Today we’d like to introduce you to Cara Mack.
Hi Cara, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I have always had a love for photography and videography, but my personal hobby exploded when I started competing on American Ninja Warrior. Suddenly I wasn’t just taking pictures for fun, I was taking pictures and videos of myself to build my brand as a ninja warrior athlete. I hosted a podcast call The Ninjababes, where I interviewed top female athletes from the show. With The Ninjababes podcast I also sold merchandise. I developed my skills in brand photography while building my own brand and business alongside my growing platform on American Ninja Warrior (ANW). I competed on ANW for 4 seasons (2018- 2022), until I was pregnant with my first daughter. At that time I ended The Ninjababes podcast and business, but I pivoted to ninja photography. I was still working out doing ninja for fun as much as I could while pregnant, but mostly focused on taking photos and video of my fellow athletes while they trained. In 2023 my photo work organically began to grow into a business. Other athletes at local ninja gyms were asking me to take photos of them during local ninja competitions, and as a result Cara Mack Photography was officially in business!
Since then my work has have continued to grow. I not only shoot ninja photography for many of the regional and championship competitions in our ninja leagues, but I also shoot local brands. Recently I had a photoshoot with Pour City Roasters in Franklin Lakes, NJ. I shot their full menu covering drinks, pastries and merch for their new app and website. I continue to work with them to cover all of their branding and marketing photography needs.
I recently had my second daughter, so I am not back to competing on American Ninja Warrior (yet). I continue to focus on branding, sports, and portrait photography and I love it! I aim to bring the same passion and energy that made me a Las Vegas finalist on American Ninja Warrior to every brand I work with.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
In 2019, during my time competing on American Ninja Warrior, I dislocated my shoulder and had to stop competing. This was a huge obstacle for me. I needed surgery and spent months in rehab, but I was able to come back to ANW in 2021 stronger than before! I had my best season ever AFTER surgery and made it all the way to the Las Vegas National Finals and came in 5th place for women. That comeback changed my life. When I got injured, I had to let go of everything I had worked towards in order to allow the healing process to take place. I needed to humble myself and rebuild; I did, and it paid off!
The patience, consistency, and hard-work that I learned during my shoulder rehab has translated to me as a business owner. I humbly put in my best effort everyday. I am consistent in marketing, meeting new people, and give every client I work with 1000% of my effort.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a sports, branding, and portrait photographer. My background on American Ninja Warrior has given me a keen eye for sports photography – I can get in the athlete’s head. I speak their language. Ninja photography is unique in that not many people specialize in it. As a ninja athlete myself, I know how to anticipate the athlete’s movement on the obstacles and get the best shot.
When it comes to brand photography, I love working with businesses, as well as fitness creators and coaches. I shot all of the photography for The Grit Ninja in NJ, NY, and CT for the websites and gym locations. They use my images for digital marketing, their website, large-scale photo installations inside the gyms and more. I love transforming a brand through the power of visual images.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
My creativity and ability to pivot has let me to success. Whether it has been on American Ninja Warrior or in my photography business, I have had to learn to see challenges not as roadblocks, but as obstacles to work through. If I can work through something, I can learn from it and allow it to build me into a better person. My ability to creatively tackle problems and work through them with humility and tenacity has been greatly important for me.
Pricing:
- Branding Sessions start at $750
- Family Sessions start at $450
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.caramackphotography.com
- Instagram: @caramackphotography
