Today we’d like to introduce you to Catherine Mascari-Ingle.
Hi Catherine, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Thank you for giving me this opportunity to tell my story.
My name is Catherine Marie Mascari, I have four amazing adult children. I never knew how to love unconditionally until they came into my world. I’m also blessed with the best siblings, family, friends and a Mom that taught me what being a Mom is all about and to become the woman you are writing this story about.
I treat others the way I would like to be treated. I have an amazing giving, and caring heart. I am compassionate, and passionate about life. I own my mistakes and live life by going forwards not backwards. I walk in Faith, I look for the positive things in life. Everyday I have a goal to make someone laugh and bring a smile to a stranger’s face. I believe in giving comes in many forms. I try to be a shining light to everyone that comes across my path. I understand how precious time is therefore I try to capture one’s Legacy through a photograph for generations to have and look back on as time goes on.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Lots of challenges, lessons and far from smooth!
I began shooting sports photography in 2010 at my youngest daughter’s softball games. A friend of mine had a camera and asked if I could take some photos of the game while she stepped away. That night I went home and learned how to view them onto my computer. I’ll never forget that moment when I saw the photos of what I had captured. Mandi, our pitcher, in full stride at that moment in time was captured. It was amazingly beautiful. Some photos the girls were running, some sliding, others would be just about to catch a fly ball. My daughter at bat swinging at the ball. Within two weeks I purchased a canon camera,some lens, and I started to teach myself how to freeze time. Within a couple years my son started to play pop warner football, it was a completely different way of capturing action shots.
At that time my profession was owner of successful licensed in-home daycare/preschool for over 10 years. Providing a loving, safe, and educational environment for Parents to bring their children while they went to work. My career allowed me to have my Nights and weekends open to pursue my love of photography. I wanted to share what I was capturing with my children’s teammates and their parents so I began putting the photos on line.
When my son became a freshman in high school, my life took a different turn and I went through an extremely hard divorced. Photography became my therapy and helped me through my difficult time.
The photographer that took photos for my sons high school football teams, became ill and found me taking photos in the stands. She approached me to see if I would be willing to become her assistant. I was honored and began my volunteering on Thursday and Friday evenings for Mission HIlls High School Grizzly Football. She helped me polish up in areas of photography that I needed to work on and we became good friends.
Years later, she came to me and stated she was extremely ill with a rare disease that took her sister’s life and would take her life within 5 yrs,and offered for me to buy her photography business. I sold my home, closed my daycare and was going to head into such a great and exciting next chapter of my life. I took out a huge business loan and bought her company as she represntted it to be more than it actually was worth. Unfortunately, she didn’t uphold her promises, and agreements to teach the business. I began to fail at something that I loved to do. It was an extremely hard lesson to learn. Lots of trials and errors, and my best friend, my sister believing in me and telling me never to give up on my dream or path to keep going forward.
Friday March 13, 2020 I was walking into Mission Hills High School to take Lacrosse photos when the Athlete Director walked up to me and said. “we are closing campus” all students are to go home. Covid protocol with the schools in San Diego. At that time 90% of my work was with team sports. Taking Team & Individual Photos. Designing and creating a frozen moment in time for the Athlete and their families to enjoy. I walked into the over 1500 sq feet studio, looked around and my heart sank. I knew at that moment I was going to have to shut the doors. No home, no business, and now no income. Can’t qualify for business funded loans because I hadn’t been in business long enough. What was I going to do? My biggest challenge was in front of me. Sit and watch the world change and hope to get back into it when they would re opened, that was over a year.
I had to start all over, this time with what I have learned what not to do and apply it to be successful.
I continue to strive forward with my faith and passion to pursue capturing one Legacy in a photo for my clients. Working with School Sports, other events as well as portraits and business headshots. I now look back it taught me so much in different areas of life, only to improve!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
To subsidize my income, I work at a restaurant in Oceanside CA. The Lab Collaborative. The head-chief and the general manager I’ve known for almost 30 years. The owners, business partners I’ve known for a year now and they are some of the most incredible people I’ve ever worked with. Great food, great co workers, great guests and lots of family and friends put together for a wonderful team of employees….Plus a bonus I sometimes take photos of their food and drink for their social media!
I have volunteered for almost 10 seasons as Mission Hills High Schools Grizzly Football teams as their field photographer. I have been giving back to a program that I have seen firsthand help so many young men at such a vital time of their lives. I love capturing the plays, that the Coaches design for the athletes to produce on the football field for everyone to enjoy.
I am beginning to expand into other High School and local colleges to take their team photos.
I’m best known for my faith, professionalism, how caring and compassionate I am about my work and those around me.
I truly care about my clients, and I feel extremely honored to be taking pictures. My caring, and passion for people and capturing what I do through the lens to me is priceless.
When I’m taking photos, I take the time to get to know the families I’m going to be taking their photos with. It’s not just a click-and-shoot, its angles and conversation so that Legacy can be captured the way I feel it should be.
I’m most proud of being the example to my children and so many that look and watch me on and off the field. Showing all that whatever life tosses at us, don’t give up. Keep going, keep the faith, don’t look back; look ahead. Keep positive during the storms, wait for the rainbow there is one after the storm you have to look for it. Don’t quit!!! Believe in yourself! Adjust your plan and go forward!
What makes you happy?
When people call me to be their photographer, repeat clients and new clients from hearing about me or seeing my work.. I get extremely happy when I see that my work as a photographer touching so many lives. That photo will be there for generations as others recall a story behind that particular photo. Being a kind human to everyone that crosses my path no matter what they bring. Knowing I didn’t give up, lose my faith, lose hope in myself during the storms that may cross my path. I love when other photographers approach me for guidance. I love helping other learn their camera settings, to see them smile after dialing it in a little better. Its so wonderful! That is happiness!
Pricing:
- up to $200 for a senior shoot with all digitals released.
- up to 3500.00 for a wedding (two photographers); all digitals released
- Team Photos & Individual Photos 45.00 digitals
- Traveling: Please feel free to contact me for the best prices.
- Events: less than 25.00 an athlete, minimum 10 athletes to take game photos and release them to the players
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.legacyphotographymedia.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/legacyphotography_media/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LEGACYPHOTOGRAPHYMEDIA
- Twitter: http://grizzlyfootball.smugmug.com/
- Other: https://snapp.smugmug.com/
