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

Alright, Gina thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

It’s always been my personal mission to show my clients, especially women, how beautiful and photogenic they are. We live in a time where most people think they are not good enough. Putting your brand out in a competitive and sometimes critical environment can make you feel very vulnerable.

The camera starkly reminds them of their visible presence, triggering anxieties about appearance, self-expression, and the permanence of the captured image.

Therefore, I think it’s essential to give entrepreneurs ready to put themselves “out there” clarity and confidence in how they present themselves and give back to the world. This enables them to embrace an authentic brand, embody it, and present it through exceptional brand photography.

I understand this deeply from my own experience. Growing up in Los Angeles, I always felt like the odd, fat girl and was shy. I was conditioned to feel something was wrong with me.

The pressure to present an idealized version of oneself can overshadow the ability to appear genuine and relaxed, ultimately making the experience daunting and unpleasant.

Acceptance, whether we think it’s good or bad, shows others that we don’t deny what we think is bad about ourselves but take it in as truth. With this truth, we no longer have to change those things we dislike to feel accepted.

Nervous excitement on the day of the photoshoot is natural, but I never want to capture a person’s portrait if they are uncomfortable about something within themselves. This would not accurately represent their essence.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

From a Jersey-born father with a goofy sense of humor, my journey in photography is a vivid tapestry of art, family heritage, and profound personal growth.

My father, Nicholas Cinardo, ignited my passion for photography. He had a zest for life, cameras, and acting. In the 1970s, he owned a black-and-white photo lab called CPS off Hollywood Blvd. and captured Hollywood moments with celebrities like Liberace and Sammy Davis Jr.

The artistic flame was further fueled by my mother, an exceptional fine artist whose creative genius turned family photo shoots into elaborate storytelling sessions. She and my father would orchestrate and direct these shoots with total finesse. Every costume I wore and every pose I held was not just played; it was my first serious incursion into the arts. These experiences were not mere child’s play but lessons in light, shadow, form, and emotion. They were also tons of fun and the most bonding experience I had as a child with my family.

This compelling mixture of familial influence and early exposure led me to pursue Fine Art Photography at Arizona State University, where I honed my focus mainly on portrait photography.

Ginici Studios is a boutique commercial photography studio located in the beautiful town of San Luis Obispo (SLO). Nestled about twelve miles inland from the California coastline, SLO County is approximately three hours North of Los Angeles and three and a half hours South of San Francisco.

The studio was founded by Gina Nicole Cinardo, a photographer and brand strategist, in 2010. The name Ginici is a play on the first two initials in her name and is pronounced [GHI-KNEE-CHI].

With an extensive background in freelance photography and visual communications for over 30 years, I’ve learned the importance of making a positive first impression.

Our primary consideration is each client’s strategy and vision while thinking from the customer’s point of view. We uncover the emotional connection by communicating how the brand helps improve their business or life. Then, we photograph those stories that effectively illustrate their essence and message.

I am hired by ambitious entrepreneurs who are about to take their business to a whole new level, but they’ve just outgrown their old brand images.

Together, we dig deep into what makes them brilliant and unique, ensuring every photograph draws their audience in so more people notice, follow, and hire them.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

While in college studying photography, I also delved into computer graphics and visual design at a local reprographics shop, which prepared me for my subsequent roles as a designer and pre-press artist for an offset printer. Here, I landed my first commercial shoot—a pivotal moment professionally and personally.

That photo shoot for a men’s aftershave became a scene etched in memory. My father was so excited I’d gotten the job he collaborated with me to design the photoshoot. While he was on vacation, we still discussed finalizing the details before the shoot. All the equipment was rented and set up, and the night before I photographed the product, I received an odd call from my Mom telling me she was coming over. When they arrived, I was hit with the news that he had tragically died in a car accident on the way home from his trip. His death shook the very foundations of my world, redirecting my career path toward portrait photography.

In these moments of profound personal loss, I discovered where I truly belonged and was determined to learn all I could about portrait photography. This is when my career blossomed at Headshots Photography, where I went from being a fresh graduate to managing the studio within a year. I captured thousands of faces, especially women.

The company pioneered the first instant digital previewing system, and many of the women I photographed were amazed when they saw how beautiful they were moments after I took a photo.

If I hadn’t pivoted like I had after my Dad’s passing, I don’t know if I would have embraced the digital age like I had. Even before I purchased my first digital camera, I scanned and manipulated my images in Photoshop.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

I was fortunate to have gotten all of my father’s studio equipment, which I had used for many years while working and freelancing in the mid-2000s. However, when I started Ginici Studios, I moved from Phoenix to San Luis Obispo, and I used my savings to launch the business. That was a huge mistake because it took me many years to recover my savings.

I didn’t know how to be a business owner, so I made a smart move and took a self-employment class to create a business plan. I learned too late how to get access to capital.

My first advice to someone starting a business is to think through precisely what you need and want from being self-employed. Consider your expenses
(business and personal) and how working for yourself fits in with your personal life.

Many new business owners are so focused on making the income to survive right away that they forget they can customize their business and set proper objectives to grow it while paying off a loan that got it started.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ginici.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ginicistudios/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ginici
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gina-cinardo/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@GiniciStudios