Today we’d like to introduce you to Greg Cali.
Greg, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My creativity began as I started to learn how to communicate with those around me through words and facial expressions. In my early school years, it became very clear that I’d rather draw on my class assignments instead of doing them. I was uninterested in most of what was taught in school, so I blazed my own trail.
While in college, where I graduated with a degree in art, I was assigned projects but did something totally different than what the teacher asked us to do. Some teachers didn’t appreciate it, while others encouraged me to be a free thinker. I knew I was finding my way as a creator through all of this.
After college, I found a job as a photographer, and while I had no professional work experience in this specific field, I gathered some skills while filming skateboarding and taking pictures of my friends snowboarding.
As a creative person on paper and then soon canvas, I felt like this was the way I wanted to live all aspects of my life. I’m fortunate that the decisions I’ve made have paid off, and I’m even more grateful for the people in my life that have helped me along the way.
I’ve always had a love for photography, but I didn’t think of it becoming my future career. These small photography jobs showed me that I had a natural talent to capture the essence of someone’s personality or a beautiful landscape with the click of a button.
I challenge myself daily to always be improving my skills. I love my job for so many reasons. Partly because it has taken me around the world and I’ve met the most incredible people. Owning my own company, TheCaliLife Photography, I’ve been able to shape my life around that. The creativity flows through me and hasn’t slowed down yet!
Has it been a smooth road?
It hasn’t been a smooth road, but I’ve learned soon into my journey to trust my intuition. Because I graduated from college during the economic crisis in 2007, it motivated me, even more, to use my talent to create my own job. I was determined to make a career for myself that gave me the lifestyle that I desired.
I turned tough situations into opportunities as I created TheCaliLife Photography. I’m grateful that I stuck with this career because it has really grown into something that I’ve only dreamed of.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into The Cali Life story. Tell us more about the business.
TheCaliLife was inspired by my Italian surname and started as an online art portfolio showcasing all my drawings and paintings. Fast forward over a decade later and now my company specializes in photography and videography. I shoot weddings, events, and headshots, but I truly love to dive into anything that involves using my camera.
I opened up an art gallery in 2018, which allowed me to dive deeper into landscape photography. I’m able to share some amazing shots of this city that I was born and raised in, and I’ve spent more of my time traveling the world in order to find another winning print to sell in my gallery.
I love every part of photography, whether it’s capturing the beauty of someone’s wedding day, or portraying someone’s personality through their headshot. This life is beautiful, and photography has given me a way to capture this beauty and share it with the world.
What truly sets me apart from other photographers is the way I interact with my clients. I enjoy learning about individuals, and I strive to reveal my client’s personality through the pictures I take of them. I’ve always love to make people laugh, so this career naturally fits my personality because I help people come out of their shell when they’re in front of the camera.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I think my industry will stay pretty similar to how it is now, but the technology will always be improving. This will allow for a few different options to be presented to clients. I’m always trying to stay on top of the newest technology because it allows me to capture that best possible photo.
Pricing:
- Weddings: http://thecalilife.com/wedding-pricing/
- Prints: https://thecalilife.com/shop/
- Headshots: https://thecalilife.com/headshots/
Contact Info:
- Address: 694 N. Coast Highway 101, Encinitas, CA 92024
- Website: thecalilife.com
- Phone: 7605255514
- Email: greg@thecalilife.com
- Instagram: @thecalilife, @thecalilifegallery, @thecalilifeweddings
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCaliLifeGallery
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-cali-life-photography-encinitas?osq=greg+cali
- Other: https://www.facebook.com/TCLPhotographySD
Image Credit:
The Cali Life Photography
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