Rising Stars: Meet Kristy Larsen of Atlanta

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristy Larsen.

Kristy, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I come from a long line of artists and musicians; creativity is woven into my DNA. As a child, I occupied my time by listening to records, drawing, and filming home movies with my brother. Through the years I’ve embraced many creative ventures: pottery, painting, graphic design, playing drums. Having a creative career wasn’t something I chose; I simply couldn’t imagine doing anything else.

Though I am a visual artist, I was born with severely poor eyesight. By the age of 2, I was prescribed thick, coke-bottle glasses which magnified my eyes to a slightly awkward size (“cute,” my mom called it; I felt otherwise). The irony of someone with such poor eyesight choosing a career in the visual arts is not lost on me. But it’s my passion. And I’ve always believed that’s part of why I notice things so deeply: when you work harder to perceive the world, you don’t take it for granted.

I received my Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art, and it was during those college years that I fell in love with photography. Film cameras were still king back then, and I spent hours in the darkroom experimenting with different processes, completely absorbed. I mixed dangerous chemicals in the dark like a mad scientist when creating cyanotypes; I combined photography with printmaking while doing emulsion transfers; I marveled at the spontaneous and uncanny half positive/half negative Sabattier print.

It was also in college that I first encountered architecture through an elective class, as well as art history classes. After graduating, I toured Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West home in Arizona. I remember walking through the home, learning about the choices he made, the reasons for it, and feeling the effects of it in person. To me it was like a Renaissance painting, where every object represented something specific, and the placement of each element had an intentional meaning. It was absolutely fascinating. This planted the seeds of the career I have today.

Life took a few turns, as it tends to. I spent years as a professional potter, then found myself divorced with two young kids and a very real need to build something sustainable. At that crossroads, a wise person in the financial field advised me to get a job at Target or Walmart. Instead, I bought a new camera. And never looked back.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I don’t think anyone in the creative field ever travels a smooth road. But that’s what makes it interesting.

The first struggle I had as a professional architectural photographer was simply learning the craft. Sure, I started out with a natural eye for composition and camera knowledge, but in this exclusive niche of photography, you need very specialized knowledge and experience. I learned about industry-specific equipment (such as tilt-shift lenses), studied differences with compression in different lenses, how to use lighting, where to put lighting, and how to shape and modify it. I had to learn unique and complex editing skills to coax the final image to my vision.

Aside from studying and practicing the profession itself, I have to juggle it with everything it takes to run a successful business: marketing/advertising, customer service, scheduling, accounting, writing contracts, web design/graphic design, CRM software, sales, etc. It’s an intensely complex profession, and certainly not for the faint-hearted. But such is the obsession.

A very recent and notable struggle I’ve had is when I came to realize that I prefer talking to potential clients in person (rather than phone or email), and decided to attend networking events in rooms full of complete strangers. The only caveat is that I am very much an introvert, and these were expansive rooms filled with unfamiliar faces. Still, I was determined, and I forced myself to show up to some well-attended events. I had no clue how to just start talking to people I didn’t know. I did have an occasional awkward moment in the beginning, but today I’m actually quite proud at how I’m (mostly) at ease about showing up and meeting new people. And I’ve met some fantastic people along the way.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I specialize in architectural and interior photography and videography in Atlanta and beyond. I work with interior designers, architects, hotels, restaurants, civic buildings, residential and commercial spaces. But describing what I do technically is probably the least interesting part, and barely scratches the surface of how I do it or why it matters.

Our environments affect us in ways we often don’t consciously recognize. They shape our moods, our productivity, and our sense of calm or chaos, whether we’re aware of it or not. A beautifully designed interior or well-thought-out architecture is not an accident. It’s the accumulated result of hundreds of small decisions, each one made by someone who cared enough to make it well.

I believe in making something both meaningful and well done. So much of today’s visual content is loud, fast, and in-your-face. The appetite for visual stimulation is insatiable and the pace is relentless. It’s almost an assault on your senses. It may be popular, but it’s usually forgettable. There is a deeper appreciation when you take your time. When you notice the way afternoon light spills through a window, or the deliberate tension between a raw material and a refined finish. The designers and architects I work with have put tremendous thought into those details. I want my photographs to create a moment of genuine pause that makes someone stop, recognize, and remember the care that went into making it.

I’d describe my approach as dramatic combined with subtleness. Edgy, yet polished. There’s a quiet, reflective quality to my work that I’m intentional about. I bring an artist’s sensibility to a technical craft.

We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
Choosing an independent creative career is, in itself, a radical act of faith and optimism. There’s no safety net, no guaranteed paycheck, no one to tell you whether you’re on the right track. For someone who is also supporting a family, that weight is very real.

But the biggest risk I’ve taken was the decision to let go of the work that didn’t inspire me. That might sound simple, but when someone is offering you money and your bills are real, turning down paid work feels counterintuitive. Almost irrational.

Here’s what I’ve come to believe, though: if you always chase the money instead of the passion, you get pigeonholed into something that slowly hollows you out. You burn out.

So I made the difficult choice to let go of my biggest clients and aggressively pursue what genuinely excites me. It was both terrifying and freeing.

Since I took that risk, I now get the privilege of working with other amazing creative people, and I get to create work that thrills me. I use my vision to enhance their vision. It’s a beautiful and symbiotic relationship, and possibly one that wouldn’t exist if I hadn’t made such a bold decision.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kristylarsenphoto.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/larsenarts/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kristylarsenphotography/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristy-larsen-photography
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@KristyLarsenPhoto