We had the good fortune of connecting with Callie Saldana and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Callie, what is the most important factor behind your success?
The most important factor behind my and my brand’s success is built around the relationships that come from working in this industry. The amount of wonderful friendships I’ve gained in the years of helping them celebrate milestones in their lives has easily shown me that the best part of what I do is not based around monetary success, but the amount of love I’ve given and received from the many people that have come to share their endlessly beautiful moments with me. That amount of success cannot be measured, but it sure can be felt. To my business, those relationships are exactly what built it and will always be something I honor. To me, those relationships mean everything.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My art is wedding and portrait photography. I love working with people and always encourage them to just be themselves, because there is so much beauty in a person living in their moment. Photographs can hold a lot of emotional weight to them and be carried through generations of history, so I always work to create images that are worth saving. No stiff poses, no fake smiles, just candid moments and real emotions.

I like to consider myself as not only a photographer but an artist, a creative director, a day-of coordinator, a personal hype woman, a good conversationalist, a great coffee date, and most of all – a friend. I pride myself on the relationships my business has gifted me throughout the last decade and can only hope there are many more to come.

The journey I’ve experienced has not been easy. Learning how to run a business while also continuously trying to practice, learn and expand myself and my art has been no easy task. It is hard, but it is manageable. After having children I quickly realized the absolute hardest part of the entire journey has been leaving my family to spend time with my clients and theirs. Traveling always looked glamorous and exciting for me, until it broke my heart to have to leave my babies for hours and days and weeks on end. It doesn’t really get easier, but knowing that what I do supports my family and my sacrifices aren’t going unnoticed make it worth it.

Some of the many lessons I’ve learned along the way is that kindness really does matter and treating my clients with love makes all the difference. Many of my clients have become lifelong friends because of this approach, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

My goal is to capture fleeting moments and turn them into lifelong memories. I want the world to know that the most important things in my business and brand are the people who let me tell their stories.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I am based out of Colorado Springs and when I’m not traveling for work, I enjoy staying home with my family or sticking to local spots for dates. I love visiting the Garden of the Gods year-round for beautiful scenery and easy walking trails. Our favorite spot to eat is a little Mexican restaurant called Alfonso’s, and I love visiting Old Colorado City for sweet treats from the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory or a delicious coffee from Carnelian Coffee Co. There are also a lot of activities such as escape rooms, group painting, holiday parades, and so much more!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would love recognize my husband, who sacrificed many of his goals and dreams so I can achieve mine. Not only did he change the dynamic of his life to make sure I could be everything I wanted to be, he did so without batting an eye. I would also like to recognize my parents, my best friends, and the many MANY people in my community who have always believed in me and shown support. I truly believe that I would not be in this position today if it weren’t for them.

Website: www.sunrisemediaco.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/sunrisemediaco

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sunrisemediaco

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3tId5H831sBL2f9oujwqAA

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