I was born in South Georgia and grew up on a big ranch living in the Colorado Country. I have an amazing and active family. We have three kids, two dogs, a horse, and a bunch of chickens on a little farm.
I am fun, loving, and honestly have the largest passion and patience for all the babies and mommas. My life is run on being creative. Colorful and full of life!
My oldest son, Trenton, is so incredibly intelligent and driven that he blows my mind every single day. He’s the one that made me a mama. My middle boy, Nolan, is the sweetheart of the family. He’s the sweetest kindest, most gentle soul you’ll ever meet and I hope that he never loses that. My daughter, Aria, is a fiery spirit – the world is not ready for all that she has to give. She is amazing, kind, and fierce. Every day since the day she was born, she’s woken up with a smile on her face. She lights up the world.
Last but not least, there is my super cute husband! Yes, he’s a little bit shorter than me! He’s my rock. He has supported my ideas, concepts, and has been the biggest cheerleader in my journey of being a small business owner!
I am a retired Army Veteran, and while I loved my time as an Explosive Ordinance Disposal Technician, I decided it was time to stay stateside and be with my family. I graduated from Troy University with a bachelor’s in psychology, with a heavy focus on abnormal child psychology.
A lot of people ask me if I have been doing photography for my whole life and the answer is no, I have not. I’ve loved photography my whole life, I’ve had my photo taken my entire life, but I have not been into photography nor doing photography my entire life. When I decided that I wanted to start my own business, I told my husband that I was going to do it and it was going to be photography.
We moved back to Fort Pierce in 2015, where my husband was born and raised, and where all of his family lives. He had just gotten out of the military and was going to go to school full-time. I opted to open and run a business full-time, do-or-die style to support our family and get him through nursing school. So to be fair, this business has been a family affair from the get-go. Buildouts, repairs, anything on the wall, storage, help with making props, multiple moves, and finally purchasing our final space for both the Photography and Ultrasound business.
I started my business in 2016. I had no idea what I was doing. I had no idea about running a business and I had no idea how to use my camera. So for those of you who follow me, watched me and have seen my work, please know that we all start somewhere.
I knew that I wanted to work with babies from the very start, so I spent 6 months training with other newborn photographers, learning safety, proper handling, anatomy, and basic camera skills. All the rest has come with time, over the years with countless hours invested in learning and bettering myself.
I’m often asked why I decided to get into photography. To be honest, I hold a heavy value in portraits and tangible memories of people who have lived, that I’ve lost. I have a very high value in creating good memories and capturing them in the best possible way. You’ll find that if you ever get a chance to meet me, or get to see me do my work, you will see that I absolutely love babies and children. I love to uplift mama’s and give them access to the resources that they need to take care of themselves, as well as their little ones.
I love babies, and I love what I do!
I have been a part of the board for the Treasure Coast Photography Center, and the Treasure Coast Professional Photographers Association for many years. I’m a former member of the Port St. Lucie Business Women’s Association, and a current member of the Go-Getter Girls Network, and the Professional Photographers of America Association.
I place a high value on knowledge and skill in my trade, so for that reason, each year I’m consistently investing in my education with newborn and maternity photography, skill sets, and safety. I have been doing this for over 7 years now and I have trained with some of the best. I have attended many in-person trainings with Paloma Schell, Ana Brandt, and many other instructors. I have trained with Tristine Davis and Carla Durante in Underwater Photography safety and technical camera work. I have attended the Milky Way newborn photography retreat annually since 2018, and In 2021, I attended the Belly Baby Summit. I have also trained with a StandInBaby as well as taken many of their newborn handling and safety classes.
I have trained and mentored in lighting and studio techniques for maternity all over the nation, as well as business courses and sales to create a sustainable business that will last and be able to provide memories for a long time.
I know I am missing a lot of names, dates, and classes as there are just too many to count however, just know that I always invest to bring the best, top-notch experience for all the families we work with. I place a high value on providing quality care to the families that I get to work with, as well as quality of work.
I also teach children photography, and mentor adults in business and mindset.
A lot of people will say that I’m the baby The baby whisperer, many ask me to come home with them to help take care of the baby and get them to go to sleep. My biggest priorities in life are my family, self-care, and my business, and all of the families that are involved in both my ultrasound photography business.
In 2021 I decided that I wanted to open up a second business and go back and get my ultrasound training. I love the idea of families being able to come together and to be able to connect with their babies while they’re inside the belly. I love the concept of being able to work with families and capture their memories from the time they find out they are expecting, to the baby’s arrival and beyond. These memories last generations and to be a part of that is a complete blessing.
You’ll often find me sharing stories of my kids, along with the trials, tribulations, and triumphs of being a mother. It’s a beautiful journey and I love to share it with you.
There are a few things that hold special places in my heart, as a former foster child, I dedicated my education with the intention of becoming a social worker. After some years of volunteer work and being foster parents ourselves, we decided that social work wasn’t the best idea for me. So my way of giving back to the community and loving on our local foster children and families, is that I donate sessions for all of our local newborn foster babies, as well as the seniors getting ready to graduate so that way they have those special memories for themselves as they get older.
I also have a special place in my heart for expecting mama’s and postpartum mama’s. I will do my best to always share resources that are available in our local community to support you and always do my best to support you in any way that I can.
You’ll find me constantly uplifting women. I am a huge believer in supporting our fellow women and I’m a huge supporter an advocator for self-care.
Last but not least, there is a special place in my heart for children and teenagers. This is why I started a teen mentorship program with the studio, as well as a kid’s junior photographer summer camp. I have always loved to teach and share this gift and the journey with our future generation.
If you have any other questions for me don’t hesitate to ask. I would love to get to know you!
The Accredited Professional Newborn Photographer International, Ana Brandt, Paloma Schell, Hello Little Education, Annual Belly Baby Summit, Annual Milky Way Newborn and Maternity Retreat, are just a few of my education avenues and background.
PS. Love to all of our fellow military service families.
-Crystal
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