Yes, this is our first business blog post! How exciting! After years of contemplating starting one for our business, today is the day. I want to do a short recap of everything that's happened over the course of our journey from starting our photography business journey and then whats planned for the future of Eliana Stengel Photography.
My First Camera...
Looking back to when I got my first camera feels like so long ago but yet it feels like it was just yesterday. When I was just starting Kingwood Park Highschool in 2008, my parents bought me a Fujifilm FinePix Z33WP, so I can take pictures of my friends, family, and just capture pictures for fun. After the school year was over, many pictures and memories captured, I found out it was a waterproof camera! I decided to take it to our neighborhood pool for some test shots with my 2 siblings and my best friend. Let's just say, we basically decided to live at the pool that summer. Now, these pictures were more of just point and shoot, no editing, just capturing the moments for us to cherish. There were a few times where I would stop to take close ups of flowers, angles, animals, etc that looked good but were just amateur shots at the end of the day. But those pictures of creativity, capturing something that looks like art, started a spark inside me to continue this journey and get better at it.
My Second Camera...
So fast forward a couple years, it's now 2011 and I'm currently dating my high school sweet, Max, for about 1 1/2 years. He already knew I was into taking pictures, what girl isn't. Constant selfies, taking pictures of Starbucks coffee cups in your hand, pictures of us together, etc. Summer was coming up on us fast and I still used my FujiFilm camera to take photos of us and was excited to take it to the pool again but a few months before the pool was open, Max accidentally dropped it on the pavement and it dented the corner where it would allow water to get into the camera so basically making it not waterproof anymore and the pictures were not coming out clear. I was so upset because I was looking forward to the underwater summer pool pictures but I guess that wasn't going to happen. A few months went by and it's basically the end of the school year and Max could see how it bummed me out. So by surprise, he bought me my first DSLR camera, the Canon EOS Rebel T2i. For those who don't know the differences between a DSLR and Point and Shoot camera, here is a link. After I got that camera, I was all about learning how to use it properly and get move involved in capturing clear, professional images. This was something that was needed to put me on the path of becoming a better photographer and it did.
My Third Camera...
Now it's Summer of 2014, currently pregnant with my first daughter, Abigail. Looking through Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, etc., I kept seeing beautiful maternity pictures and newborn photography and it just clicked right then that I wanted to learn how to do that so I can capture these moments so we can cherish them forever. So I studied, watched endless amounts of Youtube videos, joined Facebook groups to learn as much as I can before she arrives. My due date for her was at the begging of Decemeber 2014, but I had her on 12/12/2014. I wasn't able to capture the Labor and Delivery, because you know, I was the one in Labor HAHA! But once we were released from the Kingwood Hospital a few days after, I was trying the new tactics I learned the months prior and it was a complete fail. I was so drained from sleepless nights with her waking up every few hours to feed, probably had the baby blues, and just the overall stress of giving birth. My husband helped me out a few different days when trying to pose our daughter and take photos but him not knowing anything at the time about posing, etc., I only got "okay" images. About 9 months go past, and in that time I've been learning how to be a new mommy and on the side soaking up as much tips, tricks, techniques I see all these amazing photographers around the world use: Posing, Lighting, Editing, Angles, etc. So around 9 months I started to actual try and put myself out there to see if anyone will hire me. Now, one thing that I never knew what to do was advertise my business, how to attract possible customers, that's one thing I didn't learn, well besides word by mouth for getting clients. I thought, "Hey, let me just put some Houston Craigslist Ads up with a small price to see if I get any inquires. I honestly don't remember the prices but they were long sessions with a lot of edited images for cheap, haha! But after a few days I got a few inquiries and I got so excited but nervous because I've never charged anyone before, fear that they would hate my work or that I would miss a shot they wanted. Luckily, my husband calmed me down and came with me to those sessions and helped out and everything turned out amazing! The clients loved their images, no issues what-so-ever. So after that point, I got confidence to continue my journey, to build a website, make a Facebook page, and really try to put myself out there to make this a full time business. Now after the first few sessions, my husband saw potential but he knew that the Canon T2i was just a beginners camera and that it should be upgraded, so little did I know a few weeks after those sessions he surprised me with a few upgrades: Canon EOS 5D Mark III Body, Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM Lens, and the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM ART Lens. I was so excited about all of these, I decided again, to dive back into learning more about each lens and techniques to use them, etc. These are still my "go to" lenses for 2020 for Maternity, Newborn, Family, Headshot, Cake Smash Photography, and more.
Since then we've done hundreds of sessions, thousands of pictures taken, and endless memories captured for our clients. Currently we are a local Houston Photographer but we are expanding our range and servicing nearby local cities within Harris County & Montgomery County. Here is a list of the cities we currently service as well as more information about the photography packages we provide at this time. We really appreciate all the support from each and everyone of you. Our goal is to be one of the top rated photographers in Houston, Texas and each like, share, comment, follow, 5 star review helps us out tremendously to reach that achievement. This is the end of our first blog post, until next time.
-Eliana Stengel