Karinna’s Photography Journey - finding the way through exploration

As a child, I remember taking family vacations where we would all pile into the back of our van - my mom, my dad and my two sisters.  We would take a family drive through the White Mountains or along Route 1 by the Atlantic Ocean.  I remember having this little disposable camera, and I would twist around in my seat, pointing the cardboard camera out the back window and looking through the viewfinder.  I would watch the road go by, the tall grass on the sides of the highway, the telephone poles.  I didn’t even take photos; I just looked. Watching the most mundane things but seeing them through this tiny square viewfinder, I was fascinated.  I became separated from myself, an impartial observer who is taking in the world through that little box.  It didn’t feel like me, looking with my own eyes.  It felt like something else.  That was the first spark, for me.

I remember getting started with a digital video camera, because it’s all I had.  It had a button that would let me take stills.  So, I would wander around the house or go out into the woods taking stills of a bug, a flower, or my own feet.  Those were the first intentional pictures I took.

In High School, I was gifted a digital point-and-shoot camera. I brought my camera everywhere with me and I kept taking photos. My School didn’t have a photo department, so I just taught myself.  I also dabbled slowly with my Nana’s Minolta SRT 101, a 35 mm film camera.  I learned how to take exposure because it was completely manual. It had an internal light meter and I would just make the exposure adjust to that. I didn’t know what I was doing but there was this curiosity inside of me that I wanted to pursue until I was satisfied.  And I’m still not satisfied!

High School was ending and I felt lost. I chose Chester College of Art because it was close to home and they had some photography classes.  I took classes in Black and White Film Development and Black and White Darkroom.  I advanced to learning technical color prints in the darkroom.  I started to learn about F-stop and shutter speed and how to use them in tandem to capture an image intentionally.  I learned some lighting and video editing.  But then I hit a wall.  I realized, this is as much as they can teach me.  I had the basics down.  But I wanted to learn more beyond the basics; more advanced techniques.  Even though I had no idea what that meant.

I decided to apply to the Hallmark Institute of Photography because it was a reputable school that focused intensely on photography and business.  Although the school catered to people interested in becoming wedding or family portrait photographers, I had this itch for something more. I was attracted to fashion magazines and more artistic photography… I wanted something else. It was incredible and it was the best decision I’ve ever made. You can see clearly how much my technical knowledge jumped up to a high degree. The first real big turning point of my career!

From there, some school friends were moving to New York City and they asked if I wanted to come along.  And so I thought, why not!?  I worked at a computer store and interned at a photography studio.  I learned a lot about studio equipment and the care and maintenance of a photo studio.  I got hands-on experience with more advanced equipment options than school had; beyond just C-stands.  I worked with the grip, rigging gear, and camera equipment. 

At the same time, I was slowly collecting photographers’ names and information.  I really wanted to go freelance.  I needed to get more hands-on set experience.  I knew that in order to make that happen, I had to quit my job and go 100% freelance.

I was working a job I hated and my manager discouraged me, “You’ll never make it freelance.  You’ll be back in a couple of months.”

Well, that lit a fire in me!  I had to prove him wrong.  I decided I had to make it work even though I had no idea how.

I started photo-assisting full time at the end of 2010.  Within a couple of years I found myself working on celebrity photo-shoots, movie posters, working for big name photographers, and traveling to foreign countries.  I worked on set with athletes, models, celebrities and comedians. I also started working as a digi tech and getting experience working more hands-on with the photographer, clients and art directors.

I knew I wanted to start to phase out photo-assisting/digi teching.  I decided to start shooting for myself.  To build my own portfolio.  The problem was, I needed a studio.   I met a photographer with a photo studio in Dumbo, NY.  He said, “Hey, you can use my studio.”   I started to contact modeling agencies and started to establish relationships and doing model tests.  A friend hired me to photograph clothes for an outdoor shoot. I also started to get a few clients by word of mouth.

I wanted to be closer to nature and get out of a big city, so I decided to move to Portland.  It took me a moment to get settled.  I was a little delusional thinking I could just arrive on that scene and reach out and get jobs.  My book wasn’t enough.  Even though I had put in a lot of time and work in NYC it didn’t transfer over to a new city. I knew I had to do more work on my portfolio. In hindsight, I agree. I feel like in Portland I started to find my style and learn to break all the rules I had learned. 

I met an amazing couple who needed help in their studio. I worked there freelance and also got to use the studio space.  It was an opportunity to put my book together.  I took on paying models.  Things were starting to happen but Portland wasn’t enough for the market; it didn’t feel right. I needed a city but not New York City. So, I thought, why not try LA? Being freelance you can go anywhere! (keep reading to see how it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows at the end of the article!)

I made the decision to move to LA  and it’s been great.  Right now, I’m shooting models and I photograph band portraits, clothing companies and BTS (behind the scenes) photography. I have met lots of great people.  I’m doing what I love!

Now it hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows! There has been hard work all along the way.  I left Hallmark on an invitation from some friends to move to New York.  I had no plan.  I thought I could just show up and get work.  No one hired me.  I was like, Oh…this is the Big Leagues.  This isn’t school anymore.  It was a wake-up call. I was going to have to work hard to establish myself.  So, I got a regular job and started interning at a photo studio for no pay, but lots of experiences and connections I still have to this day.

In New York, as a photo assistant, I worked my ass off to prove myself.  That I could do it just as well as a male assistant.  I would lift heavy equipment, just like the boys.  I would drag lights over there, just like the boys.  I gave it my all, every time, even though it wasn’t my set.  I did a lot of work for other photographers, and learned a lot, while waiting to have the opportunity to show the world what I could do.

The biggest obstacle I encountered was actually a personal one that caused me to leave Portland unexpectedly, and it felt like all the hard work I had put in there unraveled.  The rug was pulled out from under me and I was so disheartened.  I moved to Colorado and really questioned whether I even wanted to be a photographer.  I put my camera down for 2 whole years. . It was a dark time and I explored other hobbies and work.  And then, I came to see my path again.  I was like, you know what?  I do want to be a photographer.  And I packed up and moved to L.A.  

L.A. has been a great stepping stone and I have quickly made progress right back to the point I was at in Portland, in a very short time.  I’ve met a bunch of really amazing creatives.  I’m establishing myself and I’m so glad that I’m following my calling in photography.

See the original published article written for VoyageLA Magazine