We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Chrystal Starr. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Chrystal below.

Chrystal, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

I believe I’ve learned more on my own time, and from working with other photographers, the past few years than I ever did from college. Photography school gave me the basics, but overall lacked teaching the fundamental business skills needed to successfully run your own business. I appreciate the accomplished feeling and social status that having a Bachelor’s degree provides, however, knowing what I know now, I would have stopped at my Associates degree and figured out ways to learn on my own sooner, (and saved a lot in student loans!)

I have learned business skills and advanced my creativity from leading brand product photographers such as Amanda Campeanu, Weekend Creative, Karl Taylor, and portrait photographer Meg Marie. I have invested in their educational tutorials, and am an active member in their social community boards and forums. I also stay active on Instagram and interact with a community of other brand photographers that share their skills and knowledge with others. It’s so important to view people who are more successful than you as professionals to admire and learn from, instead of feeling jealous of their success. I believe that if we feel resentment of someone else’s success, it is only because we so desperately want to become who they are, and know we aren’t living up to our own expectations in order to achieve our dreams.

An obstacle that stood in the way of advancing my skills was my late ADHD diagnosis at age 33. ADHD shows up differently in female-bodied people, so a lot of us never realized we had it until much later in life. I had been treating my anxiety (GAD) since I was 22, but that was only half of my mental disadvantages. I’d always had an incredibly hard time staying motivated and focused with the simplest of tasks, and I was always doing exhausting mental gymnastics as I tried hard to stay on top of the demands of freelance work. I am at least deadline driven, but found myself procrastinating completing work down until the final moments before it was due, which caused a lot of unnecessary stress. I believe my determination to get A’s was the main reason I was able to graduate college, and maybe I would have felt I learned more from school if I had been treating my ADHD years sooner. My career has propelled forward quickly since being able to treat my neurodivergent brain this past year.

Chrystal, 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?

Of course! Well, for starters, I love using color harmony in my photography almost as much as I color my hair. They say you want to create a business based on who you are as a person, so I lead with having colorful hair as this is a huge part of my personal aesthetic and personality.

And I’m not just a product and portrait photographer – I’m a creator of brand narratives. My creativity captures the essence of products and the personality of someone’s business. Through my lens, I empower brands to tell their stories, and establish a strong visual identity that builds trust and inspires engagement. I collaborate closely with my clients to make their brand’s unique story unforgettable.

My creative process can be summarized into 3 steps:

1. Pre-Production: First, I get to know your business and goals for the photoshoot. Next, I’ll work with you to create a detailed shoot plan based on your style guidelines, mood board, or creative brief. Then, I’ll source props, backdrops, and talent as needed and get everything set and ready for a smooth production day.

2. Photography Production: It’s time to shoot your content and get creative! During production with the approved shot list in hand, I work on set to style and construct all the image assets for your brand.

3. Post-Production: This is where everything comes together! With my advanced retouching skills, I colorize, composite, and transform your content into polished visual imagery.

My ideal product photography client is a retail based business within the health/wellness/personal care/beauty industries who need consistent content produced for their website, ads, and social media posts.

My ideal portrait photography client is an entrepreneur who needs a variety of photos for their website, profile pictures, and social media presence.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

In order for an entrepreneur to become successful, feel confident in their skills, and obtain clients with bigger budgets, their MINDSET is the most important thing they can learn and understand about themselves. If an artist doesn’t feel confident in their skills, that energy of self-doubt will translate into the work they create and they’ll operate from a place of scarcity and accept work that is valued at less than what they deserve.

If you’d like to shift your mindset, gain more confidence, improve your finances, and begin the process of transforming your mind, then I highly recommend diving deep into these Self-Improvement books:

1. You’re a Badass at Making Money, by Jen Sincero

2. You Are The Mountain: Transforming Self-Sabotage into Self-Mastery, by Brianna Wiest

3. Secrets of the Millionaire Mind, by T. Harv Eker

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I love the creative challenge that comes with working with a variety of different brands. Every client and project are unique: Every brand has their own personal aesthetic, color palette, and visual presentation. It’s my job to study their style guidelines, creative brief, and inspirational mood boards and produce a series of images that inspires people to invest in their brand or products.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.chrystalstarrphoto.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrystalstarrproducts/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrystalstarrphoto/
• Other: https://www.instagram.com/chrystalstarrportraits/

Image Credits
Feature photo: Photo by Chanelle Barona Photography Please note the following info below each additional photo: 1. Yellow background with orchid and nail polish: “Portfolio work” 2. Purple background with honey lotion: “Portfolio work” 3. Hands holding peony flower: “Client: Kunda Wellness” 4. Hot pink background with black hair clips: “Client: The Puff Cuff” 5. Floating vitamins: “Portfolio work” 6. Purple water: “Portfolio work”