Today we’d like to introduce you to Chris Carder.
Hi Chris, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My story started in my late teens when I got my first VHS-C recorder as a gift from my parents. I immediately started filming my friends and all our antics. I documented everything that we were doing, and then later started editing them all together. I really enjoyed the feeling this gave me. I soon followed the VHS-C with a still camera, where I found my niche. The stills were somehow more romantic. That single frame had to tell the whole story and it was fun for me to shoot and pull edits together to induce personal nostalgia, with a story. The kind you get when flipping through family photo albums. I fell in love with the medium and decided this would be my future.
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?
I have been an absolutely blessed human being. I am not saying that it has been a completely easy journey. But I have been able to learn from my mistakes in an ever-changing world to evolve and keep growing. I have been able to make meaningful relationships with people who are and were willing to mentor and help lead me in the right direction, to turn my interests into a viable livelihood.
In school I had a teacher Matt Haffner, I really related to him and his story. I asked him if I could intern, and he agreed. During that internship at a commercial advertising photography production house, he introduced me to a way I could work in photography, still make my art, and learn more technical skills. This was monumental for my career path. Here, I met other people who introduced me to other parts of the advertising photography world.
The timing was also very instrumental to my success. I started in Atlanta during a recession that ended in a giant growth in Atlanta’s film and commercial ad business. When the film and TV world started growing, there became a large need for all types of creative talent to fill these roles. A lot of the established lighting techs and photographers took them, which left gaps in the commercial world for upcoming people like myself. Not to mention all the promotional work it created on its own. Atlanta was booming, and I proved to be a reliable, hard-working resource.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a photographer. I specialize in lifestyle photography and environmental portraiture. I still love making images of people interacting with each other or being involved in something they are passionate about. Trying to convey a story in a few simple frames, and making it look visually interesting.
What matters most to you?
What matters most to me is relationships, whether that is family, friends, clients, or co-workers. It is just so important to have meaningful relationships. Knowing you have people you can rely on and them knowing they can rely on you.
Contact Info:
- Website: chriscarderphotography.com
- Instagram: type_c
