Meet Caya Crosswhite | Owner and Photographer of CJC Photography

We had the good fortune of connecting with Caya Crosswhite and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Caya, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
When I first started taking photos and decided I wanted to make it a business, I didn’t really have a plan. What I did know is, I wanted to help other Moms have memories of their children. Taking photos of my kids and seeing how different they looked the next time I took pictures just really strung at my heart. I have always been in love with taking photos and my Aunt was our family photo taker for all events, lol. When she got older and her eye sight got worse she would teach me and give me the camera often and I would photograph our family events. I started with just friends and family and charging enough for gas money because, at the time, I was just doing outdoor photos. When I decided to have a studio, i knew I really needed a whole game plan.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I believe referring to it art is the perfect description. My style is timeless, I focus on the child with minimal props to show their personality, things they like and things the family enjoys with them.

I feel like what sets my work apart is how I make my clients FEEL through their whole experience. They walk away with physical tangible items not just digital images that will likely sit on a phone or computer and will most certainly go out of style in years to come (even though those are included as well).

To get where I am now took lots of tears, trial and error, but most of all letting God lead my business. I would have messed it all up at some point, and have messed little parts up by not letting Him guide where I was supposed to be going. Photography and what I offer is the gift that God has given me. I use it to bless others to have heirloom, tangible, memories for their blessings He’s given them. So to not let him guide me would just be a dishonor. I over came all my challenges by realizing that I was trying to handle the stress, or the issue myself rather than turning to God about it.
I want the world to know that anything is possible with Jesus.

I am not going to preach to you, but it is my ‘job’ in loving and accepting to Jesus to tell the world of his perfect love and grace. He isn’t some angry parent sitting up there shaking his finger at all our mistakes, as opposed to the parent waiting with Neosporin and the band-aids to make it all better. We can run to him as unperfect as we and, He’s always waiting.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Uh, I won’t be the most fun person to write on this topic lol. I am outgoing, yet a home-body. My family and I are perfectly content being at home together since I work a lotttt of weekends. We just enjoy each others company at home, watching movies, playing board games. When we do travel it’s to the Mountains and Lake for sure, and occasionally the beach. So if we’re going to talk about the Mountains and the Lake, we would go to North Carolina. We get a place on the river, we would rent a boat for a day, and boat up to our favorite restaurant, visit their man made beach there. We like gem mining, and climbing up the mountain. We like to go somewhere new to eat every visit!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
This is going to be hard for me to write because it goes to someone who isn’t with me any longer, my Aunt Sue. I spoke about her a little above, showing me how to take photos and work a camera but it was more than that, she was a very very influential person in my life. The older I get the more I realize how my personality, how I am with my children, my creative side, my values in life, they’re all from her. When I made my photography a business she was oh, so proud. She shared my work and was always the first to comment on my posts or photos. After having a studio and building my second one she was the first person that got to see it before anyone. Her positivity in my growth when I was hard on myself drove me even further to keep going to where I wanted to be.
I am surrounded by so many people who support my love for what I do, My Husband is my driving force, making it all possible for me to work on the weekends and watch our 4 wonderful kiddos. My parents who have our kids on weekends for me to work, and for letting me have my first studio in their house. Especially my Dad (and Husband) who helped build my second studio and now my third in final studio currently, as well as many props I need occasionally. However, I would have to say if it wasn’t for how my Aunt helped raised me, I may have never had the photography itch, or the push from her to do more than just stay taking photos of my children or family.

Website: www.cjcphotography11@gmail.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/cjcphotography

Facebook: www.facebook.com/cjcphotography2011