Creative Spotlight: Crystal Satriano Photography
When I find interesting people with a true talent, I can’t help but want to learn more. And when I reached out to Crystal Satriano of Crystal Satriano Photography, I was so happy when she agreed to meet and chat with me. This girl is not joking when she says she loves love and she is nothing less than an absolute sweetheart. So be my guest and meet Crystal…
photo by Amanda Brooke Photography, edited by Crystal Satriano
Hello. Who are you?
Hi! My name is Crystal Satriano *handshake* and I am the owner and photographer of Crystal Satriano Photography. I am a portrait and wedding photographer. My studio is located in Scranton, PA on the corner of Mulberry and N. Washington, above POSH at The Scranton Club. I cannot mention who I am without saying that I am also a wife & the mother to three beautiful babies.
Who or what got you started in the industry?
My #1 fan encouraged me to start my own business… my husband. I am so happy he gave me the push I needed and has continued to be so supportive. I went into business in January 2011. I opened my first studio that was located in Moscow, PA in December 2011. A year later, in December 2012, I moved to my current location in downtown Scranton above POSH at The Scranton Club. So far, it has been an incredible journey and it I hope to do this for many years to come.
What is your favorite part about being in the wedding world?
I am truly, madly, deeply in love with love. *swoon* From the way the bride’s dad wells up when he first sees his daughter looking like the princess he has always seen her as. To both the groom’s and bride’s parents wiping their eyes during the ceremony and holding hands with their partner remembering the commitment they made to each other. Or all the little girls who follow the bride around because she really is gorgeous and they want to be just like her one day. And my heart flutters during the one-on-one time I give the bride and groom during their portraits and they can just enjoy some time to be present with each other. Oh the speeches! They always get me. I start tearing up and laughing right along with everyone else. And there are so many fun moments as well (especially once that liquid courage starts flowing). The laughter and smiles all around shared between friends and family.
I don’t just get to photograph a wedding, I get to experience a wedding. I get to experience love, laughter and beauty for a whole day. Then, when I sit down to edit, I find myself laughing, crying and feeling the love all over again. It is the most remarkable experience and I truly feel blessed to be able to be part of it. I have such a big heart and I wear it proudly on my sleeve. I am just glad I found a career that fits me and my big heart.
Besides weddings, are there any other special events that you service?
If it’s a special life event, odds are I’d like to be able to photograph it. I have not yet captured a live engagement, but would love to! *wink, wink. nudge, nudge* I photograph maternity, newborns, babies & children, families, high school seniors and couples in addition to weddings. I have been told from very early on that you should specialize and choose one or two “things” to photograph. I am 100% okay with saying I specialize in cherished moments. They are what speak to me.
Ok, we all know I’m a big fan of yellow. What’s your favorite color?
Yellow is a fabulous color, Danielle. Whenever I am asked this question I always say purple. But I love many colors. I love corals, peach, pinks, turquoise, and I have a slight addiction to grey lately (it is my new brown). I think a more fitting question for me would be “What is your least favorite color?”. My least favorite is green. Not all greens. Just that spring green. I like mint green. ;) Wow, this has been the hardest question for me yet, lol.
What sets you apart from other fellow photographers?
Photography is subject to interpretation. So I think my clients and viewers will make their own opinions on how I “stand out” to them. I can only tell you what my goals are for my work and my business.
What I try to achieve through my photography is to make people feel present. I want them to look at a photograph and feel like they were there or remember being there. I want them to hear the laugh, tear up from the emotion and remember how good the food was. If they weren’t there, they could just imagine how delicious that cake was, how gorgeous the flowers were and smile when they see the moments of the day. I try to achieve this not only through the images themselves but through my clean processing style. I do not provide vintage editing, sepia, hazes, selective coloring, etc. If you are in need of this style, I am not your girl. I process in color and black and white, because those are what speak to me. :)
Where my business is concerned, I am my business. You get Crystal Satriano, the girl who loves love and appreciates her clients. By the time I book my couples, I already know that we are a perfect fit. I very much appreciate that they have chosen me to capture their memories for them. I value my clients, plain and simple. My business is not successful without them.
Oh and let’s not forget about the fun stuff!!! I offer a variety of products for my clients to choose from and I am happy to help them make their choices in a no-pressure environment. Truly, I’m not ashamed to admit I am not a sales person! When you work with me, you get what you choose. I’m not knocking those great at sales, it’s just not my style. ;) So, please, ask me about my products and if you need help deciding on a wall display, I LOVE assisting you in making choices suited to you.
Whether you’re single, married, divorced, widowed… we all have words of advice when it comes to relationships. What is your advice to couples tying the knot?
My advice is always the same. Stop, breathe, nurture. Planning a wedding can get so stressful (unless you hire a wedding planner *wink*) that we can easily get caught up in it all. Remember, without the love that you have for each other there would be no wedding. Take time to just be with each other and nurture your relationship. Don’t talk wedding at all! Keep your love alive and solid. Take time to enjoy the process. You are about to get married (read like Oprah would sing “marrriiiieeeeeed”)!!!!! How exciting is that? Your wedding day will go by so fast. Just stop… breathe… enjoy the anticipation and the excitement of it all. Learn to compromise and most importantly your wedding should reflect you both.
Aside from weddings, what are some other hobbies/hidden talents/secret powers?
At the risk of sounding super boring and uninteresting I spend 90% of my waking hours working and taking care of my family. I live in the country so add lots of traveling in and I just don’t have a lot of free time to enjoy hobbies. There are things I can do and they will be there when I have time. I crochet, make yummy sugar cookies, love to bake (any excuse I get), and scrapbooking. I really wish I had a cool hidden talent like being able to touch my nose with my tongue or write my name on a paper behind my back (like Goofy did at Disney). Then, and only then, I would be cool. ;)
Speaking of super powers, if you could choose to have any, what would you pick?
YAY! I love this question! I would love to stop time. I decided this would be my super power of choice in February 2011. I was driving in Philly and saw the most amazing view. Now, I relate to people more than lanscapes, skies, etc, but it was absolutely breathtaking. It was a stormy day and I was in the middle of traffic. I wished so badly that I could freeze time so that I could stop and take a photograph without being run over. I often wish that time could just stand still. Even if we continue to move. Just freeze time. Ever have such a fun BBQ with friends that you didn’t want the night to end? I know brides feel this way about their wedding. So, I guess in a way I do have my super power. I can freeze time through photographs. But it would be even cooler to be able to do it even when I don’t have my camera.
Finally, how do we connect with you?
My Website: http://crystalsatrianophotography.com/
Blog: http://crystalsatrianophotography.com/blog/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/crystalsatrianophotography
Email: crystal@crystalsatrianophotography.com
Phone: 570.991.3001
