Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sasha Wasiek. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Sasha, thanks for joining us today. Going back to the beginning – how did you come up with the idea in the first place?
After having my babies, I quickly realized I loved the “imperfect” and silly photos. As much as I wanted to have my kids perfectly dressed and well-behaved for photos, that didn’t happen often.
I came across some of my childhood photographs and was quickly reminded of the feelings or things going on in those awkward or silly moments my parents captured of me. I let go of the pressure for my kids to pose a certain way and instead interacted with them while photographing. The photos that I have of them crying, laughing, and having silly faces are always the ones that win my heart over.
My favorite example of embracing the moment was when we showed up for our family photographs. Our youngest was in her bright green Christmas pajama onesie, while the rest were dressed up (these were spring photos). The photographer we hired was in shock, and we told her that this was what we were going with because that’s our family—these small, imperfect moments led me to create something I genuinely love and enjoy.
It was a genuine accident. The idea to create OC Kids Studio started in the summer of 2023. My best friend, Raisha, and I were celebrating National Best Friends Day, and part of the celebration included portraits together at our studio. All our kids were with us at the studio. First, they took our portraits with Raisha, and then I took photographs of our kids.
After posting the portraits of our kids online, we got an extremely positive response and interest from friends and clients. That’s when the idea of creating a space where kids can express themselves in photos was born.
Sasha, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I started photographing in 2011 alongside my husband, Yaneck. We first started out in the wedding industry back when we lived in Chicago. We both did photography part-time while I was attending school, and Yaneck had a full-time job. Before we had kids, we decided to go full-time with our photography business and move cross country to California in 2017.
One month after moving to California and restarting our business, we discovered we were pregnant with our daughter, Savannah. Moving to a new start and being in a completely different market really pushed both of us to step out of our comfort zones and network and meet as many people and businesses as we had the energy to do before giving birth.
When you already have an established business where you are known, it isn’t easy moving to a new state and starting from scratch. The California market inspired us to shift from weddings to headshots and the corporate world.
Three kids later, I was so inspired by my own family to capture the quirky and cute faces of children in our studio.
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
I am still growing my business and learning a lot. The most effective strategy has been consistency. Whether it’s consistency in making sure I respond to emails promptly, showing up on my social media pages, following up, and, most importantly, consistency in showing up with my business every day.
When bookings are slow, it can be encouraging to keep showing up, but those are the moments you roll up your sleeves and find ways to earn more business. This ties back into consistency, whether it’s a busy or slow season.
Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
I wish I were an early adapter in the different social media trends that occur in our society today. Being in a creative business allows for a bigger creative space for ideas to flow, capturing the attention of new clients. I let my “shyness” keep me from stepping out of my comfort zone and trying new things for social media. Now, I’m trying different creative outlets and am testing out what will come from them.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ockidstudio.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ockidstudio/?hl=en
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sasha-wasiek-a1697459/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/oc-kid-studio-santa-ana
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@oc.kids?_t=8jHUA5FfwZq&_r=1
Image Credits
@ockidstudio