Meet Aliya Foster

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Aliya Foster. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Aliya, so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.

Something that has really helped me overcome a lot of my imposter syndrome is getting rid of the idea that views, or lack thereof, correlate to an artist’s experience or worthiness. When I changed my mindset and began seeing other creators’ work as inspiration and motivation, that is when I started to really get rid of my imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is something a lot of artists, creators, and business owners experience and struggle with. I haven’t completely gotten rid of it and I don’t think it will ever be completely gone. There are still days where I don’t feel like I am as qualified as the other photographers out there when I see their work, but I have certainly gotten rid of a lot of self-doubt by remembering that we are all artists and creators and all have different specialties and paths.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

My name is Aliya Foster and I am the owner/photographer of Crystal Visions Photography. I am a photographer based out of Kannapolis, NC, but I am always up for traveling. I offer portrait, lifestyle, branding/headshots, maternity, and real estate sessions. My sessions are fun and free-flowing which means there might be some posing on my part, but most of the session is about capturing the beauty of my clients’ personalities and connections. My editing style adds warmth and color to the images without taking away from the natural features of my clients. When I speak with clients for the first time, I always ask about the theme or mood they want their session to have. Once we have discussed these wishes, I create a collaborative Pinterest Board and share it with the clients so we can add inspiration, poses, or outfit/makeup ideas to it. This helps both parties to communicate with imagery and visuals, along with our verbal discussions, so that everyone is on the same page.

What I find super exciting about sessions is that they are like snowflakes – no two sessions are the same! Every session is completely unique to the clients, even if some of the poses look the same. Something else that I am super excited about is that I will be launching themed mini sessions soon and boudoir sessions sometime before the beginning of next year. Each mini session will have a specific theme, and with Halloween coming up, one of them will absolutely be spooky themed (that one might have two sets instead of one, too). I am still working out what I want my boudoir sessions to look like and include, but when I figure out the logistics, everything will be posted on my socials and website.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Three areas of knowledge that have been most impactful on my journey was certainly learning Adobe Lightroom, taking graphic design courses during high school and college, and starting out with nature photography. When I started photography, I would take photos of animals, flowers, trees, etc. in my backyard. Starting out by doing that gave me a lot of experience with natural lighting and also unlocked my love for editing colors and enhancing natural features within the captured images. The graphic design courses I took in high school really helped me understand how to ask for and work with the needs of a client on a visual level. Communication is key when working with a client, which was something we really focused on in my graphic design classes. Graphic design courses I took in high school also focused on website design and how to market/advertise services, which has really helped since I manage and edit my own website. When I was in college, I had a class with a professor that taught us how to use Adobe Lightroom and that gave me experience in an editing program that I had not used previously. I had gained a little bit of knowledge on how to use Photoshop when I was in high school, but using Lightroom made the editing process so much easier for me and gives me a lot more flexibility than Photoshop.

My biggest piece of advice would be to take the graphic design, advertising, or marketing class. You might not want to do photography full-time, build websites for people, or make logos, but it is so helpful in the long run. Having a tiny bit of knowledge early on can change your life when you get further into any passion, especially if you decide to make your own website or social media platform. Another piece of advice I would give would be to take courses as often as possible, even if you are further along and they are courses made for beginners. I recently attended a photography course for beginners, with Focus Workshops in Kannapolis, and learned so much, even though I have 8 years of experience with photography. The day we close our minds and think we have learned everything is the day we stop improving and become stagnant.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

I am always looking for fun, goofy, cool, interesting people to partner or collaborate with. Some shoots I haven’t done yet that I would love to do include: a fantasy-like library/book photoshoot, a grunge biker shoot, a group of friends in white ghost sheets, any type of cosplay, shoots based on tarot card imagery, waterfall/creek shoot, and a car wash photoshoot. I am goofy, fun, light-hearted and awkward, and would love to work with anyone similar who has an open-mind and willing to experiment! For collabs and partnering, you can reach out through my website, Facebook, Instagram, or via email ([email protected]).

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Crystal Visions Photography – additional photos
Michael Board Photography – personal photo

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