Today we’d like to introduce you to Chrissie Kazerooni.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Chrissie. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I am an ICU nurse with a creative mind and love of the outdoors who took my passion for creating beautiful things and turned it into my own little photography business. I kind of fell into Photography. I wish I could say that I always had a camera in hand from the time I was a little kid. But honestly, I was always more of a “live in the moment” type of gal. In the past, I even occasionally became irritated when having to stop and pose for photos. Although I did decide to buy a DSLR when my husband and I planned a trip to Thailand and Laos 6 years ago. The photos I took there were all on auto, and when I returned home, I made it my mission to learn how to really use my camera and make the most of it. Fast-forward to the birth of my son two years ago and a couple of upgraded lenses and I began taking newborn photos for my girlfriends who were also having their first children and weren’t hiring a newborn photographer but wanted to mail out birth announcements. I remember my one girlfriend saying, “Even if you can’t get a great picture of him… maybe you can just get one of his foot.” Not only is sending a birth announcement of just a foot ridiculous, but insulting to suggest! I managed to get some nice photos of her baby as well as my other friends’ babies. I had so much fun taking the photos and learning how to edit that I have been obsessed with photography ever since. Instagram connected me to a community of photographers that I was able to learn and gather inspiration from and my obsession has gone from a passion to a business. I can’t believe I get to spend the day with brides and grooms on their wedding day, or meet families at the most beautiful San Diego locations during sunset and do something I love while getting paid for it.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Photography has been a lot of fun and has come easily for me, but there have definitely been stressful situations that presented themselves when trying out new locations. The first was planning a family session on a beach in Encinitas at sunset without checking the tides. High tide was right at sunset and the waves were crashing up against the cliffs when I showed up, therefore leaving no beach for us to take photos on. Another incident was planning a mountain top shoot at sunset and getting carried away with taking so many beautiful photos that I ended up having to run down a mountain seven months pregnant in dark only to discover that my car was locked inside Mission Trails Park. FYI they really do lock the gates at the posted time.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with your work – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of and and what sets you apart from others.
Chrissie Kazerooni Photography is my business. I specialize in natural light photography of families and couples. I like catching candid interactions where you can sense the love in the photo. I don’t like to get too “posey” and I want my clients to have fun and feel like they are just hanging out at a beautiful and romantic location for the evening. I think location scouting is one of my favorite parts of all this. When I first moved to San Diego 8 years ago from Minnesota, I was blown away by all the natural beauty in the beaches, mountains and desert. But after several years, my curiosity and need to explore dwindled. Photography has revitalized my desire to explore all of what San Diego county has to offer so that I can take clients to all the best and some of the most sneaky spots.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
I found a great friend and mentor, Ashleigh Mitchel Photography, who let me tag along with her at weddings and answered all my questions and gave me constructive critiques. With the experience I gained, I have been able to book some pretty amazing weddings and I can’t wait to book even more, hopefully in various cities! My husband and I have very flexible jobs that allow us to do home exchanges. We have exchanged homes for various lengths of time ranging from a long weekend to six months in San Francisco, Berkeley, Seattle, Iceland, and Maui. I’m hoping in the future I will be able to incorporate social media advertising to book photography sessions in the different cities that we exchange houses in.”
Contact Info:
- Website: https://chrissiekazerooni.wixsite.com/mysite-1
- Phone: 6122055986
- Email: cbroadhe@gmail.com
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/chrissiekazerooniphoto
Image Credit:
Chrissie Kazerooni Photography
Ashleigh Mitchell Photography
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