Today we’d like to introduce you to Paige Reistle.
Paige, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
In December of 2016, I woke up with one immediate thought- I needed to buy a camera. I have no idea where my epiphany came from, but that same day I went to Houston Camera Exchange and bought my first DSLR, a Canon 60d. My parents were skeptical of my newfound and seemingly random love of photography and told me it was just a phase that I would soon get bored of. I started off using a hand-me-down lens and photographing everything around me and realized that even with not-so-great equipment and no background knowledge, I was still decent at photography.
I started off with nature photography and realized that I loved photographing insects. I eventually saved up the $800 from babysitting to buy my macro lens, which led me to create a mildly successful Instagram blog of my photos. People eventually began to know me as the girl who was always taking photos, so whenever a friend asked me to do some fashion shots of her, I agreed and figured that it couldn’t be too hard. I bought my 85mm portrait lens, and after the shoot realized that portrait photography was far more difficult than I thought, but the images that came from it were so rewarding that I was hooked. I learned the tedious manual settings (finally), and started my business called Pretty in Pink Portraits, named after my favorite song at the time. Since I am a high schooler, people tend to not take me as seriously as I would like, but I believe that my age gives me an advantage, since I have time to improve my skills and grow my business. Photography is the one thing that I have felt completely head over heels passionate about, and I know that I will keep on improving and taking photos of everything that I see.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
I primarily photograph high school seniors and create photos that showcase their personality as a way for them to remember their high school career, and so they can look back at them fondly as time passes. A message that I communicate with my art is that everyone is beautiful, and if I can help them realize that by taking their photos, then I have done my job. Photography is the thing in my life that I am most enthusiastic about, so every portrait session is a new exciting opportunity for me to continue doing my favorite thing, and making people feel good about themselves as well.
Have things improved for artists? What should cities do to empower artists?
I think that conditions for artists today are the best that they have ever been. With the rise of technology and social media sites, there are many opportunities for artists to showcase and advertise their work. Houston is an amazing place to be an artist, as there is an abundance of locations to utilize and other artists to collaborate with. By keeping properties public and not privatizing areas, Houston will be able to continue to foster creativity in photographers.
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
My primary social network is my Instagram @prettyinpinkportraits. I also have a Facebook and website, prettyinpinkportraits.com, which can be used to book a session. People can support me by liking my Facebook page, following my Instagram, or even booking a session by contacting me through by website.
Contact Info:
- Address: Clear Lake, Texas
- Website: https://www.prettyinpinkportraits.com
- Phone: 2816249423
- Email: prettyinpinkportraits@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prettyinpinkportraits/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/prettyinpinkportrait/
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