So I’m back! It’s been over one year since my last blog. I’ve been terrible at this! So much has happened over the last year and I’ve made a promise to myself to start blogging at least twice a week. This year I will be blogging about all of my experience throughout 2013 up until my 28th birthday which was just last weekend and catching you up to speed on the work I did last year. I will also be documenting the course of action I am taking this year to build my business.
As 27 came to a close I thought “Man that was a good year! But 28 has more in store for me. I can feel it.” What I didn’t realize, was how right I was about that and how quickly it would all become known. For the last year and a half I had been working three businesses. I put all of my time and effort into two of the three… which were not fully my own. After much discussion and soul searching by both my business partner and myself we both decided to move in different directions… directions that we felt were where our hearts were individually and would ultimately be better for each of us.
The third business, and the business I put the least effort into, was my own Brianna Caster Photography. I managed my referrals and served my clients all year long, but did not put any effort into expanding or growing it due to how much time and effort I had to put into the other two businesses. I am disappointed in myself for having let the most important of the three take a back seat because now it is all I have left. So many lessons learned.
So I’m left now with a lot of decisions to make about where to go from here. My truest passion is still, and has always been, my photography. I feel a huge sense of excitement about really growing MY business. I also have a pretty big sense of fear because I am starting at Ground Zero. Having only worked based on referral business it is really time to start optimizing my website and becoming the photographer I know I am and running the business I have always dreamed of running.
I plan to use this blog to document the growth of my business. Starting at the bottom I will be sharing with you all, what my marketing plans are and each step I am taking. I look forward to suggestions, comments, and advice on how to build it as this is fairly new territory for me. With the help of my friends, family and hopefully my blog followers – I will be able to succeed. I’m strapping on my big girl boots and I’m ready to take on the photography world full force with no other distractions. It’s time to really build a business.
I absolutely love working with Blue Sky’s Studio! Kristin is an amazingly talented photographer with a highly successful studio, and I am fortunate enough to be a part of her team. Check out my shots from the most recent wedding I photographed with Kristin for Bliss by Blue Sky’s Studio!
My 12 year old cousin Darby is visiting from Missouri for a couple of weeks and so far she’s having a blast! Aunt Michelle took her out on a shopping spree to fulfill her request to be “Californiafied” – so naturally, I had to take her out for a photo shoot to show off her new outfits and her adorable hair cut. Check out our shoot at The Lab in Costa Mesa! Thanks to my sister Melissa for helping lug things around and keeping the giggles going!
I worked as the office manager at the Orange County Music Academy for just shy of 7 years. Before working there I was one of the first few students to join the school to take drum lessons. I watched the school blossom over the years and for many of those years I got to be a part of the excitement and growth. After graduating college I made the heart wrenching decision to move on so that like Dan Mitchell (the owner, and my designated big brother), I could start building my own business. I am blessed to still have the opportunity to be a part of this wonderful school in the way that is the most passionate to me: by photographing it’s exceptional events. I also am honored and privileged to continually be asked to photograph Dan’s now quickly growing beautiful family. From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU Dan, for everything you’ve taught me and all of the opportunities you’ve provided me. Congratulations on another successful Rock Show!
Enjoy some of my favorite images of the students of the Orange County Music Academy playing at the House of Blues in Anaheim!
Good Girls and Smokers dominated Battle of the Bands last month and will be going on to participate in the next round! The grand prize for this battle is a spot to play at Warped Tour. You can check them out on Facebook and hear some of the music online. If you like it, please come support them at the next battle on April 22nd at The Press Box in Anaheim. They are amazing musicians and their music and lyrics are incredible! Come support a local band!
The Ormenezi-Mitchell Family session was so much fun to shoot! Vivanne’s mother was in town visiting from Brazil, her brother and his family came in from Las Vegas, and Dan’s parents drove down from Napa to celebrate Dylan’s 2nd birthday. When they asked me to do a family shoot for them I was honored. We found out the day before that a storm was rolling in and it could have potentially ruined the entire day for us. To our surprise the rain held off and we had an amazing session at a park in Downey. Thanks to Mellissa Frangias for her amazing talent and participation in todays session. Check it out!
Sometimes it takes a village when you’re photographing a toddler! I love when everyone participates 🙂
Life gets busy and it’s easy to forget little things like blogging. I recently decided I wanted to update my blog and it’s been so long since I last logged in that I couldn’t remember my login name and password. I got so frustrated trying to remember it that I decided to just create a new one… so here we are. Goodbye Blogger.com and hello WordPress! I already like this way better!
A couple of months ago my good friend who is an AMAZING photographer and I had the unique opportunity to photograph for a book. The author of the book flew us to San Francisco where we got to stay on location for 2 days at the Fairmont for the shoot. The night before the shoot, we decided to walk around the hotel and test light. We had a lot of fun and I never got around to blogging about it so here are the photos!
Shy Heart Studios 