The Evolution Of SchlickArt: Celebrating 13 Years In Business

Join us in celebrating our 13th year in business as we share the evolution of SchlickArt—from a photography home studio to a full-service visual marketing company. 

Over the past 13 years, SchlickArt has evolved from a boutique photography business into a full-service visual marketing company, guiding businesses, professionals and personal brands toward impactful visual storytelling. 

But SchlickArt’s journey to becoming Santa Clarita’s trusted visual marketing company wasn’t just about expanding services—it was about listening to the needs of the community and evolving to meet them. 

The Beginning Of A Dream

On March 12, 2012, Brian and Lindsay Schlick started SchlickArt with a camera, a vision and an unwavering belief in the power of visual storytelling. But they weren’t just setting out to take beautiful pictures or produce compelling videos; they wanted to help people see themselves in a new light—confident, empowered and truly seen. That belief has guided them through every moment of SchlickArt’s journey, shaping not just a business but a community.

Long before SchlickArt became a cornerstone of Santa Clarita’s business community, it was a dream nurtured by passion and dedication. Their journey started small—a home studio in a one-bedroom apartment, a few eager clients, and a commitment to delivering something special. Lindsay focused on photography, capturing headshots that helped professionals step into their confidence. She also explored glamour and boudoir photography, a genre that allowed women to see themselves in a new and empowering way. Brian, on the other hand, continued mastering his video storytelling skills through his work at Princess Cruises, imagining what he could eventually bring to their family business when the time was right. 

The early days weren’t without their challenges. Lindsay and Brian spent countless hours perfecting their craft, learning the intricacies of running a business, and figuring out how to stand out in an ever-growing industry. But one thing never wavered: their belief that SchlickArt could make a difference.

Creating Meaningful Experiences

From day one, Brian and Lindsay knew they didn’t just want to provide a service—they wanted to create an experience. Every client who walked through their doors wasn’t just another appointment on the books; they were part of the SchlickArt family.

Taking the time to understand each person’s story, Lindsay and Brian helped clients learn to feel at ease in front of the camera, creating a space where they could truly shine. For professionals, that meant crafting headshots that exuded confidence and authenticity. For families, it meant capturing the love and connection that defined them. And for women, it meant capturing glamour and boudoir portraits that helped women see all the different angles of their beauty—inside and out. 

But perhaps the most impactful turning point came when Brian and Lindsay began immersing themselves in the Santa Clarita community. They attended networking events, met local business owners, and built genuine relationships with people who shared their values of connection and service. 

Lindsay and Brian were quickly realizing that their work wasn’t just about taking photos or producing videos; it was about giving local professionals the tools they needed to tell their stories and grow their brands. By engaging with the community, they deepened their understanding of what local businesses needed, which in turn helped shape the direction of SchlickArt’s services and mission. 

Expanding The Vision

As SchlickArt gained momentum, something became clear: Clients didn’t just need headshots. They needed content that told their story. At this point, SchlickArt began expanding its product lines and services to meet the demands of the local business community. 

Business & Lifestyle Photography 

What started as a focus on headshots and personal branding soon grew into a broader vision: to tell the full story of our clients’ journeys through business and lifestyle photography. For business owners and professionals, SchlickArt understood that a strong visual brand was more than just a single image—it’s an entire collection of photos that showcase personality, expertise and authenticity. That’s why SchlickArt expanded its business photography services to include lifestyle marketing and branding sessions, business location photography, on-location photography, team portraits and custom team graphics. Each new service allowed SchlickArt clients to create an intentional, cohesive image that attracts their ideal audience.

Video Production 

But It quickly became clear that businesses in Santa Clarita needed more than headshots and marketing photography—they needed high-quality video content that could help them connect with their audience in a more dynamic and engaging way. In 2015, SchlickArt expanded into video production, offering everything from professional branding videos to short-form content that helped businesses tell their stories in an authentic and compelling way. Brian took the lead in developing a video style that was both polished and personal, ensuring that every project reflected the unique personality of the brand it represented.

Social Media Content 

And as social media became a driving force in marketing, SchlickArt stepped up once again, offering strategic consulting to help businesses make the most of their visual content. They didn’t just hand over a set of images or a video file and wish their clients luck. Instead, they walked them through how to use their content effectively, offering tips on storytelling, engagement and audience connection. 

Creative Content Backed By Strategy

As SchlickArt continued to grow, another pattern emerged: Many clients didn’t just need visual content—they needed a plan. They needed to know how to use their content to attract and engage their audience.

In reality, Lindsay and Brian had been offering informal marketing guidance for years. With each client interaction, they naturally found themselves discussing how to use the content optimally. Whether it was offering tips on what to post on social media, helping clients refine their messaging, or suggesting the best way to structure a video series, SchlickArt’s role had always gone beyond just creating visuals. 

At the same time, Lindsay and Brian were also refining their own marketing strategies. Through years of trial and error, they experimented with different content approaches, tested strategies, and fine-tuned what worked best for SchlickArt. They learned firsthand how to plan and execute a marketing strategy that creates consistent, measurable success—knowledge that they knew could help clients, too.

Beyond one-on-one client work, SchlickArt also dedicated considerable time and resources to creating educational marketing content from the very beginning. The SchlickArt team created blogs, filmed educational marketing videos, spoke on panels, hosted workshops, and gave presentations, all in an effort to help the community learn how to use visual content more effectively. Over time, this effort became more structured and intentional, evolving into a core pillar of SchlickArt’s mission and values. 

A Full-Service Visual Marketing Company 

In the past 13 years, SchlickArt has grown beyond photography and video to become a strategic partner for businesses looking to elevate their marketing efforts. Today, SchlickArt offers Fractional CMO leadership, guiding businesses with high-level strategy and hands-on implementation without the need for a full-time executive. SchlickArt’s business strategy and planning sessions help companies define their goals, refine their marketing strategies, create compelling visual content, and execute actionable marketing plans that drive results. Coupled with SchlickArt’s ongoing content subscriptions, these services give clients the opportunity to create content and plan to use it optimally—all in the same place. Whether a business needs high-quality imagery, compelling storytelling, or a structured marketing roadmap, SchlickArt provides the expertise and support to make it happen.

Looking To The Future: What’s Next For SchlickArt?

As we look ahead, our mission remains the same: to help businesses and individuals create content that tells their story in a meaningful way. But the way we do that will continue to evolve.

We’re committed to staying ahead of marketing trends, helping our clients navigate the fast-changing digital landscape, and offering solutions that make content creation easier and more effective.

From high-end branding experiences to scalable content marketing strategies, we’re excited to continue growing alongside the Santa Clarita community. The past decade has been an incredible journey, and we can’t wait to see where the next one takes us.

Because at the end of the day, SchlickArt isn’t just about pictures or videos—it’s about people. And their story is only just beginning. 

A Final Thank You

SchlickArt wouldn’t be what it is today without the unwavering support of our clients, friends and community. Every photoshoot, every video session, every strategy meeting—it all means the world to us because it means we get to help others succeed.

So, from the bottom of our hearts, thank you for being part of our journey. We can’t wait to see what we create together next.

Want to take your brand to the next level? Let’s talk strategy! Contact us today.

Visual Marketing Education 

At SchlickArt, we know your marketing visuals are only effective if you actually use them. That’s why we help you create powerful photography and video – and then we teach you how to share it. With each session, we’ll give you our best tips based on your specific marketing goals. We provide the education and resources you need to brand your content, integrate it into your marketing strategy, post it with intention, and maximize engagement along the way. 

If you want even more tips and resources, we have an educational blog, newsletter and video channel to help you dive deeper, as well as professional presentations, workshops, and coaching sessions if you’re ready to take action and level-up your marketing now. 

About SchlickArt 

SchlickArt, a luxury visual marketing company based in Santa Clarita, started in March 2012 with the simple idea that empowerment creates a kind of authenticity that shines through every camera lens. Built on a philosophy–rather than a product, service or person–SchlickArt has rapidly evolved, meeting fractional CMO, business and strategy planning, professional portraiture, business photo and business video needs as diverse as the community we capture. It’s the desire to take care of you, the client, that drives us at SchlickArt. 

Kirsten Quinn

A lover of strong coffee and yellowed pages, Kirsten Quinn-Smith is a professional content writer and owner of WordSmith Content Marketing here in Santa Clarita. She believes great content can forge a loyal, authentic and beneficial relationship between you and your audience – and grow your business. With each piece of writing, Kirsten's goal is to position you in the content spotlight through audience-centered, strategy-based writing that actually sounds like you. Why? Everyone has a story, and every story deserves to be heard.

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