FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER

Our featured photographer is new to Etsy and a recent member of POE - Photographers of Etsy. I would like you to meet
CharismaPhoto

Here is our interview with Christina:

Briefly describe what you make?

I am a photographer. I take the majority of my shots with my Canon 40D and then I also own a toy Holga camera that I like to take around with me. While my 'day job' is spent being a graphic designer, which I love, I have always had a special place in my heart for photography, it moves me. My friends and family will tell you that they always see my face behind the lens. In the past year I have pursued this passion and fell deeply in love with it! I have been shooting more and more in HDR format which gives me really good detail in the shadows and highlights of my shots.

What mediums do you enjoy working in most?

Definitely Digital Photography. I am constantly with my camera or my computer. I love being out in the world with my camera and taking as many shots as I can then being able to go home to the computer, download them and just play around with them until they reflect me as an artist... that is when I feel very accomplished.

How long have you been creating craft?

Oh wow, well my mother would tell you since I could hold a crayon! Growing up as a kid I loved to draw and I had one of those cheep plastic 110 film cameras that my parents bought for me. Then growing up I took every art class my high school offered and went straight into art in college. That is when I refined the graphic design side of me. I took photography classes and then once I got my graphic design degree I got a job where I get to do both. I feel very lucky that I am able to work all day long at what I love, get paid, and then come home and work on it more just because I can!

How did you get started?

I think I have my mother to thank for that. Growing up she was known for ALWAYS having a camera in front of our faces to document the first day of school, Christmas morning opening stockings, every birthday... you get the idea. So it just became natural to always want a camera around and then from there I started to become the one behind the lens taking shots of every event that I went to or every vacation that I was on... it just happened naturally I guess!

Where does the name of your shop come from?

My name is Christina Marie and I thought that I would try to mix the two names together and found Charisma not only kind of reflected both of my names but it felt right, it felt like me so I went with it!

What would you most want people to know about your work?

I would want people to know that my work comes from every part of me. I try to expose the soul in something that most people would just pass by an never take notice. Kinda like giving a voice to the voice-less. My hope would be that when people walk away from looking at my photography they look at the subject differently, they don’t see a dirty rusty car they see a piece of work that has history and character.

What words of advice do you have for other artists?

Above all – create for yourself. Stand behind your work even if others look down at you. Do what makes you happy, that is all that matters in life. Be able to look back at your life in 50 years and have no regrets because you tried all you wanted to try!

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Come and see Christina's shop. She has photographs that elicit some interesting moods. These are must sees!