Today we’d like to introduce you to Cathy Baron.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I have always been attracted to color, vibrancy, and ethereal qualities in everyday life. When I was a teenager, I painted my walls swirls of bright colors and often studied photographs that spoke to me – analyzing ‘why’ I felt drawn to them. I have always been a performer, acting and dancing have been my entire life since a young girl. At a young age, I was rarely without a video camera in hand, you know, in the time of VHS tapes. I would create my own commercials and sometimes I could get my family members or friends to be in them as well. Those tapes are hilarious to watch today! I moved to LA after college, immersed myself into acting, and started exploring art on canvas with acrylic paint. I decided to make my own short films of me creating a painting (showing the process), so a friend of mine who is a director and editor taught me the basics of editing in Premiere Pro. Learning this skill led me to start creating videos of my art. At the same time, I got incredibly interested in photography once again. I was enamored by the feeling certain tones, expressions, and framing can give someone while looking at a particular photograph. Luckily, being an actress, I don’t have a shortage of friends who are down to shoot, so I obsessively scheduled shoots to practice, learn and create more art with the camera. In the early years of shooting, I also taught myself Photoshop skills to create fantasy like photos out of a beautiful photograph with compositing and photo manipulation. Over time, I stopped painting and became completely involved in creating beautiful photographs for people. It’s not enough for me to snap a photo with good light and a great pose, I want to…I have to feel something in the photo. On my journey as a photographer, I have not only learned to see beauty in different ways, I have also learned to love myself in ways that seemed almost impossible before. As Edgar Allen Poe said, “There is no exquisite beauty without some strangeness in the proportion.”
Although I enjoy black and white, architectural, and beautiful basic headshots, my passion is creating ethereal, fantasy like, sexy, sometimes haunting photos that someone may stare at a bit longer than normal. My photography career has led me to doing behind the scenes photography for YouTube Space, celebrity weddings, product photography for popular brands, editorial for magazines, and capturing intimate moments that people will cherish forever.
I also create videos for entrepreneurs who have online businesses and need videos to accompany their marketing package. I have created videos for life coaches, aestheticians, psychics, teachers, publicists, doctors, and career coaches. I’m grateful to share my art with everyone and I enjoy making people feel beautiful and alive in the process.
Has it been a smooth road?
I’ve learned to take my struggles as lessons, and it’s not always been a smooth ride. There were times I felt as if I didn’t belong in the photography/artist community. During those times, everyone seemed “better” than me or more creative than me. It’s obvious to me now that those thoughts were just natural fears that pop up in the mind of many artists. With that being said, my biggest struggle has probably been myself. Other than that, learning the ins and outs of marketing was also a struggle in the beginning. I used to think I needed to have a specific ‘style’ and I had to stick with that style for my brand. Now, I allow myself the freedom to change it up a bit in editing. To me, each photo is saying something different and requires a different look to ensure the feeling is properly conveyed.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Cathy Baron Photography and Media story. Tell us more about the business.
I am a photographer and videographer/editor. I specialize in editorial, whimsical, ethereal, fantasy, at home, and lifestyle photography for Los Angeles and surrounding areas. I am known for my ability to allow women and men to see their true beauty via their photographs. I am often told by my clients that they have never seen themselves look so good before. I am proud of being able to build confidence in people through my passion and art. I am also known for fantasy photography such as inserting tigers or giraffes into a scene in a photo. I let the photos speak to me and pick the best tone, framing and editing based on the photograph. I don’t add a single style or preset to each photo and send them off. I care about each one. I go through every single picture and adjust according to what the photo needs. Sure, this takes time, but its how every single client has been happy with what I have created for them. I’m proud of my work ethic and artistic eye and hope to keep making others happy with my passion. As far as videography and editing goes, I am proud of my ability to create a piece of art for someone’s business based on their specific needs. It’s often like putting a puzzle together and I’m proud to help people excel in their business.
What do you like and dislike about LA?
Los Angeles is a city of opportunity, creativity, and innovation. I love the feeling that anything is possible here and there’s a new opportunity around every corner. Los Angeles is inspiring and the fact that we have beaches, mountains, and a desert all in close proximity is just incredible. It’s a perfect city for photoshoots! The thing I least like about LA is, of course, the traffic. Los Angeles also seems to make people flakier over time, and I’m not down with that.
Pricing:
- Editorial/Lifestyle session is $600
- Half head shot/half editorial is $500
- An outdoor fantasy photo shoot is $800 this includes the Photoshop time required after the shoot.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.cathybaronphotography.com
- Phone: 512-785-7917
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: instagram.com/cathybaronphotography
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
