We were lucky to catch up with Alexandra O’Sullivan recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alexandra, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?

I thought about the name of my company a lot before landing on Chroma Studios. I think the most common name for photography companies is the name of the photographer with “Photography” after it. I thought about doing it that way but Alexandra O’Sullivan Photography was way too long of a name. I considered Alexandra Photography but the name “Alexandra” felt too common to build an entire brand around. There are plenty of other photographers named Alexandra. I thought of O’Sullivan Photography but that felt too formal to me. I wanted something shorter with more of a punch. My favorite part of photographer is the colors. From coloring the images during the editing process to how warm the colors are in camera to what colors people are wearing and how the match the location. Because of that I thought I had to pick a name that had to do with color. I thought of names using the word “color” or “rainbow” but they didn’t sound professional. Eventually, I remembered the term “chroma”. According to the dictionary, there are two definitions of “chroma”– one, “the purity of a color, or its freedom from white or gray” and two, “intensity of distinctive hue; saturation of a color.” I love how the word sounds and it means color. It means my favorite thing about my job, how could I not use it? “Studios” just felt like it fit after the main name, I didn’t want to limit myself to the singular “studio” mostly because I dimply did not think it sounded as nice.

Alexandra, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am a passionate photographer based in NYC, with occasional availability for shoots in New Orleans, LA and Houston, TX. I also offer travel photography services, where I accompany clients on trips and capture their experiences, providing them with the photos free of charge. They only need to cover the additional expenses for bringing an extra person along.

In regards to local photography, I specialize in local shoots, particularly portraits. I enjoy capturing moments for couples, families, individuals for senior portraits, graduation, or simply to have a fun and memorable time. I also have experience in event photography, covering gatherings, parties, performances, and even behind-the-scenes shots for films.

One aspect that sets me apart is the range of editing options I provide for all my portrait shoots. I understand that each client has unique preferences and desired outcomes, so I offer multiple levels of editing to ensure their vision is realized. I also have a keen eye for color. As I mentioned earlier when talking about my name, color is my favorite aspect of photography so you know that if you hire me for your photos the colors will blend together perfectly.

Photography has been a passion of mine since a young age. I’ve held a camera in my hands for as long as I can remember, but it was during my senior year of high school that I started taking it seriously. I turned my passion into a business during my freshman year of college, and I am proud to say that I am now approaching my senior year with the goal of running my photography business full time upon graduation. I am confident that with my dedication and skill, I can achieve this goal.

What I want future clients and followers to know about me is that I am committed to delivering high-quality, visually captivating photographs that capture the essence of the moment. I value the trust my clients place in me to document their special moments, and I strive to exceed their expectations with each project.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect, to me, of being a photographer is watching people fall in love with themselves. I have heard so many people say how much they hate photos of themselves but later love the ones I have taken. In society, everybody has insecurities about how they look. Throughout life so many people get bullied about certain parts of themselves, that becomes those insecurities. People who have never been bullied by others are often bullied by themselves at some point in their lives. The look on peoples faces when they see photos of themselves, photos that they thought they would hate, where they look beautiful–it’s something nothing else can compare to.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

There was one family photoshoot I did where I had to pivot quite a bit. The shoot was booked for three people in central park by Bethesda Fountain. The plan was to take a few shots by the fountain and some under the terrace. When it came time for the shoot the clients were late, they got there about 30-45 minutes after the time we were supposed to start. The shoot was for an elderly lady’s birthday so I was not going to fault them for being late, I know things do not run smoothly with the elderly or children. They were also from out of town so getting lost was something I was ready for. However, unlike me, the weather was not patient. It started raining before they got there, which was fine, the shoot would just be more focused on the terrace. And then the terrace was closed down for a private event. A few minutes after that is when the family arrived. Instead of three people it was about nine. I was not prepared for nine people. And I had to do it outside in the rain too (which did not agree with some people’s silk shirts). That was a crazy shoot. The family was super nice but it was a lot of scrabbling to try to make it work. Still, I managed to get one of my favorite couples shots from that session!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.chroma-s.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_chroma_studios_/
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@_chroma_studios_

Image Credits
All photos taken by Chroma Studios (me).