Today we’d like to introduce you to April Kujawa.
April, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Although I always loved photography, my previous background and education was not in photography. I attended TCU and graduated with a degree in communications and psychology in 2003. I was working in banking until my oldest daughter was born and I decided to quit my full-time career to stay home with her when she was 18 months old.
I have always loved photography for as long as I can remember, however, I really became interested in it after my daughter was born in 2011. I would spend hours looking at photographers’ beautiful sites and webpages, admiring the talented photographers’ images I came across. I was so enamored with the ability to capture a fleeting moment in time wrapped up in gorgeous light and painted with vibrant colors.
In the winter of 2015, my husband bought me my first DSLR camera to take photos of my two girls. He was so patient with me as he explained the very basics of a DSLR camera, as up to that point I had no knowledge of even the most simple terms such as ISO, shutter speed, or f-stop. Learning the basics of the camera, in addition to lighting, editing, and posing, was a tedious and time-consuming process that took years to develop. After several years of practice and endless hours spent learning and perfecting the art of photography, I decided to launch April Christine Photography in the spring of 2018. I was ready to start working again after I had dedicated the past three and a half years to being a full-time stay-at-home mom. I have always loved people, and my love for photography, as well as the interest I’ve always had in fashion and styling, were the perfect elements to launch a successful brand as a family and high school senior portrait photographer.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
My biggest struggle at first was learning about the many moving pieces that are required to create a stunning portrait. Light and people are never static and are ever-changing. I would say the ability to master and see light, as well as capture moving people, was one of the biggest initial struggles. I used to spend hours practicing on my own children as well as close friends and family members.
The next hurdle was learning editing and all the intricacies of Photoshop and how to digitally alter and manipulate a photograph into a work of art. I can’t tell you how many hours were poured into learning this skill, as I had no previous background in editing or graphic design up to this point.
Once you learn the art of photography, the next hurdle is how to set up and run a successful business. Since photography has no barrier to entry, there are literally thousands of photographers in every major metroplex. Creating a brand that stands out and knowing how to market that brand was probably even more tedious than learning the skill of photography itself. I spent hundreds, if not thousands, of hours learning how to market and make my brand stand out amongst the endless sea of competition.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I always describe my work as timeless, vibrant, and elegant. I want my work to stand the test of time and be displayed for generations to come. I adore vibrant color and rich beautiful tones.
Many of my clients tell me they went through endless websites choosing their photographer and that my images have a distinct style. I would say I’m a perfectionist, and while I know true perfection can never be achieved, I do my absolute best to look at all the details in every single session. I am a stickler for beautiful light and believe in the intricate posing of each client. I also walk my clients through wardrobe and styling, as one of my very first loves was fashion and I truly believe wardrobe can make or break your images.
I hand edit every image after my clients choose their favorites from their session. This means I take every single photo individually into Photoshop and adjust the tones one by one, as well as edit details such as softening the client’s skin, removing flyaway hairs, sharpening eyes, whitening teeth, and all of the other touches that lend to a beautiful final image.
I would say I’m very proud of the fact that not only do I do my absolute best to provide stunning images to every single client, but I also pride myself on excellent communication and customer service skills. I feel as a business owner this truly sets you apart if every client leaves happy and feels like they were served in the best way possible. I truly want every client to feel that their session and experience was important to me.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk-taking?
I would not say I’m inherently a risk-taker by nature. I do feel anyone who is self-employed and not working as an employee of a corporation is taking a risk though. Your success or failure is truly in your hands when you run your own business. At times that can truly be a daunting thought.
I also have never thought of myself as inherently creative. In school, I was always more left-brained and a black and white thinker. I gravitated to subjects such as math rather than art. Because of this, sometimes I am still shocked that I ended up as a business owner in a creative field. I feel that my success is partially due to my more left-brained tendencies though, as I have identified those are what helped me create and launch a successful business.
I really believe anyone that is truly successful in life can’t be afraid to take risk. We learn as much from our failures as we do our success stories. I’ve always loved this quote and it’s one I try to remember to live by: “There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.”
Contact Info:
- Email: april@aprilchristinephotography.com
- Website: www.aprilchristinephotography.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/april_christine_photography
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/aprilchristinephoto
Image Credits
April Christine Photography
