1. before it was {a}strid photography, it was life.art.and blue jeans aka labphotogirl on my blog (you don’t know how much i wish i was kidding)

2. when i originally had the idea of starting a wedding photography business, i called, gave my sales pitch, and enlisted my friend from college, april, to join in with me. in college, we were partners for our senior year portfolios she was the brains when it came to all technology, photoshop, graphics…etc…and i took the pictures. i ended up going on my own, but she to this day is the person i can go to anytime with the “help meeeee” phone call… just like when we were in college :)

3. i have a studio assistant, sharmila, who helps in all aspects of the business. mailing, ordering, filing, photoshopping…etc…she is a lifesaver!

4. when i first started, i never had the intention of being a high end wedding photographer. my initial goal was actually to target brides who couldn’t afford a professional photographer and needed someone better than their “uncle bob”

5. from the beginning (and to this day) I wanted to keep my business as simple as possible. this means i don’t have a hundred different options for every single product, i don’t offer 10 different wedding packages, and even my gear is simple. My camera bag is fairly light compared to most photographers, and I only carry the essentials that I know i need to cover a wedding beautifully. the less is more mentality if you will. i offer a select line of albums and products that i think best respresent the brand. i have 3 Collections to choose from with a few a la carte options, and i don’t upgrade to the newest camera or lenses unless i feel it will greatly impact my business or my images. I truly try to create a simplistic, boutique style experience for every bride and groom that come through my door and i love it that way.