I get asked everyday, at my photography studio, how I got started as a Glamour and Pinup Photographer and Makeup Artist. So I am going to tell you girls. It was January 2007 when I decided it was time to begin my life well basically start it all over. I was working in the construction industry for over 9 years , not pounding nails but as a project coordinator. I basically got to a point where I was burnt out and miserable at work and everyone around me could see it, literally. I just had my son and I was ready to start a new chapter. I was making 52k a year, I had great benefits, but the benefit I was missing was satisfaction and fulfillment.
My boyfriend Jerry and I were talking one day and he asked me “what is the one thing you have always wanted to do?” and I told him “makeup and photography”. He looked at me and said “do it then”. I looked at him like he was crazy. I had no experience as a photographer, except for doing it for a few months at Sears Portrait Studio when I was 18, which doesn’t count because you do not need skills to use a remote camera. As for the makeup, I had always done everyone’s makeup for weddings and sometimes on girls night out,and addition to that I always had a camera in my hand since I was 13. I have always been inspired my Fashion Magazines and Men’s magazines such as Playboy,Glamour,W and Maxim. Ladies, the light bulb went off in my head! That is when it all started.
I started researching online, practicing on friends at work and posting on craigslist to start getting some jobs. Eventually I left the company I worked for. Thank god I did, because they started to downsize with the economy being so crappy. I really wanted to specialize in Glamour and Editorial/fashion makeup but some how I fell into Bridal Makeup. I started charging $30 for the bride just for makeup. I had so many clients and great referrals after 4 months and my business was growing fast. I increased my prices at the 6 month point and currently I charge $200 for the bride only. I have applied makeup on over 1500 women in the last 4.5 years.
After about 6 months of working my butt off my, business was successful. I started to think again, ” is being a makeup artist what I really want to do?” So I talked it over with my boyfriend, once again, and he said “you need to figure it out what is going to make you happy Beth” and I said “photography will”, but I was intimidated. I was being very self defeating, thinking that there were already too many photographers out there and he said “it won’t kill you to try. You will either sink or swim”. I went out and bought a Nikon D50, a consumer grade camera, and basically taught myself to use it.
So, again I started posting ads on craigslist and myspace. I started doing the makeup for my own photo shoots and the editing, since I was already a computer nerd =) I shot out of my small 2 bedroom apartment in Oceanside,CA. About a month later, my boyfriend Jerry said, ” you need to get a hairstylist so the picture will look complete”, and he was right. We ended up moving back to Huntington Beach,CA. I continued to shoot out of my new home. I shot all through the house, it had such great natural lighting coming through it. I shot across the street at the park and at the beach. It was time to hire a Hair Stylist. I worked with numerous girls before I found Tara Alexander, on Myspace back in 2007. She was finishing up her Cosmetology License. She specialized in retro hair from the 40’s -60’s and could do modern glamour as well, she is very talented. I would hire- in other makeup artists and hair girls that did great work, but Tara knows exactly what I wanted done and we worked well together. I do have another talented friend of mine, Micheline Pitt. She is a very busy clothing designer,artist and partner in Pinupgirlclothing.com. When her schedule permits she will work with us to create beautiful hair and makeup.
Towards the end of 2007 I started to shoot beauty and glamour photography, which I love more than any other style of photography. Pinup came in a little later, after shooting a few girls in Oceanside. I also worked with my boyfriends ex wife, she was a pinup model. I know it sounds strange, but that is how I really jumped into the retro era. At the time the whole old hollywood style was starting to explode in the fashion industry.People like Christina Aguilera really brought it back. That helped my business grow even more. Thats when I came up with a name for my business, Pussycat Pinups and went crazy posting ads and updates on Myspace. I was shooting out of my home for 2 years. I had so many girls coming in to my home, it was a full time business. The referrals were steadily flowing in.
I had done wedding makeup and photos for a client of mine, her name is Kristeen Labrot. She was on a bridal site and, with her help, she posted about me nonstop for about 2 years.With that site it added an additional 300+ girls to my client list that I photographed. It was flattering and overwhelming, but I loved it!
In 2009, my boyfriend and I decided to down size to a smaller place. Thats when I got my 1000 sqft photography studio in Huntington Beach. I have been there for 2 years now and my business has been increasing every year.I can now say I have had the pleasure of photographing over 1200 women,WOW! About 30% of my girls return back for more photos, just because they loved their experience,needed updates pictures or because they became pregnant. I have had girls travel from a few different countries and about 15 different states to come shoot with me, I am still shocked by that. That’s not to mention the hundreds of girls I have had to turn down over the years because I have been too busy. My business has been built on referrals, google searches and social media. Now I am thinking of publishing a book and I have some other ventures I am looking into. My business has created a nice life for my family and I love that I can provide for them with no worries. So ladies my advice is, ” no matter what it is that you really want to do, do not hesitate, just do it and be passionate about it, it is a lot of work but worth it. YOU WILL SUCCEED!!!”
Thank you Jerry for supporting me!
Pussycatpinups's Weblog 
Amazing and inspiring story Beth… You were blessed with the right support and the right talent. I’m glad you’re happy, it shows in your work.
This is such an inspiration. I can visualize each step and so glad you are successful at making women feel and look gorgeous. Every woman deserves to shine and spoil themselves!