No. 1 | Introducing: Shotbycc

  

Hi! My name is Colina Vang, I am the owner and founder of Shot By CC! 

I am Hmong American, and I am the oldest of 10! I was born and raised in Milwaukee and Wausau, Wisconsin. And I moved to Los Angeles, California, 4 years ago to chase my dreams. From an early age I knew I wanted to create. At first I fell in love with music, but then I realized I also really loved taking pictures of my siblings. And that stimulated me to unapologetically keep capturing, even when nobody asked. But sometimes it's hard to do what makes sense to us, because we have so much fear and doubt. And most of the time, we don't have the support we desire until we prove we're worthy of it or until we blow up! And the idea of doing the unknown and answering those, "What if?" questions were all we could think about. However, what felt lonely in the beginning, as one of the few Hmong Female Photographers and Videographers in the game, made me realize that this was the reason why it was so important to keep pushing and showing that we could do it too.

When I First Started My Journey...

As a photographer, I had no idea where it would lead me. I just knew deep down, I wanted to create and try as many things as possible. From a young age, I loved taking photos of everything, from flowers to places, not so much people. But growing up, I loved taking pictures and videos of my siblings. It wasn't until I was graduating in my senior year of high school at Milwaukee High School of the Arts, that I learned I really had a deep love for shooting. And I could do this for real?

I Was Senior Class President...

And a lot of my classmates including myself couldn't afford to have nice senior headshots for our yearbook. I've always wanted a professional camera, and it felt like the best time to invest in one It was at this point and time that I begged my grandma to buy me a camera (which was my Sony Alpha A57.) I didn't have a job. But since I lived with my grandma, she was able to claim me for taxes and she allowed me to use a portion of the return to help invest in my first ever camera. Thanks Mom!

I offered $10 headshots. For $10 you get 10 pictures! It felt like the fastest level-up in a game. I had so many photoshoot sessions back to back, I was able to really learn how to use my camera and what styles I wanted to mock. I also learned the hard truth about business and managing one. I think I was shooting about 3 sessions a week, as a new photographer. As time progressed, I would do more! To be honest, the first few years of my photography journey were a lot of experiments. And I could never stick to one style, but I learned that my weaknesses are my strengths. If I was capable of doing many styles, then I could offer that as a service! However, I realized that it was still important for me to find out WHO I was as a creative and what TONE did I want to set for my work. 

The Summer Of My Graduation...

I was preparing for the next chapter of my life: COLLEGE. And I wanted to establish my business before throwing myself into a new group of people. I wanted to be able to have some sort of Identity or Brand Awareness. So I initially named the business "Colina Vang Photography" Because it was my first real business, it was me and it made sense! It resonated with me and it literally had my name in it, what better way to present myself! 

I have a really good friend called: Summer Vang. Who also did photography and I was very inspired by her. If you've ever gotten to work with her, before she stopped shooting, YOU'RE LUCKY! She had a really dope style (similar to Brandon Woelfel). She would play with depth and props and her color grading was just something else. It wasn't a style I felt a of people were doing at the time but when you saw it, you knew it was her. I didn't consider myself a photographer of her level. But I still showed up and I still put in work! I wanted to learn. And so we would shoot each other and edit in our own styles. I learned so much in my friendship and there was a lot of love in it. Creating with Summer was always a blast and I really got live vicariously through her. Plus, she always trusted my vision.

She taught me the importance of business and how you shouldn't name something after your REAL name. Because your name can be bought and copyrighted later on, in the hypothetical case that someone were to buy or own your business. If you don't know what I'm talking about, Rihanna and Kate Spade are good examples of this. Rihanna is an artist but it's also her real name. And because she launched as "Rihanna" her label owns the brand "Rihanna." Same with Kate Spade. It's her business and her name, but if she were to "hypothetically" sell her business (which she did) She can't utilize her name as herself and show up as herself, in certain cases. I'm no professional when it comes to this, this is just a small portion of what I know. So if you're interested in this topic, I highly recommend doing your own research.

So YES, when I started my business I named it: Colina Vang Photography. But then I realized:

1. It's not good to use your real name in your business and-

2. I wanted to do more than just photography

So I changed it to: Colina Creations. But I still didn't like the idea of having my name associated with my business. Which forced me to re-brand one last time to: SHOTBYCC. Which stands for "Shot By Colina Creations."

It made the most sense because I'm a creator! And it was broad enough that I wouldn't be limited to one thing. I was determined to grow in this business and learn as much as I could, so I needed a name that was strong enough to represent that. Within this business I've gotten to shoot for many different types of events, people and organizations. I've seen the different types of work ethics, their artistic styles. And the way they will do whatever it takes to bring their dreams to life, as well as the communities that support them. 

So What's Coming Up Next?

More in depth breakdowns of what happens from set to post-production. And a central place to find all of that. This is a series I've been wanting to do. I'm super excited to finally launch this platform and give some light to my process and my community. And I'm ready to share this journey with you all! I work with so many amazing creatives and I get to hear their stories, and now I get to bring you along. If you love behind-the-scenes, storytelling or exclusive interviews on some of your favorite creatives. Stay tuned! 

      

written by: colina vang