Today we’d like to introduce you to Christina Stanley.
Christina, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was always interested in portrait photography. From a young age I was drawn to the works of Diane Arbus, Mick Rock, Danny Clinch and Bob Gruen. They are photographers that have very different styles but all of them excellent at capturing the human essence in its purest form. I loved that when a portraits done right, it not only captures someone’s likeness but their truest most authentic self. I love meeting new people and having the privilege to take their portrait. I went to the School of Visual Arts in NYC and graduated with a BFA in photography. If I’m being honest, I never wanted to be a freelance photographer. The hand-to-mouth lifestyle of a freelancer never appealed to me. I always thought I’d be a photo editor. Once I graduated, i realized the job market had other plans for me so I ended up doing more office related management work for a few years and nothing even remotely artistic. Photography remained a hobby but I wasn’t doing it as a career at that point. When my kids were small and I went through a divorce, I remember needing extra money to replace my refrigerator. I decided to post on a local Facebook moms group to shoot some fall family portraits for extra money. Before I knew it I was taking workshops to learn newborn photography and opening my own studio in NJ. The business blossomed snd 12 years later, I can’t believe what I’ve built.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Oh boy, yes! I had to learn the business side of photography on my own, it’s not something they taught me in school. I don’t think I would’ve had it any other way because I love the process of building something from the ground up. Building this photography business having never come from a family who owned businesses was a very big learning. Curve for me but also very cool. I’m a one woman show, I don’t even work with an assistant, so everything falls on me, which can be overwhelming at times, but it’s also a really powerful feeling in the end to know that you’ve not only built something all on your own, but you’ve managed to sustain it. There’s nothing like that feeling of pride.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I think it’s really hard for many artists to talk about their work. I think it comes from the fact that many of us create because we use the visual to explain what we’re feeling inside. I just hope that people look at my work and know that I’m not only producing a likeness of somebody but really seeing them and bringing that forward to anybody who views the image. I always want to represent people with authenticity and soul. Getting to the core of who a person is in representing that visually is the entire reason that I became a portrait photographer in the first place. It’s a great honor to photograph somebody’s portrait because it is a vulnerable space and I always feel grateful for being trusted with that work
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
I honestly don’t know. With Ai there have been a lot of shifts in the industry and many studios are closing. I do believe deep down that there is a place where advancement and the core of this art form can peach coexist, it’s just going to take time. Photography is a technical field, and many of the digital enhancements have really improved our craft. I think that it all comes down to people seeing the value in a photographer as not just a technician who presses a button, but as someone who brings with them their vision. Those are the clients you want, not someone who you need to explain your value to. I also think that there will always be people that are in love with the art form in its original state, you can see it now with younger kids, buying film cameras, and really wanting to work with the art form and it’s raw form. That’s exciting. I’m excited to see what the future holds.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Www.christinaangeliphotography.com
- Instagram: @Christinaangeliphotography
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1F4kohCEQN/?mibextid=wwXIfr
