Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Cristie Brinkley. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Cristie, appreciate you joining us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

I think the biggest risk I have taken is when it comes to my floral art photography. This is something you don’t see often, certainly not in my tiny little square in Colorado. I think what you have to realize about taking risks is that you need to be willing to be embarrassed and fail. You are probably going to do both of these a lot, literally over and over.

After you fail though, each time you are going to learn a valuable lesson and it is up to you to decide how to take that lesson. For me I dove head straight into it, I kept failing and I kept learning.

Fast forward a year later and I am now known for my creative floral art photography. People can see my work and know it’s mine. As an artist that is one of the best compliments you can get.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am a photographer who mostly photographs women and children. Whether it’s intimate woman portraits, raw motherhood, or couples, I like to bring out the emotion in any scenario.

My work has been called, soft raw and romantic due to its soft textures, florals and film feel. There is generally a lot of connection seen between my clients. I love details and the little moments that really create a story.

I graduated with a degree in biology with hopes of going to med school. I later found out I was pregnant with my son who has a serious heart condition. I had no choice but to become his full time caregiver. I started documenting his journey of his four heart surgeries in his first three years of life. From there I started to grow a passion for it and how I could bring other families the same beautiful memories caught in stills.

I am most proud of my floral art photography, not only is it something that sets me apart but it is also something I started on my own and have really turned into my own brand.

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

Seeing the way my clients react to their photos, I work with on a lot of intimate women projects. It can be hard to put yourself infront of the camera like that. Everyone has different feelings and needs and wants.

When I hear back from my clients about how happy their photos made them, how they see themselves in a different light, or how these are memories they will forever cherish it brings me so much joy.

I truly love the social aspect of this job and the connections you can create if you can connect with your clients.

It is what makes them come back, I have so many return clients and growing with them is so beautiful. We are invited into some of the most timeless moments in our client’s life and I never want to take that for granted.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

While I don’t have a huge social. media presence I have amazing engagement with my community. I think we hear this quite a bit but that number at the top doesn’t really matter if no one interacts with your work. For me it was about building a community that I could count on.

I spend time writing true genuine comments and messaging people in the photography community I admire. I want really connections with people that you can rely on if you need something.

I find your numbers stay consistent when done this way, I used to follow every new social media tip and it caused a lot of burnout. I think ultimately you have to find a schedule that works for you and stick to it. For me, that was truly only posting what I consider my best work and the work I want to do so when clients/followers come to your page they know what your brand is.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://behindthepetals.mypixieset.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behindthepetals_/

Image Credits

First photo uploaded – the photo of me taken by, McGuire Moments Photography but edited by me Behind The Petals. The rest are owned by me Behind The Petals.