when I first started this blog series on people I find inspiring or admirable,these two women and their amazing abilities behind a camera were of the first that came to my mind professionally.their incredible use of backlit-dreamy-sun filled-romance infused images were some of the first (and still are!)that I would pour over and dream of getting to do "some-day".getting to watch them professionally grow and become main-stream has been nothing short of inspiring!(seriously, if you're a bride - you know you've totally dreamed of these women taking your photograph's... I'm married and want to get married again, just so I could use them!) ;)they are featured regularly in the blog + magazines I pour over...magazines like:unveiled, wellWED, southern weddings, destination weddings, the knot, Martha Stewart weddings, ruche,green wedding shoes, every last detail, style me pretty, ruffled...I seriously could go on for a looooong time.and they travel to photograph weddings throughout the US and also in unreal places like:italy (where vania's heritage is), germany (where christine's heritage is), paris, london and japan!their newest endeavor "Bloom Theory" camera straps is a crazy success...(I SO want the gold-with-envy! gorgeous!)largely in part to their business savvy-ness,but also because they are real, fashionable women who just get what other women photographer'swant to wear around their necks!but I think that in this past year, the thing that has endeared them to me even more than they already were,is the way they balance being young mom's AND successful business owner's.I LOVE following them on pinterest andabsolutely think you can get a fairly good idea of what a person is about based on their pin-boards! ;)their pin's of nursery ideas, home renovation ideas, cooking, party planning and even working outmake them relate able and even more admirable because they aren't just photographer's,they're LIVING as mom's/wives/sister's/friend's in a very large and beautiful way.meet, vania + christine of simply bloom! :)

if you had to describe “you” in ten words, how would you describe yourself?

feminine, driven, artistic, aggressive, persistent, unique, dreamers, analytical, inspired, travelers

you both have incredible families who love and support you...what are your top-five character traits for each of these supportive family members?

Our parents are essentially very much the same: our fathers are very business, rules, and structure oriented, while our mothers are nurturers, listeners, wise beings. We like to believe we've both inherited a little bit of everything from each of them! :)

you're kind-of on the top of your game, but who/where do you look to for inspiration in photography-land?

We actually have removed ourselves from looking at other photographers a very long time ago.That being said some of the most innovative photographers in the industry have to be Jose Villa, Elizabeth Messina and Stephanie Williams.

what would you say your photographic style is?

In a tiny nutshell we are all about gorgeous lighting, feminine posing and timeless locations.

you both come off as incredible mother's spending uber-amounts of time/energy with your little ones (your instagram feed's are SO fun to follow)...how do you balance that with running a successful company? what are the challenges?

It is very, very hard - we text A LOT- most of what gets accomplished is done so digitally!We also have an amazing associate, Amanda!

what's your favorite inspirational quote/Bible verse?

"do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

what lights you up on a daily basis?

Definitely our babies' laughter and silliness!

how did the two of you meet and decide to form Simply Bloom?

We met as graphic design majors in college and Simply Bloom was born while we were planning our own weddings thinking it would be a "gig for weekends"!

where would you escape to in the world if you could? why?

V: Sorrento, Italy- is where I spent my childhood summers and return at least yearly. C: Back home in Cuxhaven, Germany where my family is.

you both travel to different parts of Europe fairly often, where are your favorite places/restaurants/memory to visit?

V: Southern Italy is where my heart is, favorite restaurant in Sorrento would have to be "La taverna"

where do you find your guilty pleasures? food, tv, etc...

We definitely enjoy some reality TV but we also hold regular girls' nights!

you come off as a very confident-happy-to-get-to-be-doing-what-you-do women...what secrets do you have to share with those trying to be successful in their field?

The trick is to just be one's self and specialize in whatever it is that one does best... there is a lot we cannot do and do not attempt to do!  We focus on our strengths ;)

favorite colors? why?

V: Cobalt Blue (reminds me of the italian sea) C: Aqua (transports me to seashores)

where are you at in the birth order?

C: middle child! V: the baby!

are you OCD about anything or pretty chill?

V: We are both pretty similar but I would say Christine is more chill than I am. She knows how to let things go, while I have been known to read between the lines a bit too much having said that when we travel Christine brings her own pillow and hair dryer and I need my bed sheets super tucked in on all sides of the bed! ;)

favorite three blog’s you like to read?

Does Pinterest count as a blog?!! ;)

top three magazine’s you would buy in barnes & noble?

Weddings Unveiled, Country Home, & Real Simple

if you could encourage young women (14-21) to be anything, what would it be?

To truly go for "that dream", there is nothing like knowing "you went after it"!

who have been the key-influencer's in your life? why?

Honestly, I would say we've definitely been the prime influence on each other...Aside from that, definitely our families! :)you can stalk check out more of Simply Bloom's work on:their web-site,their blog,pinterest,and you can...OR check out Bloom Theory Straps...they're PERFECT for Christmas! :)Thank you, Vania and Christine! :)