Featured Vendor: Christy Whitehead Photography

I met Christy years ago when I modeled a wedding dress and evening gown for her. I wonder where I filed those pictures? Anywho, this is one seriously talented lady. When people talk about those who wear many hats, they are talking about Christy. No joke…Here are some fun questions that will help you get to know the person behind the camera.

What is your business name? Christy Whitehead Photography

How long have you been in business? About 19 years

Where are you located? Jacksonville, specifically, on the Westside, next to Cracker Barrel at Chaffee and 10.

How should people contact you? christy@jaxphotographer.com or 904-891-0359

How did you come up with the name of your business? My degree is in journalism, my original business name was Freelance 4 Hire, because I used to also do journalism work. But I kept getting people contacting me asking if I was hiring. So, I changed the name.

What made you want to be a photographer? I’ve always loved history and especially my own. I’m a huge ancestry buff. I have over 3,000 people on my family tree. When I can find photos of the people I’m researching, it’s super powerful. I got into photography professionally when I was freelancing for The Florida Times Union and my editor asked me to take photos for an article I was doing. I was being artistic and thought I did a great job, I didn’t… lol. He asked me to take photography classes. So I did. I started getting a lot more jobs, since I was trained to do both and eventually photography took over. Journalism is a rough career choice.

What do you love most about being a photographer? I like creating things and I love the basically instant gratification of photography as compared to say crocheting a blanket.

What’s the craziest/most off the wall photoshoot you’ve ever done? Oh, there is one where I had to call the cops, but that is a story for another day, LOL! In my studio career, I wouldn’t say anything is tooo crazy. When I used to do journalism stuff, one of my biggest clients was police publications and so I did a lot of police training, hung out of helicopters, did K9 and SWAT training, all while doing photos. Even went to the G8 Summit.

What’s the most fun photoshoot you’ve ever done? Fun…. Hmmm… I enjoy different shoots for different reasons and the creativity that each one allows. Working with the police magazines was def. A lot of fun and very exciting.

What’s the furthest you’ve ever traveled for a photoshoot? I’ve photographed weddings in Texas and in Missouri. I worked in DC, MO, OK, and TX for the magazines.

Can you think of a time where something legit crazy happened while on a photoshoot? If so, what happened? These days I work mostly with newborns and families, so the craziest it gets is someone getting peed on or poo projectile going everywhere. LOL. When I did police journalism, I was in Savannah and a guy started shooting at everyone with a shotgun. I had to hide out behind a police car.

What’s your favorite type of photoshoot? I don’t have a favorite, honestly. The people in the shoot are what makes it great. Some people you just click with and that makes the shoot fantastic or a baby who just sleeps through their newborn session—love those!

If you could guess, how many photoshoots have you had? 500 easily.

What type of photoshoots do you do? I specialize in newborns, families, cake smashes, pets and headshots.

How would you describe your style? Very clean and fun. I don’t do any fancy colored filters that are going to look dated in a couple of years. I also like my images to be very personal—do you LOVE Disney, I can make something custom for you. In the Military? Let’s incorporate that.

What is a piece of advice you can give to up and coming photogs? Do NOT undercharge. I get a lot of photographers who are great at what they do, but they undercharge because their husband makes a lot of money or they just enjoy doing what they do. If you want to do cheap or free, go work for a charity. Otherwise, it hurts everyone in this field who need to feed their families! Also, I have a section on my website for photographers with info and advice! https://www.jaxphotographer.com/photographers

Now some fun questions!

What is your favorite thing to do around Jacksonville? That’s a hard one. I don’t get out much anymore!

What’s your favorite food? Depends on my mood. I REALLY like Bahama Breeze. My husband is from Puerto Rico and I LOVE their food. There’s a couple of Caribbean restaurants around town, but his mom cooks much better!

What’s your favorite dessert? Usually, chocolate covered strawberries. I’ve gotten really into coconut flavored stuff lately. I really love a good gelato also.

What’s your favorite movie? Probably, Toy Story.

What’s your favorite song? I don’t have just one. Different songs mean different things for me or bring back different memories.

If you were stranded on a deserted island, what would be the one thing you couldn’t live without? Probably chapstick.

Favorite place to hang out in North Florida? We go to St. Augustine a lot, love the history. We also like to go to Crystal River and swim with the manatees.