Today we’d like to introduce you to Callie Cherry.
Callie, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
It all started when I was fourteen years old. I was at home with my older sister when I found my mother’s camera. For whatever reason, I felt the need to pick it up and start taking pictures of anything and everything. I ended up having an impromptu photoshoot with my sister later that day. After that, I did not really pursue it as intensely as I do now, but the passion and the interest was there. My last year of college, I needed an elective and the only thing open was a photography class. It was in this class that I realized I wanted to pursue it as a career. I began taking pictures for friends and family to practice and to build my portfolio. And eventually – despite all the fear and hesitancy I felt – I started Candid Portraits by Callie Rae. It was, by far, the best decision I have ever made!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It absolutely has not been a smooth road, but it has been completely worth it. There were countless times where I would talk and talk about starting my own photography business, I would do a session with a friend, look at the pictures and be discouraged. I would give up before I ever began. I realized that I needed to move past this unrealistic idea that I would be a phenomenal photographer right off the bat and that everyone would hire me to take their photos, because we all have to start somewhere. I was very new and I still had a lot to learn – heck, I am still learning! And that is okay.
Candid Portraits by Callie Rae – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Candid Portraits is more than a photography business – it is a ministry. I am a Christian and I have always been stirred by the beauty of creation. I focus mainly on portraiture because of how it is all about the person in the photo. I love hearing a person’s story – where they have been, what they have experienced, how they came to know the Lord, what makes them come alive and so on. The heartbeat of my business, my ministry, is the people I photograph. The reason why I chose this name was because I love authenticity. I love capturing people in their truest form or a genuine moment. I love capturing His creation for what it is rather than just capturing a good image, which is stunningly and all-together beautiful. I want Candid Portraits to transform the way we see ourselves and those around us – to see the person as a person who has a story.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
I recently did a session with a girl who felt so insecure in front of a camera, as most people do, but I kept telling her how beautiful she looked and how the pictures were so good! The more we took pictures, the more you could visibly see her confidence begin to rise. That, to me, reminded me of why I do what I do. I think we hear the lies over the truth too many times in our lives that it shatters our confidence, therefore skewing our view of ourselves. And I plan on changing that.
Contact Info:
- Website: candidportraits.co
- Email: callie.cherry@yahoo.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/candid.portraits
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Candid-Portraits-by-Callie-Rae-1505942572838220/
Image Credit:
Personal Photo by Jessie Cisarik
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