BEHIND THE LENS: Sasha Holloway, Bleulips Photography, United Kingdom

Today we are thrilled to feature the work of Sasha Holloway from Bleulips.   We discovered Sasha through our Facebook page.  She posted a response to one of our questions and we are so glad she did!   After spending time perusing her website (which we love--the design and images are fantastic) and reading her blog (which gives you a sense of her fun, witty personality), we wanted to get to know her even more and thankfully she was happy to take time out of her busy schedule to answer our questions.  

As you will see below, Sasha's images have a fresh, urban, vintage vibe.  And not only is she a talented photographer but she is also one crafty lady.   Sasha, thank you so much for being a part of our series.  You are an inspiration....truly!

We are so excited to feature the 

Your Name: Sasha Holloway

Your studio/business name: Bleulips

Location: United Kingdom

Website: http://www.bleulips.com

Blog: http://www.sashatheblog.com

Twitter:  @BleulipsbySasha

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/bleulips

Other: pinterest.com/mocha

    Your Style:

In 50 words or less, how would your clients describe your photography?  Fun, vintage, urban and laid back. I bring laughter and a unique personality to the session that get’s them relaxed and ready to rock.

Are you self taught or professionally trained?  I am both self taught and trained by workshops.

How many years have you been a professional photographer? 2 years officially

Where do you want to take your photography business in 5 years? In 5 years I really hope to be established. It's really hard being a military family to plant your roots. However, its all about how you make things. We are retiring soon and moving back to the South so I am looking forward to hopefully having a studio and a household name. Might even have my own set of actions you never know LOL. Seriously in five years time I hope to still have an active business with happy customers.

Is there a photographer who inspires your style?  Yes.  Who would that be? Gosh there are so many to name that inspire me but my mentors that really pushed me out there to get on the ball Jeni Boisvert, Divian Conner and Kimberly Scott.

Favorite location to take photos? I love urban locations, cities and these small towns here in the UK.

Favorite vacation spot? Egypt

Your Business:

What was the pivotal moment when you decided to become a photographer? I decided to become a photographer and work for myself when I realized I could finally do it. Meaning I had the TIME to do it. I could not dedicate my time to two careers and one which was more demanding than photography and more of a priority. Once we moved here to England I decided that I was able to financially set up the time I needed to try and grow my business but at the same time grow my strengths as a photographer and business woman. I have a Masters in business and let me tell you I've definitely had to put it to the test at time when dealing with finances and things. 

What’s the best marketing tip that has worked for you? You’ve Been Spotted cards. I pass these out to potentional clients offering them a free 20-30 minute session. It gets my name out there and people to talk.

What’s the most surprising thing a customer has asked you? Could they have their images for free just because.

Favorite print lab? WHCC / Loxley

Your Gear:

Are you Canon or Nikon (or –other): Nikonite

If you could only have one lens on a photo shoot, what would it be? 50m 1.2

What brand bag do you carry your camera in? Kelly Moore bags

What gear would we find in your camera bag? 50 1.4 , 35 1.8 , D90.  I have the financial ability to upgrade to a full frame however I want it to be a gift to myself once I have the steady flow of business to justify that purchase. I don’t need or want to jump on the bandwagon of going full frame just because everyone else is doing it and not getting any business to go with it. So it will be a gift to myself.

Are you a natural light fan or strobe fan? Natural Light

Are you PC or Mac? Mac Daddy

Your Tips and Tricks:

What post processing tools do you use? Lightroom 3 and Adobe CS5

Do you shoot in Raw or Jpeg? Raw

Best advice you would give your 20-year old self? Don’t be afraid to take risks with your passion.

Best advice you would give a new photographer? Network with local photographers and don’t feel like you have to buy everything you see someone else getting. LEARN your craft.

What site do you use for your photography and why? I currently use Bludomain. I absolutely love their templates and have not had any issues with them as of yet. My very first site before I did my rebranding and changed my look was with Photobiz and I loved them as well. I just decided to go with Bludomain for personal reasons nothing negative.

What Else Should We Know?

What was your worst photography experience? I think my worse experience was really working it for a client and was so into the session I didn’t realize I actually slipped a little gas out LOUD. I was mortified.

What would surprise people most about you, whether it is photography related or not? That I actually served my country for many years and I was apart of the craft industry. I have several scrapbook layout published in magazines like Scrapbook Trends and designed for several manufacturing companies. So I am a crafty girl at heart. (my craft blog where I craft and keep it real (http://sassysasha.typepad.com)

Tell us something else you’d like us to know: I still color in coloring books and if I’m really bored I might knock on your door and run.

And just because we want to know you better, fill in the blanks.....

Three things I can’t live without…. Chapstick, gum and music

I wish I had more….. time

The best thing about being a photographer is… the ability to change a person’s view of themselves in a positive way

The most important lesson I ever learned was…. Stop worrying about everything around you and get out there and bust your butt just as much and you can be successful too. Don’t get caught up in the hype of trying to be a popular photographer it’s not about the numbers.

My favorite time of day is… night .. I get so much done at night when its pitch black and quiet.