"I think it was always there from the beginning. The desire to create, to arrange, to beautify and enhance and glory in something beautiful. My parents saw that humble spark and through their encouragement I started art classes in earnest.
     I was 10 years old, surrounded by a group of old ladies gossiping about the latest sitcom, swearing under their breath (they always apologized covering my young ears) and looking forward to playing the Keno machines on the weekend.
   At least 50 years junior than the youngest art member, and clearly from different worlds—-we had little in common, but boy could those ladies paint. 
     My teacher sported shockingly red hair (the kind from the DIY grocery store box) and acrylic nails 2” long but the way she used that brush completely intrigued me. I lapped up every minute. In High school I was privately tutored by a professional artist (also quite eccentric) and spent hours in his studio studying art history, color theory, drawing, and finding my artistic voice. But paintings gradually seemed lifeless, the canvas offered no interaction, so I turned to another vocation. Fashion Design.         
     Straight out of high school I launched a clothing line, quickly learning everything I could about the world of fashion merchandising, design and manufacturing. My favorite part every season, hands down, was the photo shoots. To craft the story, communicate a brand, to bring it all together as a team— it was like a drug.
I LOVED EVERY MINUTE.
    And that’s when the light turned on. This is what I’m made to do—I was literally in a different field entirely and I knew this is what I’m supposed to do. It was a matter of months before I closed the clothing line, sold off all the inventory and launched my photography studio.
     15 Years later, I still absolutely love what I do. People make me happy. Photographing them, helping them be as magnificent on camera as they are in real life…it doesn't feel like work. 
It feels like passion. " 

My heart is fuelled by laughter, insanely good food and the sweet kisses of my little babes.

THE LENS

At 21 Christa was on the board of Directors for the Portland Fashion Synergy in partnership with the Portland Art Institute. She later studied fine art photography under Rodney Smith in NYC, and the Institute of Photographic Studies. Her photography has been published in many arenas, including Martha Stewart Weddings, Oregon Wedding Day Magazine, BRIDES, Style Me Pretty and more.