As a consumer, I am picky. I know what I like. Take Trader Joe’s for example. Trader Joe’s is a grocery store with foods you can’t find anywhere else. They offer organic food. They offer gourmet type foods. They offer food for vegetarians. yes, yes, Safeway offers these foods too, but Trader Joe’s sends out a newsletter called a Fearless Flyer, their staff wears Hawaiian printed shirts, they double paper bag your purchases, they ding a bell if you bring your own bag. Their store locations are always odd. The shopping carts are comical. I go in with a list of things we need and always walk out with way more items then I can store. I am a Trader Joe’s groupie.

Nordstrom. My family has shopped at Nordstrom since the 90s. I remember getting Reebok Pumps, a Hypercolor tee, middle school semi-formal dress, an awesome Esprit vest with dogs on it that I wore to a youth summit in Washington D.C., a black blazer a la Blossom, my junior and senior prom dresses, my wedding jewelry, my honeymoon swim suit, my first 2-piece suit for my first official administration job, my first real leather tote bag, my first born’s first dress, my second born’s first dress, gah, this list can go on forever. I was a regular at the Nordstrom at the Tyler Galleria in Riverside, the Brea Mall in Fullerton; I drove 2.5 hours to the closest Nordstrom in Salem when I lived in Oregon. And now my new Nordstrom is in Pleasanton. I mean. It’s crazy. BUT, that’s brand loyalty.

So, back to my new look. I wanted something that representative me as a person. After all I am Kia Gregory of Kia Gregory Photography, so I am my brand. Clients hire you for your images but they also hire you for your image. It sounds vain but really, it’s the truth. So when I started the branding process with Luxecetera it almost seemed all new-agey, and ‘the Caterpillar on the mushroom smoking the hookah from Alice in Wonderland’-y. “Tell me who you are?” But it all made sense to me in the end. And yes, I know you don’t look at me and think, oooh, orange, oooh ranunculus flowers. But now you will associate those happy, pretty things with me.

old cards.

new splash page

new site page

new blog page

What are some of your favorite brands?

OK, so back on topic. When I went to Las Vegas in March for my first ever WPPI experience I got connected with some awesome people. One of them being Rob Ninja, the leader, head honcho, Mob Boss of a community of photographers that participate in these Photog Shootout get-togethers, which are crazy, over the top styled events. Various leaders in various parts of the nation have put on some wild events. This was a small scale version of what the Photog Shootout community can do, on one of the last days of WPPI 2010. Two gals, styled as some vintage 70s chicks, an awesome bright yello corvetter and Old Town Vegas.

I didn’t stay for long, but I met some cool peeps, and took a couple of cool shots. Thank you to our fabulous  models, Cat of Rockin’ Kitty Productions and Johnnie Mae.

And if you’re a photographer in the Central Valley area, let’s get connected on Facebook! Hoping to plan a get together just to shoot the breeze and talk it up soon!

Nellie and I are both wedding photographers and so any mixer or gathering that has to do with wedding photography peaks our interest. Nellie has a lot of connections. She surprises me every time she mentions that she has had coffee with so and so, or is on so and so’s e-mail list for second shooting. Amazing. She likes to socialize. Not too long ago she texted me and asked if I wanted to be her +1 a book launch party for Grace Ormonde (Wedding Style Magazine publisher)’s book titled “Being in Love Never Goes Out of Style.” I cannot begin to explain the extravagance of this book launch at Jade Studio Productions on Treasure Island in San Francisco. The food, the champagne served in glasses made out of ice, the male models (eye candy for sure), the couture wedding gowns on glamorous women, luscious floral arrangements in every corner. And I didn’t even bring my camera and so my dinky iPhone images will have to suffice. And if you want, go see some awesome images on Grace Ormonde’s blog as well!

Thanks, Nellie for the invite! Where are we off to next?

Meet Ati and Ajira! This little get together was prompted by me connecting with both this beautiful women on twitter (I think). Ajira is a local photography that lives in the East Bay. She is where I am, just starting out in this business and needing to connect with others to stay motivated and inspired. I previously met Ajira and her gorgeous son Chesaweh in Castro Valley for coffee a few months back.

Adding Ati to the mix was easy after reading all of her crazy motivating blog posts coming into the new year. Ati is eco-conscious event planner. She also designs some awesome Polynesian inspires invitations and other paper goods. Ati is attending this workshop in March called Making Things Happen, an “intensive designed to fire you up.” And every post from Ati since she registered to go to this event has really fired me up.

So, after some messages back and forth and writing, we should meet up, Ati finally said, let’s do it, get out your calendar, we’re picking the date. And that we did.

And after two hours of hanging with each other this past Sunday, I walked away with this light in my eyes because we are so gonna make things happen. So look out on the blog, because there are gonna be all kinds of great things coming to you the next few months! Bet on it.

And just because Ajira is a clown, and I didn’t know that until we chilled. Here she is being silly!