WHO's Who : Studio Spotlight Continued...

Paul Kestel, Catchlight Imaging

Can you imagine using six shower heads and 350 feet of garden hose to create rain in your photography studio? Paul Kestel, of Catchlight Imaging, Inc. can say "been there, done that"! Talk about a wild photo shoot.

What began as a way to connect with family soon grew into a love for photography. Paul's love for capturing a couple's love for one another lead him into the wedding industry, and then towards Catchlight Imaging, Inc. in 2003. Even with shooting around 25 weddings a year plus many engagements, families and businesses, Paul and Nicole work hard to balance between their world of work and their beautiful family. They even find the time to donate their photography skills to the American Cancer Society and their local community in many ways.

Up next for Paul and Nicole are many more successful years in the photography industry and hopefully a bridal shoot in a vacant town with old buildings, weeds, and wreckage.

Christine Kufske, Click Photography

Christine has always been the 'photographer' in the family, but after shooting her brother's wedding in the Cinque Terra region of Italy in 2002, she was hooked. There was no looking back after attending college, working with some fabulous photographers to hone her skills and establishing Click Photography in 2004.

Now in its seventh year of business, Click Photography focuses on weddings, portraits and having fun, according to Christine. They shoot approximately 20 weddings and 75 portrait sessions per year focusing on connecting with the clients, "I've had some amazing shoots and fabulous opportunities over the past 7 years. Those that stand out the most are the ones where I have really made a connection with the client. We've laughed, even cried at the shoot. People and their dynamics are fascinating to me. I continue to be inspired by people and feel drawn to capture them, watching them evolve over the time of the shoot. I never get tired of that."

Christine's twin 8-year old girls inspire her every day and are also the passion behind her dream shoot, "I would love to still be here to shoot my children's children. That would be the world to me!"

Click Photography has also allowed Christine the opportunity to give back to her community in a big way. "I founded www.smilingeyes.ca in 2006 after both a friend's newborn and a neighbor were about to begin their battle with cancer, starting with chemo treatments. I was extremely moved at how my simple shoot had meant so much to them. It brought me to the realization that this simple gesture of my time could be shared with others during their difficult time. Smiling Eyes was born. The name, Smiling Eyes, seemed appropriate because at every shoot no matter how sick the recipients were, I still saw the love in their eyes for their loved ones. Eyes speak volumes and as photographers we are always focusing on them. We currently have 30 photographers on board sharing their time and talent by donating free photo shoots and the high resolution DVD to families and individuals facing the battle with cancer."

Phil Fox, Phil Fox Photography

Learning to appreciate his surroundings is a trait Phil Fox was fortunate to learn from his parents. Phil grew up traveling all over and living in parts of Europe with his family. Some of his earliest memories are of his dad capturing their day-to-day and culturally unique experiences through photography. At the age of two, making tent poles and other traveling items into cameras was how Phil used his imagination, until he was old enough to make it a reality during his high school years.

Phil has shot weddings, seniors and portraits for approximately 7 years now and averages 30 weddings a year.

Phil describes his shooting as a mix of styles with a down to earth appeal. He approaches each wedding in search of simplicity and elegance. Expressions, emotions and spontaneity are what he draws from to create real and artistic images.

A fun and memorable shoot for Phil was of a wedding party on one of first days of summer, he recalls, "We showed up to a parking lot that was full, and a beach that was at maximum capacity. We got onto the beach with the wedding entourage, creating a path to the water through all the people. We made it look as though we were the only ones there, while feeding off of the excitement and energy of an entire beach watching us. That just goes to show how the power of spontaneity makes the difference in creating memorable moments."

Phil Fox Photography thrives off of spontaneity, "You never know where your next amazing image is going to come from, but I find that it's usually from those unplanned, unscripted moments. Sometimes the most difficult situations produce the best images, so keeping an open mind and letting things unfold the way they are meant to are the principles on which I base my work. My dream shoots are the ones that are totally unique. I love when a bride and groom are open to taking chances, having fun, and putting their trust in me to capture something different."

Phil volunteers his time by helping to raise money for his children's schools through local town events.

Craig Paulson, Craig Paulson

Mark Bothwell, Mark Bothwell

Mark Bothwell's journey in the photography industry began when he was born. His father was a surveyor specializing in huge tunneling projects and he would often produce his own progress photography; giving Mark a knowledge base to tap into. When he entered his teens, Mark developed an interest in motorsport and when it came time to decide on a direction in life, he thought being a photographer in motorsport would be worthwhile. He did this for seventeen years, shooting editorial and commercial material in over fifty cities around the world.

Several years ago, he decided he wanted to establish himself in a different area of photography and having often been asked to shoot weddings, he gave them a try. It's come together very well for Mark and is now combining weddings along with studio work for both commercial and corporate clients as well as being the officially recommended photography for some of London's highest profile venues.

Mark keeps himself busy with 30-35 weddings a year in the UK and around the world as well as 60-70 commercial, portrait, and corporate sessions. When shooting a wedding, Mark loves capturing personalities in a simple yet striking way. He lets the subject tell the story without getting involved in fussy or elaborate techniques; he lets the day breath and shoots as it enfolds. Mark's portrait style is much the same – very simple and all about the subject.

Having been in business for 17 years, Mark has a lot of great stories. One of his most memorable sessions was a commissioned shoot for Nissan in the Western Sahara Desert. It was during the Paris-Dakar motorsport rally and involved flying to Mauritania and literally camping in the sand. Mark looks back at that trip fondly now, but at the time, keeping his gear clean and existing in the desert was miserable!

Jules Morgan, Jules Morgan

Jules Morgan's obsession with photography began when she was around sixteen and she found an old leather bag containing an old Nikon film camera with a broken light meter. She put some film in and played around on the beach, expecting none of the images to come out. By some chance, they were awesome and she was completely hooked on photography after that. Jules got into portrait and wedding photography by getting a job as a trainee photographer at a portrait studio in the UK, wondering if she would enjoy it or not and ended up loving working with 'real' people.

She's had her own business for four years now and keeps very busy shooting around 25-30 weddings each year as well as 40-50 portrait sessions. She enjoys shooting weddings and anything having to do with people; she loves seeing and capturing the connections between people. Some of her most exciting shoots to date have been weddings in Spain, the Maldives, and in the private bush lodges in The Kruger Park in South Africa.

Despite her busy schedule, Jules finds time to give back and volunteer her photography services. She donates shoots to charities such as Reach for a Dream and the Red Cross Hospital but her favorite non-profit shoots to do are to go into the local townships in Cape Town and observe and capture life in less priviledged areas where people are so resourceful. There is so much beauty in what is perceived as dirty and ugly and Jules truly feels lucky to be able to capture it.

When asked how she uses AsukaBook products, Jules responded with, "I use AsukaBook mainly for my wedding clients who want something modern and fresh that will still look amazing in twenty years time."

Clayton Austin, Clayton Austin. Love. Stories.

Clayton Austin's camera saved his life. His entire working life was as a firefighter/paramedic. After losing a patient and taking it extremely hard, he decided to take a few weeks off and head to Alaska to do some soul searching. He purchased a Nikon D40 for the trip and spent his entire vacation taking in all the the beautiful things around him. It was during that trip that he became obsessed with photography. It showed him a different way of looking at the world. Not everything was sad or dying. There indeed was life and joy and happiness if you took the time to really SEE it. Not just look. But see. Three months later, Clayton shot his first wedding for free. One year after that he shot a wedding in Paris and is finding that he's happy again.

Specializing in photographing nostalgic-inspired couples in love, Clayton is currently neck deep in his second year of business. He's staying very busy with 40 weddings, 36 of which are out of state/destination weddings, this year. This October, he's going to experience his dream photo shoot when he takes his beloved antique piano on the road for his Hammers and Strings: The Collection Tour. Eight engagement sessions, 6000 miles, 19 days, in some of the most breathtaking landscapes on earth; from Death Valley to Yosemite to White Sands, New Mexico.

After searching for a cause to be involved in that he was passionate about, Clayton finally found one that will be life changing. He has been put in contact with couples that are dealing with a terminal illness. He's looking forward to this cause keeping him up at night and being able to document the very special bond that exists between the couples.

When we asked Clayton how he uses AsukaBook, he responded with: "I have used Asuka since day one. Their customer service is amazing. But what I love most about the beautiful albums is that they provide with another branding tool as their covers are completely designable to suit. For instance 100% of my album covers are B&W with a particular font. You can spot an album of mine a mile away. It's a perfect fit for me. Like Ben and Jerry." To be honest, we couldn't be happier to show off Clayton's gorgeous images in our books.

Florence McCall - Florence McCall Photography

After graduating from college, Florence McCall was looking for work and thought she'd give the whole photography thing a try. She got her start as a photojournalist for a business journal in San Francisco, which felt natural so she kept with it. Twelve years later, photography is still a perfect fit for her!

Florence has since moved to Jackson Hole, Wyoming and established a strong portrait business there; shooting around 250 sessions a year. Working hard to keep her subjects comfortable pays off as her images bring to life each client's personality, emotions, and unique beauty.

When not running her busy studio, Florence takes time to donate her photography skills to local non-profit organizations that she believes in. She loves being able to lend her services and also appreciates the great marketing it does for her studio. Living in Jackson Hole has helped contribute to her dream photo shoot. Harrison Ford lives there and Florence would love to do a portrait session for him. Harrison Ford, if you're reading this, give the lady a call!

Grace Chon - Shine Pet Photos

Grace Chon of Shine Pet Photos never set out to be a professional photographer. She was working as a stressed out art director at a large advertising agency in Los Angeles when she decided to start taking head shots of homeless dogs to help them find their forever homes. Her interest in photography grew from there, and 9 months later, she ended up quitting her day job to become a full-time pet photographer. Grace has been in business for 2 years and shoots around 100 sessions a year; 90% of her clients are dogs and 10% are cats.

Some of Grace's favorite sessions are with celebrities and their pets. She loves seeing them behind the scenes with their guard down and just being themselves with their beloved animals. A dream shoot for her would be to travel to countries like Mexico or India and shoot the street dogs there.

As a huge supporter of dog rescue, Grace is very excited to be visiting Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Utah for an editorial shoot. For her, it's kind of like visiting Disneyland and getting a behind the scenes tour! She also finds time to continue volunteering her services to various dog rescue groups in Los Angeles by taking head shots of adoptable dogs to help them find their forever homes.

Grace uses AsukaBook because, "There are a TON of book printing services out there, but I'm continually amazed by the gorgeous quality of AsukaBooks. My clientele pays for the best, and I know I'm offering them the best when they receive a custom designed coffee table book from me that's been printed by AsukaBook."

Visionari

Each Visionari photographer brings their own incredible talent to the team. By competing and finding inspiration in each other, they are continually striving to take their art to the next level, which shines through in their exceptional images. Their artistic, refined, and timeless images celebrate each client's unique moments as they unfold and truly showcase each client's sense of style and personality.

Visionari has been in business for 5 years and specializes in weddings. They shoot about 350 a year but they are constantly growing and currently are preparing to substantially increase the amount of bookings they are able to accommodate. Each wedding Visionari does is fun and unique but they particularly enjoy the opportunity to travel and shoot weddings in different countries. Some of their dream locations include Spain, Greece, China, Thailand, and the Philippines.

Visionari makes a point to give back to their community and most recently volunteered their services to a local, non-profit teen magazine called, "Transition". The magazine focuses on highlighting stories of local high school standouts that make a difference in their communities and are role models for their peers. It also provides invaluable information on different career and college pathways for teens.

When asked how they use AsukaBook products, they responded with, "AsukaBooks are great tools for us in our sales presentation process. AsukaBooks are produced with the highest standards and highlights the quality of our photographs".

Kirstie Tweed - Orange Girl Photographs

Kirstie Tweed's story is the classic tale of a girl of 12 being given a camera by her dad. She remembers being in 7th grade math class and having to explain why she didn't do her homework. Instead of admitting she didn't do it because she didn't understand it, she let the teacher know she was going to be a photographer which only required knowing how to count money, which she already knew how to do. Kirstie has come a long way since that day in math and now as a successful photographer, realizes that photography is all about math!

Having been in business for 10 years, Kirstie loves being able to tell her client's whole story and be there for the big, happy moments in their lives. In order to give clients her full energy and attention, she will only shoot one wedding per weekend and one portrait session a week. This focus allows her to capture many magical moments and results in fun, beautiful images!

One of Kirstie's most memorable shoots was an outdoor ceremony in -35 degree weather. The guests were all bundled up with hot chocolate and Bailey's while the bride wore a gorgeous silk gown with winter boots. It was a truly Canadian experience!

Recently losing her dog to cancer prompted Kirstie to give back to her community. She created a 5x5 30 page AsukaBook to remember her dog and showed it to all of the women at the vet clinic that had cared for her dog. They loved the book and did so much for Kirstie and her dog, that Kirstie surprised them each with a session and a 5x5 AsukaBook for their own pets. Kirstie has found these sessions very rewarding. Kirstie has since adopted a puppy that her vet rescued from a shelter that was relocated from New Orleans to Tylertown, MS (the vet, from Canmore, Alberta, volunteers yearly in a shelter that lost most of their staff and were relocated because of Hurricane Katrina and brings animals back to Canada to adopt in Kirstie's community). You can read more and donate HERE.

Ricardo Serpa - Ricardo Serpa Photography

Ricardo Serpa started his photographic journey as an export manager for a large multinational company. The job required a lot of travel which inspired him to buy his first "serious" camera which led to him quitting his job and becoming a photojournalist. From there he was hired as a staff photographer for Rio de Janeiro's largest daily newspaper and things really took off! Ricardo now shoots everything from bar/bat mitzvahs to weddings to surfing images.

One of Ricardo's most enjoyable and exciting shoots took place in Fiji, on a tiny island called Tavarua. The beautiful waters, perfect weather, and world-class waves made for an amazing shoot and keep him going back whenever he can.

True to his newspaper roots, Ricardo makes an effort to do non-profit work for social causes whenever the opportunity presents itself. He recently worked with a non-profit organization in Florida on a story on domestic violence among immigrant women. Ricardo does projects like this because he feels like our world is growing more and more alienated to what's really matters, and it seems that fewer and fewer people are interested in what's going on around us.

We asked Ricardo how he uses AsukaBook and he responded with "I've been using AsukaBook since I first opened the studio in 2006, and I simply love everything about it: the quality, the options and the great customer service. I couldn't be happier with it, and you certainly have a loyal customer here!"

Amy Parrish - Amy Parrish Photography

Starting her career as a videographer, Amy Parrish got hooked on photography after she went on a cruise and realized she was taking more still images than anything else. Five years later, she's focusing on portraiture, especially children, and doing the occasional commercial and editorial shoot. Amy does about 150 to 200 sessions a year and her fun and fresh images always showcase her client's personalities.

The most exciting shoots Amy has done have been for a hospital in her area. She's documented everything from patient/nurse relationships during physical therapy to breast augmentation surgery. When we asked Amy about her dream photo shoot, we loved her response. She would like to turn her attention to more fine art projects focused on the human figure and body image. She'd love to encompass several "imperfections" (obesity, scarring, wrinkles, etc.) and present them in a way that shows that there's absolutely nothing imperfect about them.

Amy gives back to her community by volunteering for the American Child Photographers Charity Guild and has also started photographing women undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer.  For ACPCG, she is inspired by children who are so joyful despite living in what many would consider a nightmare.  For the women she photographs, she always keeps her mother, a cancer survivor, in mind and as well as two of her clients who have both recently passed away from this disease. Both of these clients were true warriors in the fight and have helped raise millions of dollars to fund breast cancer research.

We asked Amy how she uses AsukaBook and she responded with, "Our sales increased so much after we started using AsukaBook.  I can't even count how many times we've been asked, "How do we get them all?" after a client saw all of their session images.  Purchasing a custom-designed book is one of the options we offer, and we make it really enticing by offering a discount if clients reach a certain price point in their standard print order, then entice them once again by offering a reduced price on duplicate books."

Charisse Czaja - Charisse Photography

As an award-winning photographer, specializing in children photography, and the mother of three young boys, Charisse Czaja knows that photographing children requires being in the moment. She is profoundly observant, surprisingly relaxed and, above all, quick to follow both the child and the light.

With the eye of an experienced photographer, and the heart of an attentive mother, Charisse brings the lives of children into print.

Her style is best summed by the word, “fun." As she follows the child and the light, she is altogether present – though it is her natural energy and good nature that bring out the best in children. No one has to sit still. No one has to pose.

Charisse donates her services to a lot of organizations, especially The Red Cross, Person to Person (a local charity in her community) and participates in a large number of preschool and grade school fundraising events.

Alain Martinez - Alain Martinez Photography Studios

While traveling through Paris in 2002, Alain Martinez found inspiration and started down the path to what has now become quite a successful photography career. The images he took there became the launching point to an amazing career that has taken him all over the world.

As a wedding and lifestyle photographer, Alain aims for under 40 sessions a year. Limiting his sessions allows him to focus on each client and produce images that are elegant, high class, and modern. He strives to capture the tender, intimate moments that couples and families will treasure forever. When you see his work, it's hard to believe he's been in business for only 7 years!

Alain likes to take his photography to the next level and get a little crazy. When we asked Alain about the craziest shoot he's ever done, he responded "Craziest? Most of my clients think I’m crazy half the time!  We are constantly taking shots of brides in the middle of the street with on-coming traffic, or I’m hanging from a convertible moving car to get a cool motion blur shot, or shooting brides 6 feet under water with the whole pool draped with black fabric.  What’s crazy to some is normal at our studio."

Alain’s favorite wedding shoot so far, took place in a 1000 year-old castle in Siena, Italy. His dream shoot would be a wedding at the Chateau De Versailles in Paris.  He nearly had his chance when a bride began negotiations. Even though the plans fell through, it is still something he aspires to as it would be the first wedding there in over 200 years!

Giving back is also extremely important to Alain and his studio. They've worked with Voices For Children, The Miami Herald and The Heart Gallery helping foster children find a loving home and helping needy families during the holidays. Giving back is an ongoing effort for him and his team and Alain considers it one of the most fulfilling things that they do all year.

Genya Garrett - VUE Photography

The fact that photography freezes exactly what the photographer sees is what caused Genya Garrett to fall in love with it. Genya also loves that there is no right or wrong answer to how you can create an image; 10 people can shoot the exact same thing and each view something totally unique.

After going to college to study photography, Genya found her niche in documentary weddings and boutique lifestyle sessions for families, couples, and kids. Genya's bright, colorful, and fun images delight all of her clients as they showcase true emotions and relationships. Genya's a busy gal, taking on 40 weddings and 30 lifestyle sessions each year. Genya also finds time to give back to her community by taking part in free family shoots to make sure families that are less fortunate have beautiful images that they can treasure for years to come. Genya's studio, VUE Photography, uses AsukaBook for all of their wedding orders. They adore the customer service and faster turnaround time which makes for happier clients!

Genya's craziest shoot was a last minute booking for a wedding in Hopetown Harbor, Bahamas. Within two weeks, Genya and her assistant, Wesleyann, were on a place headed to the tiny island to spend a fabulous December weekend capturing a beautiful, tropical wedding. They made some great new friends and got to celebrate a bit of Christmas in paradise!