Living Houston’s Favorite Local Houston Photographer
Living Houston’s favorite Houston photographer is Candelaria Poisl. Candelaria, Candi for short, is a local photographer in Houston that we love and is a master at her craft. Candi knows her way around a camera and her way around this beloved city of ours. She specializes in creating beautiful portraits, headshots, beauty shots and capturing families in their true essence. Here are a few of the reasons why we love Candi so much and how she came to be a successful Houston photographer.
A Little Bit About Houston Photographer Candi Poisl
Candi is a new mom to a son, Leo; at four months old, he’s the center of her world. One of the other loves in Candi’s life is photography. At 18, Candi started modeling and eventually found herself moving behind the camera. Seeing the world through a lens led her to discover a true passion for photography. As a self-proclaimed social butterfly and extrovert, Candi enjoys getting to know people and making genuine connections. Both personally and professionally, she strongly believes in building others up and helping people feel confident and empowered. In her interview with Living Houston, you’ll find out why she’s one of the best, and discover you’ll want her to be your photographer too.
How She Got Started As A Houston Photographer
Candi was always the go-to person among her family and friends to snap the perfect phone pics. She had an innate understanding of posing and angles that made people repeatedly ask her to be their designated picture taker. But it wasn’t until her husband gifted her her first camera for Christmas in 2017 that she began taking professional photos and slowly started to build her business. While working full time in corporate America, Candi started a side hustle doing what she loves. Her ultimate goal is to be able to do her photography full time and leave her office job behind.
Her Photography Style
As every good artist knows, your style is forever changing and evolving. Candi dedicates time to her craft learning new editing techniques, watching tutorials, and being mentored by other successful Houston photographers. She says, “I have noticed the more I learn, the more I evolve. I absolutely love photographs taken in natural light. My style is a mix of sexy, fun, candid, creative shots, and I take pride in knowing that my style is unique and will always evolve and thus be hard to replicate.”
It’s All In The Details
Candi believes the best photographs are those that happen organically and have a natural, unposed quality. “The pictures where I can capture natural laughter, the natural essence of people, are my favorites. I believe the most important thing is to ensure your clients feel comfortable around you. Starting in modeling and now being a photographer, I’ve been both in front of and behind the camera; it’s easy for me. However, understanding that this isn’t the case for everyone is KEY. If it means bringing a boom box, making them laugh, or just texting and exchanging DM’s with a client to ensure that you are providing a judgment-free zone is great. Allowing people to be themselves is so valuable.”
These Are A Few Of Her Favorite Things
Candi has a deep love of photography, and that love spills over when you hear her gush about the aspects of the profession that excite her.
“My absolute favorite thing is the meaning behind a photograph. My calling in life is to help capture those moments. The moments that will be conveyed forever in a photograph, it’s kind of mind-blowing. I meet so many wonderful people. With so much craziness going on in the world right now, it’s always a nice reminder that everyone you meet has their own story. I love that they’re documenting that story via photographs, and they’ve chosen me to help them.”
The Perfect Subjects
Candi loves shooting a variety of subjects. Children are one of her favorites because they create the best candid photos due to their ability to live fully in the moment. They do what they want, and most of the time, this creates magic. She loves taking family photos because she knows they will cherish them and how precious the memories will be to her clients. “I feel extra valued when they choose me to shoot them,” she says.
She also enjoys working with models because they know exactly how to pose and are aware of their best angles. “Working with models is awesome because I can be super creative with my concepts, and they’re typically down to try anything unique. I love it when they share with me how comfortable I make them feel. I know how it is to be in shady situations as a model, and I like to be able to provide that safe space.”
Houston’s Good Side
Candi has her favorite Houston locations to get the best shots. “Garage rooftops! I have a few favorites; there is one off of Sabine Street that I absolutely love and the Saks Garage rooftop, and it’s only $5 entry all day.” She also enjoys shooting in boutique coffee shops; Boomtown Coffee downtown is one of her top picks. And parks always make for incredible photos as well, her choices: Memorial Park, Oyster Creek Trail Park, or any park with big trees and plenty of flowers.
Her Most Memorable Shoot
Candi’s most memorable shoot to date was one of her best friends’ weddings. “It was memorable because it was my FIRST wedding to shoot; therefore, I was super nervous/excited and also terrified. At the end of the day, I was so obsessed with the pictures that I considered doing more weddings, but would prefer to be a second shooter rather than the main shooter — because again, the pressure is REAL!”
What She Can’t Live Without
When asked about her favorite piece of camera equipment, she readily gave us her answer, “My 50mm lens! It’s a fantastic starter lens due to its affordable price, but also it’s super compact and lightweight, and you get AMAZING photos. My other favorite lens is my CANON LENS EF 85mm f/1.2 L II USM, it’s ridiculous for portraiture, and the bokeh is fantastic. The widest aperture settings enable fine control over depth of field, making it easy to blur out potentially distracting backgrounds and foregrounds, but it comes with a hefty price tag.”
So You Want To Be A Photographer
Candi has some words of wisdom for up and coming Houston photographers, “Prepare, prepare, prepare! I always make sure I have extra batteries charged, additional SD cards, practice names of clients before shoots, and save poses, etc., in case you get stuck on ideas during the shoot.”
She also wants you to know what you’re getting into and encourage you not to give up on your dream, “When you start out you won’t be amazing. If you set yourself up thinking you’ll be awesome immediately, you’ll be setting yourself up for failure. It takes a lot of practice, research, tutorials, deep dives of editing software, frustrating nights, and it’s also a huge investment. However, if you love it and have a passion for it, you will look back at your journey and appreciate it all, and know it was all worth it. Also, the learning never stops, you will forever continue to learn and grow, and for me, that is so exciting!”
Listen Up
Candi’s new favorite role is that of a new mom, and she has some excellent advice for all the working mamas out there, “I think the mistake we make as new mothers is thinking that our lives are over. When in reality, your life is just altered, in my opinion, for the better. You have to get really good at time management and making sure you MAKE the time for yourself and your business. I’m lucky to have my husband and family to support me during my photoshoots etc. But they know that I prioritize my work because eventually, this will allow me more time with my family. So although I may be sleep-deprived and working all the time, I know it will be worth it in the end. I’m worth it, and so is my family. Find your passion and stick to it, commit to the time needed to make that passion flourish, and you’ll be just fine!”
Final Words
When asked what she wants her clients to walk away with from working with her, Candi answered, “I want to create a fun, enjoyable, and memorable experience my clients will never forget. I want them to remember how I made them feel while capturing their stories in the form of pictures. I aspire to create images that uniquely convey who they are. The ultimate compliment is for them to love looking back at those photos and to be able to relive those moments in time over and over again.”
Where To Find Her
When she’s not shooting incredible photos for Living Houston, you can find Candi on her social media pages. “My photography website is currently under construction! However, I just started a new photography Instagram and have a Facebook photography page! I respond to all my DM’s and instant messages. You’ll always be able to get a hold of me!”
Follow along with Candi at the links below and book your session with her today.
Links below:
Instagram: @CandiPoisl
Facebook Page: Candy Poisl Photography
Session: https://sessionl.ink/candi_bunny
