a booking funnel and portfolio showcase.

The studio operates a direct-to-consumer go-to-market motion with self-serve booking ("Book Here") and a contact-based quote workflow, serving primarily US-based SMB and individual clients (entrepreneurs, influencers, professionals) with stated international reach ("Serving the United States & Beyond"). Revenue is generated almost entirely through one-time photography session fees; pricing is not publicly disclosed and is delivered on a per-quote basis. Add-on offerings include Instagram-focused Social Media Management and a separate educational property (Camera Confidence Code) that provides posing tips to photographers and subjects. Marketing is conducted organically through Instagram, an email capture program ("Be An Insider"), the website portfolio, and word-of-mouth referrals. The business is bootstrapped with no institutional funding, no parent company, and no disclosed revenue figures.

Name

The Business of Beauty

Legal name

Erin Blackwell Photography Studio

Website

https://erin-blackwell.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Business of Beauty (Erin Blackwell Photography Studio) is a US-based luxury photography studio offering magazine-style branding, beauty, and boudoir shoots plus social media management, serving entrepreneurs, influencers, and individuals seeking premium personal-brand imagery.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Photography Services

NAICS

Photography Studios, Portrait (541921), Commercial Photography (541922)

SIC

Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Photography & Photo Production (BPAFAIAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Photography & Still Production (Stills, Product, Lifestyle) (MPAAAMAI)

Keywords

• Luxury photography services
• Branding photography
• Beauty photography
• Boudoir photography
• Professional headshots

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Photography Session Services: One-time professional photography sessions including luxury branding shoots, beauty photography, and boudoir sessions. Services offered include Ultimate VIP Production Day, branding sessions, and beauty/boudoir packages. Revenue generated through session fees for personalized photo shoot experiences.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Business of Beauty (operated by Erin Blackwell Photography Studio) is a premium photography studio that produces magazine-style photo shoots for luxury branding, beauty, and boudoir clients. Core offerings include the Ultimate VIP Production Day (a celebrity-style full-service photoshoot experience), Luxury Branding sessions for entrepreneurs and influencers, and Beauty, Boudoir & Maternity shoots for personal milestones. The studio serves clients in the United States and internationally, delivering personalized in-studio sessions with planning, posing guidance, and styling.

Product overview

The Business of Beauty (operated by Erin Blackwell Photography Studio) is a premium photography studio offering a unified suite of luxury visual content services. The core offerings include the Ultimate VIP Production Day (a comprehensive celebrity-style photoshoot experience), Luxury Branding sessions for professional headshots and brand imagery, and Beauty & Boudoir photography for personal milestone celebrations. Supplementary services include Social Media Management for Instagram content and posing tips resources. The portfolio is designed for entrepreneurs, influencers, and individuals seeking high-end professional imagery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ultimate VIP Production Day A luxury, celebrity-style photo shoot experience providing full treatment with professional planning, pampering, and posing guidance for individuals seeking premium branding imagery.
• Luxury Branding Professional brand photography services designed for influencers and business owners, featuring magazine-style shoots with award-winning team support to create iconic visual content.
• Beauty, Boudoir & Maternity Photography Magazine-style beauty, boudoir, and maternity photo shoots for milestone celebrations, birthdays, or self-pampering, with options to include loved ones for couple imagery.
• Social Media Management Instagram-focused social media management services helping clients maintain their visual brand presence across platforms.

Named customers22 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Peers

• Sue Bryce Photography: Luxury portrait and boudoir photographer built on a celebrity-style client experience, with a large education and licensing business. Directly comparable business model: founder brand, premium shoots, monetized education layer.

Direct peers

• Cherry Martinez Boudoir: Boudoir photography specialist offering luxury, full-service client experiences targeted at confidence-building and milestone shoots. Closely mirrors the Beauty & Boudoir SKU and customer persona.
• Peter Hurley Studio: Celebrity-style headshot and portrait photographer with a strong personal brand, education arm (The Headshot Code), and similar premium-priced individual/client model. Closest analog on positioning, pricing tier, and practitioner-as-brand approach.
• HoneyKates Boudoir: Multi-location boudoir photography studio offering magazine-style shoots with pampering and luxury styling. Comparable on service mix, premium pricing, and use-case targeting (birthdays, milestones, gifts).
• Bambi Cantisani Boudoir: Boudoir photography brand with strong personal-brand identity and education programs for photographers. Comparable on luxury boudoir positioning and founder-led content/education model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/erinblackwell
• Instagraminstagram.com/erinblackwell
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-business-of-beauty

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Business of Beauty