Today we’d like to introduce you to Christina White.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Christina. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I think I gained my love for photography from my father who always had a 35mm camera in his car. I don’t think he ever left home without that camera, and as I grew older I took his lead and always had a camera with me. Of course, this was back in the 90’s and early 2000’s so the cameras I had were the old fashioned film cameras. It always brought me great joy to make my friends pose as I took a million photos of our everyday activities. Then it was like Christmas when I would have them developed at the local drug store. In my 20’s I went from the 35mm film camera to the ever advancing point and shoot digital cameras. I must have owned 5 different digital cameras before my husband finally gifted me with my first SLR.
At this time, I was working full time as a technical writer. I loved my job, but I was expecting our third child and paying for daycare for three children was nearly more than I earned. With my husband’s encouragement I quit my full time job and decided to take my love for photography and turn it into a business.
I quickly learned that owning a photography business is not as easy as just buying a camera and putting an advertisement out for clients. Even though I had been taking photos all my life, I still had a ton to learn. I began by offering free, photo shoots to friends and neighbors. I took my groups out to parks right at noon, which is the worst possible lighting. Or attempted to shoot newborns with a tiny light kit I bought on Amazon that truthfully didn’t produce the light I needed. I ended up with photos that were not always in focus, either underexposed, or completely blown out, and the backdrops I chose were usually busy and not complimentary to my subjects. In order to fix subpar photos I turned to Photoshop and Lightroom. Thankfully I was always good with technology and I taught myself the programs easily and usually managed to salvage photos through the magic of editing. I used this knowledge to turn decent photos into sellable (Or givable at this point) work, but to be honest I still didn’t really know how to systematically take amazing photos in camera. I made it my mission to learn my camera inside and out. I bought books, attended seminars and watched online training courses aimed completely on nailing a photoshoot in camera.
During this time I also spent an embarrassing amount of money on props. If it was antique, cute, quirky or could fit a baby inside of it I bought it. I used props a lot in my first sessions. And my house is still packed to the brim with chairs, couches and buckets.
As time marched on I got a lot better I camera. I remember the first time it really clicked and my husband commented on my proficiency with choosing the right settings in camera while photographing my own children. He commented that it was neat to see how I knew just how to set things to get the best photo. My friends and neighbors were always so loyal and encouraging. Many of the families I practiced on became regular clients and have been with me for the last 8 years of my journey. They began recommending me to others, and through social media I have built a wonderful group of clientele. Most of which are repeat customers who do come back annually. I derive so much joy from photographing these families and watching their families grow from year to year.
I took a leap of faith two years ago and did some event photography with Fort Worth Moms Blog. It was a volunteer position in which I took photos in exchange for advertising. The editor for the blog loved my work and brought me on to shoot several other events, and eventually I ended up shooting headshots for the whole team. In addition to photographing events and headshots I was asked to write a few photography related posts for the blog itself. I have loved creating this relationship with Fort Worth Moms Blog, and it has led to finding some of my favorite families to photograph.
I am now in my 8th year of business. My youngest son is 4 and has started preschool and I have a lot more time to dedicate to my business. I spend a lot of time training online and improving my process in everything from the lighting, to posing, to marketing. I have learned that I prefer a simple person focused approach to photos. I have dropped all but the simplest of props and use those usually for posing purposes rather than as a focal point in the photo. My photos are bright, full of color, and I like my subjects to literally pop out of the photos. I concentrate on making a connection through the camera with my subjects and posing for the most flattering look in photos. The amount of families I photograph has doubled just from last year and I look forward to growing more with every passing year.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road to becoming a successful photographer has been long, with lots of turns and red lights. I have 4 children, and balancing busy children with running a business is difficult. There have been times that I have had to pause my growth to focus on my children. I have also had to limit my photo sessions to a smaller number than I would like simply because my shooting and editing hours are limited. While the road has been long, I think turtles approach to racing is key, slow and steady wins the race.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Life in Design Photography – what should we know?
I run Life in Design Photography. I specialize in photographing people through all stages of life. I want to be called on to:
Help create personal branding for a new job
Shoot engagement photos when you’ve found the one.
Capture an expecting Mommas glow
Record every tiny finger and toe in newborn photos
Photograph every milestone moments for growing families
Celebrate high school seniors.
And everything in between. I want to be in it for the long haul with my clients because I really do care about each and every family I meet. I love nothing more than watching relationships grow and children blossom in front of my camera.
My photos are bold and colorful. I love high contras completely person focused photos. I want my clients to look like they are hopping right out of the background of their photo. And I work to pose people so they look and feel their best in every photo.
Each session, whether it revolves around personal branding for a new job or celebrating a new baby is a milestone in the lives of my clients. I want to help capture it all with quality, connection and beauty.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I love what I do. Having a passion for taking photos is an absolute must in this business. It’s easy to get burnt out when you photograph and edit back to back sessions. But if you really love taking the photos and take joy in every little smile you capture it’s so much easier to look forward to the next session with excitement and anticipation.
Pricing:
- Sessions starting at $200
- Digital Images offered for just $15 per image.
- Every print purchased comes with the complimentary Digital Image
Contact Info:
- Website: www.lifeindesignphotography.com
- Email: lifeindesignphotography@gmail.com
- Instagram: Lifeindesignphotography
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/lifeindesignphotography
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