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

Cristal, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today In our experience, overnight success is usually the result of years of hard work laying the foundation for success, but unfortunately, it’s exactly this part of the story that most of the media ignores. So, we’d appreciate if you could open up about your growth story and the nitty, gritty details that went into scaling up.

I started freelancing as a natural light outdoor photographer. When I decided I wanted to take this further and turn it into a career I had to research what it would take to make that happen. It was a lot of information to gather and more of a shock understanding the actual costs that goes into being a full time photographer. First I needed to completely understand my camera and how to work with lighting in various situations to create the best quality of work possible for my clients which is why I decided to venture back to college. That was crazy, trying to juggle four kids, two in high school, one just starting elementary, and another in diapers. That was a conversation we had as a family and everyone agreed I should go for it so together we made it work.

After college I took the leap and opened my portrait studio. There was a lot to do on the back end like insurance, business licensing, contractors, and many more items before I even opened my doors. The first studio was a giant empty room and, bright red walls that took four coats of paint to cover, and one restroom located in the back warehouse area which had no air conditioning…. in TEXAS!

Over the nest two years I built my brand and added to my inventory. The third year I moved just a few miles down the street and that one not only had separate rooms I could turn into studio bays, it also had an air conditioned restroom! Life was good and the studio has been successful. I have some amazing clients that are just like family. Being trusted to capture a family’s milestones and document their lives is a blessing. Having a business plan from the beginning allowed me to achieve my goals and set realistic milestones.

Cristal, 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?

Clients come to me for portraiture needs in a variety of categories which keeps life interesting. One morning I could be capturing the tiny yawn of a newborn and later that night I may be following a beautiful young lady in her formal attire celebrating her Quinceañera. The next day maybe I’m taking corporate headshots or meeting with a potential bride and groom.

We really have something for almost all photography needs. Digital packages are available as it’s the digital age most of my clients prefer higher quality printed materials that are not available to consumers. I sell a lot of crystal cover albums and also offer image boxes, folios, fine art pieces, and canvas as well as traditional prints. By providing this service it takes the stress off of my clients and they receive their art work ready to display.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

Providing high customer service along with producing high quality consistent work has been the fuel that drives my business forward. So many of my clients return and recommend me because of a session we had. When I capture a family’s first family photo ever and share the final edits there’s such an emotional response often we both find a few happy tears falling. Portraiture is emotional and the moments we preserve are precious. Having clients that feel the same way is mutually gratifying and an experience I hope we continue to share for many years.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

Most of my time is spent hands on with clients, social media is unfortunately sometimes an afterthought. I don’t do previews to ensure the first person to see their portrait ms is my clear at the image reveal, however after their order is in I will go back and share a few images from their session. Over time my audience has just organically built its self. I have my website SEO up to gate and get most of my hits directly from that.

Contact Info:

• Website: CristalMalekphotography.com
• Instagram: Cristalmalek_photography
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CristalMalekPhotography