Today we’d like to introduce you to Celeste Carson.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’ve been taking photos of family and friends since 2006, but I didn’t begin to “seriously” pursue photography until 2015. That was around the time when I began to get involved in the cosplay community in Atlanta. I began taking photos of fellow cosplayers and quickly realized that I needed to level up my skills if I wanted to continue down this path. So I did just that.
I watched dozens of tutorials, learned how to use photo-editing software, and most importantly I shot at any cosplay event I could attend. At some point, the people I worked with in the past started recommending me to others and my client base grew to the point where I was consistently getting bookings at events I attended as a photographer.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It definitely hasn’t always been a smooth road. The biggest hurdle to my own growth as an artist was the pandemic. Right before everything shut down I had some really great momentum going, and I was shooting more than I ever had before, and then it all came to a halt. During that long period of isolation, I had a lot of creative energy that wasn’t being used in the capacity that it had been previously. I used that energy to experiment with self-portraiture and reflect on what kind of photos I truly wanted to create for myself and with others. Overall it gave me a much clearer vision of where I wanted my creative journey to go from that point on.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m mostly known for my cosplay & fantasy photography work, but I also have worked in a wide assortment of other subjects and niches. Other areas include fashion, boudoir and product photography. My specialty is creating beautiful, dark and moody portraits with a strong focus on the subject. My favorite part of photography is collaborating with other creators with a shared vision; it’s what drew me to it in the first place. I also enjoy building unique sets for photoshoots, sometimes making the corner of a room look like a gothic castle or a magical place in the clouds for example. I got my bachelor’s degree in interior design and being able to incorporate my past studies into my work brings me so much joy.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
For me, success is taking pride in my own work and bringing happiness to my clients/collaborators. Success is creative fulfillment and storytelling.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.celestecarson.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepicwitch/
