Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle Yoon.
Hi Michelle, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
Hello! My name is Michelle Yoon. I am the founder of Yoonique Faces Photography and Yoonique Lashes. I am a Korean-American Photographer and Eyelash Extension Artist. Ever since I was little, I loved taking my parent’s camcorder and recording little videos of my life and toys. I got my first camera when I was 9 years old, and I still have the same camera today 11 years later. I would bring my camera everywhere to the mall while I hang out with my friends, parties, etc. Growing up, I always thought I would make YouTube videos; I didn’t take many photos. It wasn’t until I was in middle school I started taking more photos of my life around me. In my junior year of high school, I started taking photos of events like baby showers, holiday photos, gender reveals, and family photos of those close to me. My ex-boyfriend’s mother told me I should someday build my own business. I decided to enjoy capturing the special moments of people’s lives in an artistic view. I love the clients’ reactions to the results, bringing people closer together. So I started my company, Yoonique Faces Photography, in 2020 at 16. I made my website, logo, portfolio, contracts, invoices, and business cards and got to work. I decided I love capturing people. Whether for an event or a personal occasion, I wanted to be flexible and try everything. I also love to incorporate fashion and cars into my work. Three years later, I still love doing what I do. I still get the same fulfillment throughout the whole process. I discussed ideas with the client, booked the date, looked for props, did the actual photoshoot, edited the photos, and delivered them to the client.
Let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what challenges have you had to overcome?
When I began my business, I worked full-time as a cashier at Twinkle World, my father’s small business of 14 years. I was miserable, to be honest. I knew I didn’t want to work in retail forever and always wanted to be my boss. Since I was working full-time, Finding time to edit photos in time for my clients was difficult. I would edit as much as possible in the car on the way to work as my dad drove, on my lunch break, and when I got back into the car on the way home from work. I would stay up so late to be able to put in as much work as I could. Since I am a self-taught photographer, I have to learn to edit photos along the way. It would take me weeks to deliver a shoot to a client. A couple of months along the way, I got discouraged and decided to take a break from taking photos and clients. I continued to work full-time at an unfulfilling job for the following year. In November 2022, my dad decided to close his business for good. I thought about what I wanted to do next in life. I decided to take a volume lash class with my lash technician to see if eyelash extensions were something I was interested in doing. Once we closed our family business, I enrolled straight into lash school at Boss Lady Beauty Academy in San Antonio, TX, and obtained my Eyelash Specialty License. As I attended lash school and no longer had a job, I had much more time. I decided to start retaking photos and realized I could juggle photography and lash school. I have been in school since December 2022 and am set to graduate and obtain my lash license by Summer 2023.
I started my lash brand, Yoonique Lashes, and took practice clients immediately. I fell in love with the process. Sitting for hours a day lashing gives me peace; I am meditative. When I first started practicing on live people, I would take 14 hours to complete one full set of lashes. Since then, I have improved and cut my time to about 3.5 hours. I’m forever grateful for my friends who were patient enough to let me practice on them all day. I am still trying to cut my lashing time down, but I am very proud of my improvements since I started.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a freelance portrait photographer under my brand Yoonique Faces Photography, and an eyelash extension artist under my brand Yoonique Lashes. I specialize in portrait photography and have experience with family photos, special events, graduation photos, children’s milestones, holidays, birthday shoots, maternity, baby showers, and gender reveals. I would love to start working more with cars and fashion/street photos with unique or “unusual” poses. I am most proud of my graduation and personal portrait shoots. I have so much fun personalizing the photos to the client’s interests. I believe what sets me apart from other photographers is my interest in trying new things. I like to see what works for me and what doesn’t through trial end error. I help my clients leave their comfort zone and bring their visions to life. Within my lash career, I specialize in volume lash extensions. I love to work with color, wispy mapping, and voluminous lashes. I also offer Classic and hybrid lashes for my clients on the more natural side. I am most proud of my perfectionism and the care I put into keeping my clients’ natural lashes healthy and beautiful. I started getting my lashes done in the 8th grade, but I consistently started getting them about 2 years ago. I still love the feeling I get when opening my eyes once my lash technician completes my set. It fulfills me to deliver the same feeling to my clients. I believe what sets me apart from other artists in the lash industry is my aesthetic. I love dark colors while keeping things still elegant and modern.
Networking and finding a mentor can positively impact one’s life and career. Any advice?
My advice for those who want to become a photographer, lash technician, or someone who wants to be their boss is not to limit yourself. Go through the proper education, and don’t be afraid to take up space and get your name out there. Be patient; a Business isn’t built overnight and will take lots of trial and error. Don’t expect being your boss to be easy. You must stay disciplined and organized, or you won’t get anything done. It’s normal to get discouraged, don’t give up so quickly. If anyone has to believe you can make it happen, it has to be you. We are our biggest critics and also have to be our biggest supporters. There is so much free knowledge online; take advantage of it. Ask for help and do your research. Something that works efficiently and effectively for someone else might not work for you. Try to stand out and do whatever makes you happy. Attend networking events, even if you’re shy. It’s going to help so much.
Contact Info:
- Website: yooniquefaces.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/yooniquefaces
- Facebook: Instagram.com/yooniquelashes
- Twitter: YooniqueLashes.as.me
- Other: YooniqueLash@gmail.com
