Today we’d like to introduce you to Charmaine Isabelo.
Hi Charmaine, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My journey started at a really young age. I’ve always been the artistic type. My third grade teacher displayed my work because she thought I had great penmanship. I took as many art courses as I could during middle / high school and to me it didn’t even feel like a class; I truly enjoyed going and creating projects. I took more courses in college and even took a class in Art History, which I found fascinating. I’ve always been a visual person and loved finding beauty everywhere I go. I’ve always wanted to get into photography and it started with landscape / travel photography. I took a few solo trips around the US mainland and documented everything using just my iPhone. I upgraded to a real camera in 2024 and that’s when the real journey started. It took a while for me to find my groove and find the style that I like, but eventually I got the hang of it. I got to where I am today because of all the beautiful people that believed in me and supported me throughout my journey by letting me capture their moments.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
When I first started, I had a really difficult time booking clients. I didn’t have much of a portfolio, so I had spent lots of hours doing work for free. I took on clients that I didn’t want just to build something out of it and maybe get a few good photos to post. I kept posting and trying for a while, then I got burnt out and took an eight-month break from posting my work. I did some jobs in between because my website was still up, but I just felt defeated. I felt as if my career wasn’t taking off and not everyone posted my work. I would see many people get so many likes and engagement on their photos, and I felt so down when I would get single digit likes. This business can be tough on your mental health.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a photographer from Hawaii. I currently live in the city on Oahu, but I commute to my hometown of Kailua Kona, on the Big Island of Hawaii weekly. I specialize in retro, vintage, cinematic, film style edits. I love candid photography as well. I’ve been loving small elopements, styled editorial photoshoots and anything with lots of details involved. I am most proud of how my work has evolved since taking an eight-month break from the photographer burn out. I’ve been consistent with my content on social media. I designed my entire website, and I continue to update it if I feel like I have better photos to post. I engage with potential clients on all platforms. I pick jobs that I think will benefit me in the long haul, such as jobs that will provide good exposure and networking opportunities. I truly think my style is somewhat unique and sets me aside from others.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
My advice for networking is to really get yourself out there, don’t be afraid to be social and go be your awesome self. I consider myself as an introvert extrovert. When I have to be social with others, I do pretty well for myself. I don’t get nervous or have anxiety anymore. I started to do more events to get familiar with asking people to pose for me. I love making new friends to network with on social media platforms. That way, we have already communicated online prior to meeting in person. It takes the load off of my back knowing we click well and I know more about them before meeting them in real life. There are tons of support groups for photographers on social media, especially beginner photographers still learning.
Pricing:
- Elopement for 2 hours is $1050
- 3-5 hours wedding package is $1550
- 6-8 hours wedding package is $2050
- Mini sessions 15 minutes is $225
- Regular session 30 minutes is $300
Contact Info:
- Website: https://etherealdiarieshawaii.mypixieset.com
- Instagram: etherealdiarieshawaii
Image Credits
Paliku Gardens at Kualoa Ranch and the Ossipoff Cabin
