Today we’d like to introduce you to Chrissie Kohne.
Hi Chrissie, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
When I was 13, my dad handed me the first digital camera I’d ever touched and put me in charge of capturing our vacation. I chose to capture movement: waterfalls, wild animals, & joy. I never suspected that ten years later, I would be standing behind a lens ten years later, capturing a photo that would change my life.
I was standing outside M.L. Rose in West Nashville with a friend, when I had an idea. I told her to pose. She was a model. I was a novice.
I snapped a shot and then another. When I showed her the photos, she told me that she’d worked with numerous photographers, and I had talent. That was how Chrissie’s Photo Journal began.
At first, I was merely capturing beautiful people, places, & things. Yet, as time went on, I found a passion for capturing vibrancy and night life. The more photos I took, the better I became, and eventually I received the greatest piece of advice I’d ever been given: shoot from a perspective that’s not my own.
And so… I did. I shot from the perspective of the lights, the people, and most importantly, the music. That is how I found energy could be captured when you’re willing to let it capture you.
I now work mostly as a night life photographer, but I will forever be grateful for the waterfalls, the animals, and the joy that helped me find movement is medicine whether you’re behind the camera or in front of it.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Being a photographer is not an easy path. Being an artist in general is not an easy road to travel. You have to take many gigs for free up front, prove yourself, and take photos of things you might not necessarily enjoy. However, every free gig and every photo of a house taught me something: you can build magic in any room you enter if you just look through the right lens.
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 professional photographer who captures other artists. I believe in capturing the candid moments and the amplified moments. I don’t want people to pose so much as I want them to live in their own energy. I want them to feel seen, be seen, and to look at the images after and say, “That is exactly how that moment felt. This moment feels like my own.”
I think what sets me apart from other photographers is that I capture the moment as it is, the energy as it is, and allow people to feel like they are still in the moment every time they look at my images.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
If I were to give any advice to those starting out, I’d tell a new photographer to not be afraid to take a bad photo. I’ve taken thousands of them. I’d tell them not to be afraid to experiment. I’ve done it time after time as I attempted to hone my craft. Most importantly, I’d tell them to shoot what they love and allow themselves to be present in every moment.
Pricing:
- $100/hour
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @chrissiesphotojournal
