Oh I’m so pumped to be sharing with you Shalonda Chaddock ‘s work from Chubby Cheek Photography. You are in for a treat! I absolutely adore her work and can’t wait to share with you more about her photography journey! Remember if you have any questions for Shalonda, to post them at the bottom of the post in the comment section! Shalonda, thank you so much for sharing. You are a such a delight and I love your work!

Chubby Cheek Photography | Texas Photographer

Tell us about you, who you are, hobbies, fav things. Can be random and silly! I don’t use spell check (EVER), i typically write and type in all lower case and i write just like i speak (minus the typos).  My two most used words are hun and booyah…apparently I’m country ghetto, hahaha.  while i love love love to sleep, i spend most of my time functioning on very little of it.  My muses and daily inspiration come from my girls, a freckle nosed, talkative cheeks #1 and her sidekick, the one blue eye and one green eye’d spunky little sister cheeks #2.  I heart daddy cheeks, chap-stick,  chocolate and all things a&m, and when you meet me it will be very clear that i am a khaki shorts and flip flop kinda gal.  I am inspired by light and laughter and the moments that happen in between. 

When did you first realize you wanted to be a photographer?   Funny I could never in a million years imagined I would be a photographer, as I would always shy away from people in theme parks who would hand you their camera and beg you take one quick shot, hahaha.  I think in some weird way I was just meant to get to this point in my journey of life.  I got my first dslr, canon rebel xti, for my very first mother’s day from daddy cheeks in ’07, when cheeks #1 was around 6 months old.  I was a stay at home mom so at that point so I was mom with a camera by day and a “Student” at night, soaking in every ounce of info I could from the internet, forums, books, and flickr, ha remember the good old days of flickr (before pinterest).  I don’t really remember the point that this passion consumed me but I know it happened rather quickly, as I quickly upgraded to better lenses and a prosumer camera (canon 50d).  So while I wasn’t one of those lucky people to realize they wanted to be a photographer when they were little, it took a big event and the opportunity to immerse myself in my creativity.  I had always been a creative person and had did my best to intertwine my creativity with my pharmaceutical rep or sales jobs but I could never really just go with it ya know?!  Well when daddy cheeks gave me the freedom to stay home with cheeks #1 it just sort of all came out 🙂

How would you describe your style?  This is always a tough question for me..my style is truly inspired by the magic and wonder of childhood, so I’d say my style is a good balance of real life and real moments with a sprinkle of pretty laughter 😉

What’s in your gear bag? I carry the epiphanie bella bag and inside is my canon 5d mkii ( not sure when I’m going to jump on that markiii), canon 50L 1.2, 85L 1.2 (my baby) and 35L 1.4

One lens you can’t live without?  Hands down the 85L that lens built my business and is truly my 3rd baby, the buttery bokeh takes my breathe away with every shoot.

We are going to play a game… name the first person that comes to mind when you think of… 

Newborn photographer:  ashley skjaveland photography….ummm she is perfection

Wedding photographer:  clayton austin love stories…there are no words…

Lifestyle photographer:  Michelle anderson, pinkletoes photography…does anyone else answer this one differently, ha

Most inspiring person: daddy cheeks…he is truly my rock, he has a pretty important day job, yet he does all of my book keeping and even does the laundry.  He is my shoulder to cry on, my biggest cheerleader and he has given me the opportunity to chase my dreams.  He is my personal xanax during times of panic, my bubble bath starter on hard days plus he knows how I like my margaritas, pizza and hamburgers among other things. 🙂

Did you go to school for photography or were you self- taught? If self-taught, what helped you the most?  I have an engineering degree from Texas A&M, whoop!  So I am obviously self taught.  When I first found this love for photography I truly learned from every place I could, books, forums, and google.  Forums probably helped the most bc it was a safe place to get honest critique and communicate with others who had been in business for years.

What has been some of the hardest things to overcome in your business?  The hardest part of this business was the way it went from 0-60 practically overnight.  I wasn’t quite expecting things to get so busy so fast so I never really had a plan for balance, heck I didn’t even have a business plan that first year.  But I have learned from that I go into each year with a solid plan on what I want to do for business that year and what I want to do for my family.  I have set limits now for my business, for instance I am done shooting for the fall no later than the second week of november so I can enjoy the holiday season with my family.  I also take a good solid break during the summer, while this is cheeks #1’s first year in school I have taken the last two summers off.  There is something to be said about taking a break and cleansing your soul, shooting for yourself and creating your own moments for your family.  It’s definitely hard saying no to so many clients during these times but I have to remember I am saying YES to my family.  This balance allows me to live my life and love what I do.

Do you have any tips for photographers just starting out?  Price yourself INTO the business not OUT of it.  Don’t sell yourself short by coming into the market at the lowest rate possible.  If you have done your homework and are confident charging period, than charge the right amount.  I understand not everyone took accounting classes in college but if you are paying taxes, paying for gas, taking the time to shoot and then edit and you aren’t making a profit, then its time to reevaluate your pricing structure.  As there is no faster way to get burned out, than to not charge enough and spend so much time shooting and away from your own family missing your own moments.

If for some reason you couldn’t be a photographer what do you think you would be?  Oh gosh…okay I’d be a college game day sideline reporter by day and a party planner by night ha, ya know in all of my spare time.

What’s the best lesson in photography that you’ve learned so far? Take the time to shoot for yourself.  Again taking the time to shoot for yourself can get you out of a rut, cleanse your soul, remind you WHY this is your passion and even get those creative juices flowing again.  When I say shoot for yourself I use the terms loosely for me it was starting our everyday project almost two years ago, for you it might mean setting up a shoot you have always dreamed of, it really doesn’t matter just taking the time to use your knowledge and equipment for YOU is the point.  NO boom shakka lakka go pick up that camera silly 🙂

One last thought: The bottom line is do this the right way and good things will come your way.  If you price yourself right and show you value your work, your clients will value you as well 🙂

Thank you so much for sharing Shalonda! It was an absolute pleasure! I have literally fallen in love with you and your photography! You are a breath of fresh air in our industry and I truly appreciate that about you! You are inspiring and help me want to be as creative as I possibly can! Bp4u’ers go ahead and check out some of her recent work and keep up to date with the latest on her shoots on her facebook page!

Chubby Cheek Photography Site  | CCP Blog | CCP Facebook

Have questions for Shalonda? Post them  below in the comment section!