Behind the camera with Isolde Baylor
Are you camera shy?
Turns out, many professionals are. Afterall, it can be nerve-racking to have your picture taken, especially when it comes to the headshot that recruiters, your colleagues, and career network will see on platforms such as LinkedIn and Zoom.
Luckily, Isolde Baylor understands these worries. And she knows precisely how to present clients in the most polished way. That’s why she spent most of VMX 2023 behind the camera!
When asked about blending art with medicine, Baylor explains, “I love my current schedule practicing two days a week, leaving more time to travel on location to take photos for hospital websites. I know most folks hate to have their picture taken. Veterinary teams are no exception. Most photos I saw didn’t show our awesome colleagues in the greatest light, yet all the websites have models/stock photography on the landing page.”
Instead, Dr. Baylor adds a personal touch. Her goal is to make folks feel seen, cared for, and that they are not alone.
Oftentimes, she will incorporate pets, too!
Dogs, cats, bearded dragons, goats, and even a ball python…it’s just another day for this high-end headshot photographer. With a mobile set up, Dr. Baylor can bring her artistic flair to veterinary teams across the country and conference booths.
The 3 R’s: Reflective, Rational and Realistic
Of course, going from working in a busy ER to owning a photography business is a huge change.
For Dr. Taylor, it was 3 R’s that got her there: being Reflective, Rational and Realistic.
Compassion fatigue (and just plain old fatigue) began to have a huge toll on her mental and physical health. At one point, she was driving two hours through traffic each way to help a short-staffed clinic. Prior to that, she spent the years between 1996 – 2016 also juggling being a fulltime mother. Eventually, something had to give. So, in 2019 she officially launched Images by IBA.
“I still love Vet Med: other people’s pets, the smells, the fur, even the crazy clients,” Dr. Baylor says with a laugh. “It’s just more my speed when it doesn’t dominate every aspect of my life.”
Overcoming Challenges in Vet Med
Indeed, this experience points to one of the biggest challenges facing veterinary medicine today, according to Baylor – finding balance. Many veterinary graduates leave school with a hefty piles of student loans, sometimes totalling $200,000+ in debt. And in many states, vet assistants barely earn a liveable wage. Everyone is overbooked, overworked, and overtired.
It can all feel rather disheartening.
Thankfully, people like Dr. Isolde Baylor are showing us that pursuing one’s dreams and finding balance ispossible!
With a successful photography business, Dr. Baylor is both a veterinarian and an entrepreneur, proving that you can do whatever you set your mind to.