Minneapolis Photographer Joanna Carina
Today I put together a little Q&A session with me, Joanna Carina, the founder and lead photographer of Carina Photographics. Hope you enjoy!
About Joanna
I spend a lot of time during my days at home with my kids, aged 5 and 3, as well as my hubby, who also works at home as a freelance product designer, illustrator and fine artist. Spending time with my kids is priceless. I started my photography business about 5 years ago, and opened up my photo studio in St Paul about two years ago. It’s great meeting and working with clients there, too.
Hobbies and Activities
I LOVE traveling. I’ve been all over the US and the world, although I have not yet completed my Bucket List! Camping, hiking and being in nature are important to me. The US National Parks are a big favorite. I cannot wait to take the kids when they get a bit older. Also reading and learning new things is a big love of mine, especially taking photo classes and learning new techniques.
Fun Fact About Joanna Carina
Before my husband and I got married, we took ballroom dance classes so we could really dance it up to the jazz band we had for our day. We loved it so much that we kept up on our lessons for many years afterward. We even performed for crowds! The last name “Carina” was adopted by us when we got married. It was based on the name of a constellation.
How Long I Have Been Photographing
I’ve been fascinated by photography as long as I can remember. When I was growing up, I taped photos of beautiful landscape photography on my bedroom walls. In middle school I joined the Photography Club. There I was in a closet under the back stairs along with eight other students learning how to roll film and use a photo enlarger. By the time I got to the College of Visual Arts in St Paul, I filled my schedule with as many photography courses as possible. I have always maintained a professional camera setup. My primary interest in the early years was travel and landscape photography. Then later I moved to portraiture and weddings. I also art directed commercial photoshoots while working for several years as a graphic designer in a marketing firm.
Why I Got Into Wedding Photography
Once we had our daughter in 2011, I decided to leave my graphic design job to stay home with her. Soon afterward, I decided to pursue my love of photography. I found myself photographing a couple of friends’ weddings early on, and I was hooked! Seeing a couple’s love and happiness, being included with one of the most important days in their lives, and giving them such joy at visually reliving their day afterward has been so rewarding and amazing to see. And getting to meet such wonderful people, as well as their families and friends, is awesome!
My Favorite Part of the Wedding Day
The first look and couple’s portrait session are wedding highlights for me. My couples always start out preparing separately, and they are often sooooo nervous during that time. Then, when they finally get to that moment and see each other, the reactions I see are priceless! Laughter, happiness, relief, tears, hugs. Such honest, warm, genuine moments, I often can’t help but tear up myself. Then, as we spend our time during their portraits, I see them calm down, relax and look so happy and in love. It’s so amazing to witness them spend that time alone together. By the time we are done with that portion of the day, they are so relieved and happy to head out to the ceremony.
Advice for Couples Planning Their Wedding
First, I would say to make sure to surround yourself with competent professionals. There are so many amazing wedding vendors out there, from wedding planners to caterers to florists to bands. They can all help you take the stress out of one of the biggest days of your life. Next, I would say, from a photographer’s perspective, please give serious consideration to having your wedding day remembered with a high-quality wedding album. From showing your friends and family today, to showing your kids and others in years to come, to enjoying it over your married lives, there is nothing that is so treasured, timeless and secure as having a wedding album as a perfect keepsake of your day.
Also, be sure to check my other recent blog post showing the Top 10 Things to Look for In a Wedding Photographer to give more info on that aspect.
Thank You!
Thanks for reading about me, Joanna Carina! Contact me soon so we can grab a coffee or glass of wine sometime and learn more about working together!
Learn more about my photo gear I use. And learn more about my St Paul photography studio.
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