Today we’d like to introduce you to Christopher Ebue.
Christopher, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
As cliche as it sounds, the best way to describe my sentiment towards photography comes down to a quote we all know: A picture is worth a thousand words. I knew I wanted to pursue photography on the day I found out my dad was a photographer. When I was a kid, my family and I attended my uncle’s wedding. Unfortunately, the photographer fell through on the day of the ceremony, and they were scrambling to find a replacement. Up until this point, my dad never demonstrated an interest in photography, or knowledge in camera equipment, and we didn’t have camera gear in our house.
However, to my surprise, my dad stepped up and asked around if anyone had an SLR camera and some film. He ended up shooting the entire wedding by himself which was impressive enough, but I remember being completely amazed when I saw the developed shots. I became fascinated by cameras, and I wanted to learn the technology and skills to make my own art. From then on, I tried to make as many opportunities possible to just go out and shoot.
I wanted to learn how to tell a story in an image, to create something that could capture a memory in time. Eventually, I got my chance to learn about photography in college courses within my multimedia degree, and this led me to purchase my first DSLR. Slowly, I started moving in the right direction. I practiced as much as I could manage with friends, family, and even just beautiful spaces I traveled to.
After graduating from college, I had put a few photography projects under my belt, but I had to change gears and put my career as a graphic designer first. Fast forward to just a couple years ago, I ended my hiatus after a friend invited me to participate in a San Diego meetup. This experience gave me some new perspectives and a great way to network. Getting connected with such talented creatives reinspired me to shoot regularly again. From that point on, I chased every opportunity to create, and challenge myself as a photographer in order to take my craft to the next level.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
When I started to attend photo meetups both here in San Diego and Los Angeles, I regularly began to meet new creatives. Following these people and seeing their incredible work rekindled my passion for photography. But being exposed to such a talented community made me quickly realize how little I knew about both photography and editing.
At first, I was enthusiastic about attending photo meets, but over time the feeling of self-doubt and inadequacy began to set in. I had amazing opportunities to work with local talent, but I felt worried that the content I was putting out wasn’t good enough. I worried about my lack of knowledge, and that I wasn’t showing my real potential.
I had to step back to reflect. My friends in the community offered perspective and advice, and I just kept showing up, despite what I was afraid of. At some point, I realized that many of the people I admired were struggling with doubt, but they were still striving to create something that made them happy. Their work continued to inspire me, but their stories of overcoming creative and personal blocks are what pushed me to continue.
I started investing time in developing my skill set and trying to up my game, and eventually, the feelings of doubt became less important than chasing progress.
In retrospect, I realized being dissatisfied with my work was a strange motivator to keep honing my craft. Working through these insecurities in my art inadvertently led made me a better person, and ultimately, a better creative. Now, I can say with pride that my photography is about making something I can be proud of, and that’s everything to me.
Please tell us more about what you do, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
Currently, I am focusing my business on fine arts and fashion portrait photography, and special event photography. I am actively working on collaborations with local creatives to produce fashion and style-focused concepts with the intent of pursuing a career in high fashion photography.
Additionally, I am also pursuing work in shooting event photography including proposals, engagements, and graduations. I aim to provide clients with photographs that capture these unique and special moments in a way they can keep forever.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
I don’t think that any one moment that can really speak for my feelings as a whole. It would be the most accurate to say that, for me at least, my proudest moments were in the times I could see how my photography had grown to become not only respected but also meaningful.
A strong recommendation and an acknowledged reputation for quality work mean everything in this community. For a while, I did struggle to see that my work was worthy, and I worked hard to consistently put out photos that I would be happy to share. In time, as I gained more traction and developed my style, people around me began to take notice and acknowledge my work. To hear such great feedback about something I invested so much effort and care into gave me the confidence I needed to feel pride in my work again.
In another way, as much as I was happy to create for myself, I am equally proud that I can use my photography to capture meaningful moments for others. Two of my closest friends got married last year, and as a guest, I snapped a few shots to share with them as a gift to remember the day by. A few months later, I received a thank you card from them, and I was overwhelmed to see that they had chosen my photo to share with their friends and family. The memory I captured that day will be part of their story forever now, and I am proud to be a part of that.
Contact Info:
- Email: Topherae.photo@gmail.com
Image Credit:
Clarke Surrey, Hannah Tribolet, Miranda Santos, Julia Nguyen, Sara Chandler, Casey Chin, Courtney K., Emilee Zuniga
Getting in touch: SDVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
