Tag Archives: Photography Business

APPRECIATING YOUR SUPPORT TEAM….

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“OMG…. he totally looks like McSteamy!” 

While enjoying a little breakfast and therapy session girl talk on Sunday morning at the Blu Jam Cafe with friend Naomi, our outing was made just a little bit sweeter with our server’s undeniable resemblance to Eric Dane. For this very reason I drank 3 cups of coffee and 2 cups of water to ensure frequent refill needs and visits to our table. Sounds crazy, you say? Well any Grey’s Anatomy fan out there would agree that when you come across a Dr. McSteamy look-a-like you pull out all the stops to catch a glimpse ;)

Celebrities aside, having that time to simply be with and appreciate the people who motivate me and devote their time to help me succeed is something that I not only enjoy but really need, be it over a meal at a restaurant or coffee at home. These people are a combination of my family and friends that give me far more than I could ever repay them for; their support. Because not if but when the going gets tough there’s nothing better than knowing that you have someone who stands behind you.

So how has having a support team helped me with beginning a new business? Well, most of the Lifestyle, Engagement & Wedding shoots I’ve done (or will be doing) have come from this very group of people….. so it’s pretty safe to say that they play a MAJOR part in the journey. They take time out of their own lives and very busy schedules to promote me, put my work out for people to see, send my information to anyone looking for a photographer, give me advise on how to make my website better, etc….. all the things that they do not have to do. Really, they don’t have to take the time to do any this for me but they do. So I owe them, big time! I’m thinking a lifetime supply of Photo Shoots? That should even out the score ;)  

All this said, I think we all have our own support teams, whether it’s family or friends. The important thing is to not lose sight of those that have helped us along the way (again, when they don’t have to). Appreciate the referrals, value the time dedicated to helping you but most importantly understand the blessing that these people bring to you. I hold firm to the thought that none of us deserve success or are automatically entitled to it, but that we must earn it. Showing appreciation and counting the blessings are definitely ways to earn it….

…. and free Photo Shoots should help also ;)

Happy Monday!

[ Planning a Wedding or Special Event? Follow CRYSTAL NICOLE PHOTOGRAPHY on Facebook to view the galleries & get all the latest details. Visit Crystal-Nicole.com or contact crystal@crystal-nicole.com for booking & pricing ]

ONE IN A MILLION…..

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True story…. sometimes I think that the ideas I have are so unique that there is no way on the planet that someone else could have thought of the same thing. Like in 1994, when I wrote a letter to Jonathan Taylor Thomas informing him of how amazing it would be if I could visit him on the set of Home Improvement, play Super Nintendo together & eat sour patch kids. The green kind. I mean, brilliant right?! No other pre-teen would think to send him a letter… I was obviously so far ahead of my age. Obvs! Well it turns out that tens of thousands of girls thought the same thing (rude, I know) and now 18 years later I have yet to hear back from JTT. I’ve learned to move on… unless JTT is reading this and decides to contact me, at which point I’ll gladly break out the video games & candy!

This was the case for photography, for real.

I knew there were other photographers out there, but really, how many people would actually want to make a business out of it? (Again… one step ahead of society ;)  ) The answer brought me to a sweaty frenzy. Tons and tons! Every other person is a photographer…. like, my grandmother is a photographer. Not only are the numbers mass but the talent is even greater…. and that is just what this fearful beginner needed to learn. There are thousands of extremely talented photographers with the same idea. Awesome! My first thought was “why even bother?” to attempt to break into the photography industry. If this were Project Runway, I would be the girl in the corner holding my be-dazzler while Inca, the girl who was raised over seas and interned with the top designers, walked around with all of her fabulousness. My chances felt slim…. but I simply said a prayer, grabbed my camera & kept going, because everyone loves an underdog!

Apparently not everyone in the industry loves the underdog though. There were times when experienced photographers in the business “hoped I wasn’t charging for photo sessions with my Costco camera” as one individual so honestly phrased, or “would never hire me as a 2nd shooter for a wedding with her if I was using THAT equipment” as another stated. Harsh? Sure. But it was honest & I like honesty, it drives me and pushes me to do better. So thank you to those honest individuals for giving me the nudge I needed to practice everyday, continue to put myself out there and to get a pricing list together ;)

Luckily for me the photography industry also has plenty of Tim Gunns… snap-finger worthy photographers with amazing hearts & personalities to match. The ones who root for their peers, help others succeed and genuinely want to the see the underdogs make it big. Even better? I’ve found that there is room for me to just be me in a sea of millions and to bring my own style & presence to this amazing world of photography. That right there is worth facing the ”honest” photographers along the way ;)  

My encouragement for anyone else that can relate with feeling fearful of embarking on a new journey and being one among millions of others trying to do the same? Do it! Take a leap of faith. Yes you’ll face the Negative Nancy’s, Debbie Downers and Sarcastic Steve’s at some point… but there will also be the Awesome Amy’s and Helpful Henry’s too, I promise ;) And if the first group is still bringing you down, I volunteer to help send them Thank You cards when you make it big. Holla! 

[ Planning a Wedding or Special Event? Follow CRYSTAL NICOLE PHOTOGRAPHY on Facebook to view the galleries & get all the latest details. Visit Crystal-Nicole.com or contact crystal@crystal-nicole.com for booking & pricing ]

COFFEE DATE MEETS COUNSELING SESH…

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As I drove aimlessly through the shopping center parking lot, I stopped to take a deep breath and told myself to get it together… like, now! I knew the Coffee Bean was in there somewhere. Siri on my iPhone told me it was there… my friends had been there… and I had just run into one of the girls I was meeting while at the ATM who told me the Coffee Bean was just a few stores down. HOW WAS I IN MY THIRD LAP AROUND THE PARKING LOT AND STILL HAD NOT FOUND IT?! I mean, I was driving slowly and even stopped occasionally to look around. Yes, stopped in mid-lane. To the lady in the Ford Focus driving behind me motioning for me to drive…. my bad. I truly hope that she never experiences being lost in a parking lot somewhere. Ever!  ;)

On Tuesday evening I drove out to Manhattan Beach for a coffee date a.k.a. counseling/mentoring session with two of the lovely ladies I met through a photography event we attended back in March (read about our meet ups here, here and here). Maria of Snaps & Scribbles Photography and Janet of Love Janet Photography are the cheese to my macaroni, for real. They have helped me so much throughout my journey to become a wedding photographer. Not only are they fabulous at what they do but are the sweetest girls ever (Sidenote- Maria and her husband are expecting their first baby in January and we are all a little more than excited to see the mini-photographer… because he will totally be a photographer ;) ) Still being fairly new to the photography world and occasionally feeling inadequate around the real professionals, Maria & Janet (and the other ladies I met through the event) have allowed me to be my loud, sometimes awkward self. And they don’t make fun… or correct my grammatical errors while blogging. Holla! ;)

If life was Burger King and I could have it my way all the time I would make it so that I could see my support group once a week. Because that is exactly with these girls are… my support group. And in true LA fashion I totally need to see my counselors on a weekly basis, duh ;) But really, I owe them a lot for taking me under their top of the line camera-holding wings and showing me the do’s and dont’s. The best part of it all? Reporting my progress to them and making them proud of their little student… and if any of them would like to send me a Student of the Month Certificate, I’ll gladly take it. Just saying ;)   

Tomorrow I have the pleasure of second shooting a wedding with another awesome photographer who I met through the same event in March and I seriously can’t get enough of days filled with gorge couples, fab shoes and amazing food ;) Holla! Here is a sneek peak of the Redondo Beach wedding from last Saturday that I got to 2nd shoot with Jaime Davis Photography…. yet another lovely doll I met through the same event.

And this is why it pays off to attended specialty events! I would have never met any of these girls had I not gone….  and now, just thinking of not having my counseling group around gives me anxiety. Which leads to bad driving ;)

Check out the full blog post of the gorge Redondo Beach wedding this Monday. Have a fabulous weekend!

                                                                                                                                                          [ Planning a Wedding or Lifestyle Photo Shoot? Follow CRYSTAL NICOLE PHOTOGRAPHY   on Facebook to view galleries & get all the latest details. Email crystal@crystal-nicole.com or visit Crystal-Nicole.com for booking & pricing ]

LIFE THROUGH INSTAGRAM…

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There comes a time when everyone reaches their breaking point and as much as I wanted the relationship to work out, it just didn’t. One too many arguments & failed attempts… and even though I credit myself for being a patient person, even I knew it was time to part ways. My friends and family saw the red flags & urged me to move on, so finally I did. Two weeks ago I paid a visit to my local Verizon store and life couldn’t be any sweeter. That’s right… ladies & gentlemen, I decided to tell my Blackberry to kick rocks and said hello the iPhone 4s. Holla! ;)

For all those who are currently saying “I told you so”- yes, you were right – the iPhone is a little piece of heaven and Siri completes me. She takes care of my schedule, she reads my messages out loud and she has given me the best gift yet…. Instagram. (For the record I DID NOT purchase the iPhone solely to be on Instagram. I mean, that would be crazy ;) ) Posting photos and being able to share them on my photography facebook page is amazing. For real! As much as I love sharing my photography journey a little randomness never hurts. Correct? Correct!

Siri is so much cuter than the Blackberry. Just saying…

Dinner parties, fave chain foods & snacks…. I’m a foodie, don’t judge me.

When life meets fabulous. Usually in the forms of make-up & nail salon trips ;)

My shoes, duh! 

And yes, I work also ;)

These next few weeks will be quite busy filled with weddings & photo shoots which is super exciting and still very surreal to me. There are also a few new projects in the works (which I’ll be sharing on here first of course!) so it’s about to get cray-cray ;)

So if you’re on Instagram follow @crystalnicolephotography and lets be random together. Heey!

[ Follow the journey on Facebook at CRYSTAL NICOLE PHOTOGRAPHY ]

HELLO, INTERNET…

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Blogging and I have a BFF type of relationship. My blog sits through my panic attacks and hot messes, shares in my excitements and totally doesn’t laugh at my weirdness. See? BFFs for real!

My website, on the other hand, has been my frenemy. I’m not exactly sure where we took a turn down Paris Hilton vs. Nicole Richie Highway, but things went from smooth sailing to tears and dramatics. Mainly on my part, but whatevs. I changed my mind about 89 times, I started over about 20 times… and maybe I even quit about 3 times. But after a few weeks of bickering we finally came to an agreement. I would keep it simple & Miss Website would bring the fierce – and just function! So now, after four weeks, I am finally ready to introduce Crystal-Nicole.com. HOLLA!!!!!

Creating my “About Me” page was definitely the most difficult item to work on. Writing about moments in my life, or my feelings at the time is easy…. but writing to describe myself & about myself was a challenge. After my 50th attempt I simply decided to treat it as a blog post and just wrote. If that’s how I roll while blogging, then that’s the best way to keep it real and really show me.

I wanted a website that was clean-cut, easy to navigate and straight to the point. These slide shows that continuously play are a great way to show my portfolio and allow clients to browse through the images quickly.

I also added contact cards to help filter & organize inquiries. This makes everyone’s life easier, trust me! There are also links to my blog and Facebook page throughout the site, because really, the best way to get to know me is through my online presence and real-time interactions.

So there you have it! This is a major milestone and something I never thought I would have. As much as I love my blog and sharing on social medias, this website really is the cherry on top and brings my business together. Even my family can’t believe that I have a small section of my own on the internet! They also can’t believe that I’m still obsessed with Twilight, but that’s a whole other story ;)

Don’t forget to follow along on FACEBOOK… that’s were it all goes down. Happy Monday!

WHEN LIFE MEETS FABULOUS…

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Last night as we sat and enjoyed our Brazilian dinner at Boteco in the city of Alhambra, my friend Naomi and I did what we do best… planned to travel the world, gushed over our career plans and sang along to the restaurant’s sound track. And really, once Shakira’s Hips Don’t Lie song came on they may as well have handed us a mic… because it was officially karaoke time at our table for two ;)

It’s moments like these - these two and a half hour dinners/girl talks of ours – that life truly meets fabulous. At least that’s how I see it.

While trying to establish a brand and focus for my photography business I wanted to represent myself as best as possible. Why? Because I want clients to hire Crystal not just a photographer. It is very important for me to connect with the people in front of my camera and to establish actual friendships with them. This will bring out the best in both of us because if we can talk about shoes, reality shows and the Lakers in between photos we’re guaranteed to have a good time! And good times equal good photos ;) Holla!

So I decided to brand my photography around the idea of “when life meets fabulous” because I am ALL ABOUT the fab moments in life. The time when you step out of the ordinary and into something you consider amazing. That spa pedicure that you enjoy every two weeks?  Fabulous moment. Waking up 20 minutes earlier to turn up the hair and make-up for work? Fabulous moment. Getting engaged and planning the wedding that you’ve been dreaming about since you were 12yrs. old? Fabulous moment. Finally being able to use that secret file on your desktop with wedding ideas that date back to 2005? FABULOUS MOMENT!

 As someone who gets excited over hot pink star-shaped post-its, celebrating these moments through photography totally works. So if the 6in blue suede heel fits, wear it ;)

Everything is starting to come together and I cannot wait until I am fully established as a photographer. It has been a scary, nerve-wracking, anxious, amazing six month journey but I can see the finish line! And lucky for me I can run in heels. Heey!

Until next time…

[ Follow Crystal Nicole Photography on Facebook... it's a good time, for real ;) ]

 

PHOTOGRAPHY: Website Talk…

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If you have followed along with me for the past 6 months  - since I started my blog/photography/life/OMG I’m 25 years old journey - you’ve probably learned by now that I only know what I am doing about 57% of the time. The other 43% is accomplished through Google. Yes, Google. I have literally been googling (that’s totally a word)  my way through photography and on starting a business in general.  The internet has been my best resource; from online tutorials on how to use editing software, to learning what that thingy is called that holds up a camera (it’s called a Tripod people… you’re welcome ;) ) Although this is not the best or most professional way of going about my photography business… it’s been the quickest way for me to learn and most of it has been FREE. Starting a business while still maintaining my shoe collection and frequent needs for Chai Tea Lattes from Starbucks? I’m all over it, for real! Work smarter not harder… duh ;)

Two weeks ago I finally decided to take the next step and build my website. I had been meaning to do this for a while now, really I had, but in between watching Dancing With The Stars, looking up funny videos on YouTube,  hanging out at local restaurants for the NBA finals, building my photography portfolio… I just could not get it done. This was pretty much the same reasoning I came up with for waiting a year to start a blog. Lame! Blogging has been such a big part of the journey that I regret waiting so long. I figured this would be true with a website; a year from now I will regret not starting NOW. So I grabbed my laptop and did what I do best…. GOOGLED.

Purchasing a domain, finding a host, making page templates, figuring out how to say “Hello, this is me” without annoying myself – IT HAS BEEN A CHALLENGE- but I am happy to announce that my very own website will be ready to go live by next week! This calls for the moonwalk, running man and tootsie roll all at once… HEEEY ;)

 In the mean time, here’s a sneak peek at my latest Lifestyle shoot….

I can’t wait to share about the amazing time I had while working alongside this talented makeup artist.

Now the countdown to the website launch begins! Happy Wednesday all :)

[ Follow CRYSTAL NICOLE PHOTOGRAPHY on Facebook ]

PHOTOGRAPHY: Developing A Style…

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I’m on the hunt for a book. Preferably titled “How To Start A Business Without Staying Up Until 1:30am And Having Your Ideas Magically Come To Life All On Their Own.”  No, that’s not a long title at all. My rule of thumb is that if it can be said in one breath, we’re good. Agreed? Agreed! So if anyone sees this book, I’ll trade cupcakes for it!  

Last week I came up with a list of goals that I wanted to accomplish and what exactly I want to do in the photography world.  (check out the itemized list here… PS- I like itemizing, it makes me look organized ;) ) Writing it all out is one thing, but actually doing the work is a wee bit harder. My mind is a lot like my desk at work…. a clutter of colorful post-its…. and a high-heel shaped tape dispenser on the side. I have so many ideas that it is hard to stick with one direction so I’ve been putting together small items to hopefully get my business style together….

Here are samples of the THANK YOU cards I designed to send out after photo shoots. I’ve said this before & I’ll say it again- I am not a graphic designer. I wish I was, but I have no skills in that department.  This will probably make me seem a little ghetto-fab but I’ll keep it real and say that I made these on Microsoft Word. HOLLA! I added a few text boxes, inserted a few shapes and lighted the opacity on the font…. DONE!

I also put together a Cover Photo for my Facebook Page (go LIKE my page CRYSTAL NICOLE :) ) Staying with the idea of keeping it real…. this one I made by altering a screen shot on my Macbook Laptop. For real! I took a screen shot of a photo I took on saturday, added in a rectangle shape (lowered the opacity to 65%) saved the image, re-opened it and added the text (so that the text would layer on top of the rectangle shape) I saved it as a jpeg & called it a day!

I saved the hardest one for latest… designing my logo. I’ll be working with a friend of mine who just so happens to be a talented graphic designer. Even though I already put together my inspiration boards (see them in this post) she means business and has me filing out a questionnaire to really understand my likes/dislikes and what best represents me. If she can accomplish this I’ll owe her forever because right now all I can think of that represents me is a burrito bowl from Chipotle perched on top of a Twilight book ;)

The journey is getting interesting ladies & gents…. Happy Thursday!

PHOTOGRAPHY: Setting My Business Goal

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“If you don’t know where you want to go, how will you know when you get there?”  

This is something that I heard while at my first photography event last month (read about THAT adventure here) and totally got hooked on this idea. I knew that I wanted to pursue photography, but I needed to set a focus and be specific about what exactly it is that I want to accomplish. So I grabbed my polka dot notebook (Sidenote: If anyone would like to make a donation to the “Buy Crystal An iPad2 Because She’s Down To 8 Blank Pages In The Polka Dot NoteBook & It’s So Not Cute” Foundation cash, checks & credit cards are accepted ;) )

As if I wasn’t motivated enough, on Friday I overheard my dad tell my brothers to write down what they want to accomplish and their goals for their future business endeavors. Now I would have totally thanked him for saying this out loud, but I ran the risk of him bragging of how I “want to be as cool as he is” until next Easter so I quietly thanked him. In my head.

Initially I thought about interviewing myself to amp up the vibe… but then it got weird, even for me. Then I moved on to creating a questionnaire (for myself, from myself) and that hovered on awkward side also.  And no…. this had nothing to do with the fact that I’ve secretly always wanted to fill out the celebrity interview questionnaire in Cosmo magazine. For real ;) So I stuck with what I do best…. a list. Woot! 


1. Create A Boutique Photography Business-  The term boutique is often thought to be used only in the fashion world, but really it can be used to describe a business specializing in a specific type of service. Creating this type of business involves intensive branding, creativity and adding in those small details to make your service unique. Having a passion for not only photography, but also in writing, PR, marketing, event coordinating, designing and project management, I feel this is the perfect way to bring them all together and tie them into one unique experience. Holla!

2.  Develop My Personal Style- Yes, the photography business is a very competitive world, but I think that’s the case in every business. I am not an expert and I don’t have a degree in business (someone should really invent a degree in Shoes, just saying) but adding your personal style sounds like the best way to set yourself apart. We all have different & unique qualities to offer, so you not put your best card on the table? Your own personality, duh ;)

3. Create A Strong Web Presence- Basically I want to be all up on the internet… in a good way people! Post 5 blog entries a week, create videos (I’ll probably hire my 2 younger brothers for this one because they don’t mind getting paid with food :) ) and not be afraid to open up and live out loud for all to see. By talking about my interests/ hobbies/ loves/ dislikes I hope to one day be hired for not only photography, but for who I am as an individual. Building relationships is important to me so to be seen as a friend would mean to world.

4. Have Fun- This one is a no-brainer…. life is too short to not be happy. Obvi ;)  

Writing out these goals and being able to read them out loud makes me want to accomplish them even more.  Right now I have six photo shoots lined up for the rest of this month and I am so exited for the opportunities to practice & become a better photographer.  Oh and if my dad asks, no… I DID NOT use his idea ;)

 Happy Monday!