Today we’d like to introduce you to Kehaulani Crooks.
Kehaulani, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My first memories of noticing the purpose of a camera was when I was a young girl and my dad would pull out his camera to capture the blooming flowers of the plants he grew. Not only was he bringing something to life in the physical world he found a way to preserve its beauty. That magic stuck with me and I always seemed to have a camera in my hand during playtime with friends or special events in school or while traveling. In the beginning, I did not think of photography as a career path but of a way to capture the environment around me and to preserve the memories. One day a friend of mine said, “you know, you should do pet photography”, (this was well before the animal frenzy that we know of today took place) and I thought “yes”, that would be cool, no one else is doing it and people love their pets. This is the first moment that turning photography into a career came to light and I was on a mission. A business plan followed and Wonderstruck Photography was born. The funny thing is, I never did a single pet session. My career started with weddings and expanded and changed from there.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I don’t have a sad or glamours story and I did have both positive and negative challenges. I am very thankful for all the things I’ve learned along the way. In my early twenties, I got pregnant and was working two to three jobs at a time and all I seemed to be doing was driving to and from work and dropping off my son at daycare. One day like a slap in the face I realized my son was in daycare more hours than a full-time employee is at the office and I knew I had to make a change. I decided to quit my job and take photography more seriously. Raising a child and having my own business was not an easy task and there were many times I was going to give up on photography. I’m grateful I stayed with it and greatly appreciative of all the support I received from friends, clients and colleagues. I’m certain without their support I would have given up. I’ve been getting paid for photography services for over sixteen years now, however, I didn’t give photography my full energy for a long time. When my son hit high school, I found I had more time I could use to focus on my business and with that my photography became more productive and continued to grow in the following years. Today business is better than ever and I get to meet some extraordinary intellectuals, be around adventurous people, and interact with some amazing children and families. Seeing the emotions I’ve captured in people is an incredible reward.
Regarding advice for young people, where do I start? Do what makes you happy and surround yourself with people who inspire you. Sometimes people only need to be in your life for a short time and that’s OK. Hold on to good friends and be a good friend, and let go of those who are not a positive influence in your life. Forgive yourself and others and live like you only have one life… oh wait, you do only have one life, so make it a good one. Be thankful and give thanks to everyone who crosses your path. A balanced life will help your business thrive and evolve into whatever you want it to be and you will enjoy the journey.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into Wonderstruck Photography story. Tell us more about the business.
I’ve always been fascinated by observing my surroundings. I like looking at things from different angles and perspectives. For example, what would a scene look like if I was lying down looking up, or above looking down, or from a child’s vantage point. I like watching people, waiting for their smiles to meet their eyes and click I’ve captured it or when I feel the energy of two people who’ve embraced and click the moment is saved, or when someone’s laughter enters my sphere and I’m able to capture the spirited emotion. Click, Click, Click.
I love working with children. I work with a few preschools that I take fun and candid pictures of the kiddos for their school photos. I not only enjoy working with them but when I go home to edit I sit at my desk for hours looking at their sweet innocent faces with a continual smile on mine, often laughing out loud.
https://www.wonderstruckphotography.com/Schools/KidsMakeMeLaugh/
I also do event photography. I thrive on the challenge of how to interact with the many different personality types I come across. It’s quite rewarding when I can capture the sincere essence of a stranger.
https://www.wonderstruckphotography.com/Events/UCSD
I very much enjoy working with families. I have many clients I have known for over a decade and watching their families change and grow is fascinating.
https://www.wonderstruckphotography.com/Portfolio/Family/
I think what sets me apart from others is being able to help people feel comfortable with my presence and capturing authentic emotions. When people look through their photos I want them to feel “Wonderstruck”,… wink! Smile! I know cheesy, but I couldn’t resist.
I’d like to finish with a quick plea to my grammar Nazi friends, I know you may be spinning in your mind from my writing errors but I assure you it was not meant to offend, it’s that my strengths in writing/grammar are not as advanced as yours, I evoke you to please have pity on me. My name is Kehaulani and I make grammatical and life mistakes and I love being a photographer!
It would be great to hear about any apps, books, podcasts or other resources that you’ve used and would recommend to others.
Books
Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell
The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
The Gift of Fear by Gavin de Becker
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness Industry
by Jon Ronson
Ted Talks – all subjects
Freakanomics – Book and Podcast
Henry David Thoreau, American essayist, poet, and philosopher
https://simonsinek.com/
https://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action?language=en
Creative Mornings
https://creativemornings.com/cities/sd
Post Secret
Show: A Good Place
Netflix
You belong Here
https://www.youbelongsd.com/upcoming-events/check-please-an-open-mic-experiment
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.wonderstruckphotography.com/
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wonderstruck_kehaulani
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/wonderstruckphotography/posts/
Image Credit:
wonderstruck photography
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