When I heard we were doing a story on six female entrepreneurs, all of whom are real estate brokers, I cringed. I was told: "Well, shoot some environmental portraits, but they'll probably end up as head shots." Oy! "Six different pictures of the same thing," I thought.

It was for a special section; I was going out of town on Friday, so I had all of one day, Thursday to contact everyone, set up appointments, photograph the women in their offices with or without clients, process the film and scan everything.

Anita Wolfe, licensed real estate broker, in her home, which doubles as her office. © 1998 Susan Markisz

My paper covers all of my expenses except for telephone calls. I recently got a cell phone for emergencies. I've used it far more than those included in the flat monthly rate. Lucky for me I had it with me or I'd never have been able to locate my six subjects, much less photograph them.

My pager was beeping constantly throughout the afternoon. Most of my conversations consisted of: "Where are you now?"

I realized that the personalities of the women I photographed more or less dictated how I photographed them. Sure, I had a preconceived vision, one that quickly vanished when I met each person. I started out in the office of Elissa Sable who was meeting with a client. Several of the women work out of their homes, and were "dressed to the nines," the way they normally dress to meet with clients. Most did not want to be photographed with clients (for their clients' privacy), or in front of a "particular house."

Elissa Sable, Associate Broker, showing prospective homes to a client © 1998 Susan Markisz

Lola Livingston, licensed real estate broker, Riverdale, NY © 1998 Susan Markisz /The Riverdale Press

I had a great time doing this assignment. Lola Livingston was my last subject. Lola wears a hat all the time. My only problem was making sure that enough light reached her face underneath the wide brim of her trademark hat. No time to set up additional lighting, just used my flash off camera, bouncing from an adjacent wall.

I finished scanning at 9 pm. I don't know how the pictures will run, but I was happy with the outcome... And I'm submitting my phone bill for the day to my publisher.