Life & Work with Christie Abascal

Today we’d like to introduce you to Christie Abascal.

Christie, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I started photography like many do: by taking photos of my children. My husband gifted me my first DSLR and it wasn’t long before I was taking photos of everything and anything to practice. Kids, dogs, plants—you name it, I was probably taking photos of it. Soon after, I started asking friends and family if I could photograph them for fun too—I took every opportunity I could to learn.

Once the pandemic hit, I was starting to feel ready to break into the industry and after saving up some money for a camera upgrade, I was able to launch my business. I started by working with families and after a few months began to book my first couples sessions as well. About six months later, I was also able to finally kick off a part of my business I was incredibly excited about: adventure elopements.

Since the establishment of my company in July 2020, I have shot over 100 family sessions and am working on continuing to grow my client base for adventure elopements. In looking to the future, my goal is to continue expanding my business throughout the country and, hopefully, worldwide.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
While every small business owner can almost unanimously say that there is no such thing as a smooth road, I would say that it has been exciting with only minor challenges along the way. Probably the most prominent one has been the work life balance between managing my time with photography and the needs of my family. With two small children at home and a fantastic husband, it isn’t always easy to leave for days at a time for adventure elopements or to miss family dinners for evening sessions. That said, I am a firm believer in showing my children that it is never too late to go after your dreams and that there is always a way to make them a reality. It is my goal for 2022 to continue to hone in on finding a better work life balance that will not only benefit my family but also my clients.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I started off with lifestyle sessions as it was a style I was really drawn to. I love the idea of getting to spend time with a family and really document the way they interact with each other and play. These sessions are meant to be fun and give children the opportunity to really be themselves. I offer these sessions not only to families but also to couples who are expecting and even graduates looking for a different kind of portrait session.

The other part of my business that I am extremely passionate about is working with couples for engagement sessions, anniversary sessions, and adventure elopements. This aspect of my business really gives me the opportunity to get creative and capture those tiny details that tell a love story. The way one whispers in their lover’s ear or the simple touch of fingertips—it’s all part of a bigger moment that I love documenting. As for adventure elopements, I can’t say enough about being able to help couples craft an intimate day for themselves that is truly representative of them and their relationship. Whether that revolves around hiking, whitewater rafting, or off-roading, I am here for it all and love planning and capturing these for the incredible couples I work with.

The string that ties both parts of my work together is not only documenting my clients’ biggest adventures but doing so in a unique and memorable way. My clients walk away from their sessions and typically tell me “wow, that was a lot more fun that I was expecting” because they aren’t used to photography being relaxed and engaging. They come to me for those in between moments just as much as they do for being able to capture the beauty of the landscape around them. It makes me happy to be part of a community that is helping to break away from some of those old, preconceived notions about photography and set the stage for a new generation and style.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
One of the things that inspire my work the most is my love for the great outdoors and getting to spend endless time in it is a big perk of this career. With that in mind, I am looking forward to some more epic adventures with my clients in 2022. Some of the places I am hoping to work in the next year are: Patagonia, Alaska, and the Dolomites.

In addition to looking forward to shooting in new locations, I also hope I can continue to work with diverse families and couples as representation is a very important part of my business. One of my goals is to make sure that my work is inviting to everyone, not just people who look like me.

All in all, I am looking forward to a great 2022 and getting to work with even more great people!

Pricing:

• Lifestyle sessions starting at $300
• Elopements starting at $1800

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.summitandsur.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/summitandsur
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/summitandsur

Image Credits
Headshot: Meg Gamez