Meet Chani Gunn

Chani, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
It’s funny how things come full-circle when you don’t expect it. It’s also funny how your plans don’t always turn out the way you plan. My life plan was to become a teacher, get married, have kids and live happily ever after. The end.

To some degree that’s what happened… sort of. I mean, I’m not quite to ‘The End’ yet- Praise the Lord- but for the most part the rest was almost as I planned. (Until it wasn’t.)

My grown-up life started with a Dallas principal who believed in me enough to hire me right out of college as a 3rd-grade teacher. (Thank you, Susie Nesmith!) I was elated and scared, but I was blessed. A new job at a wonderful school and newly married. My life plan was on track. But then one of my life checklists took a turn south. My marriage failed. Not my proudest moment and certainly not something I ever pictured being on my resume of life accomplishments. As I gathered what was left after placing my “divorced and single” name tag on my teaching shirt I remember thinking… “What am I doing here? There has to be more to this life. What am I missing?” I was unhappy with my personal life and empty I loved teaching but it wasn’t entirely filling my cup.

I prayed my way through a new season, moved across the state of Texas, started again and still felt empty. Life was missing a passion of some sort. I had my family, faith, pup and job, but I couldn’t deny the nagging feeling that I wasn’t where I was meant to be just yet.

So, my heart took me back to Dallas where God placed my now husband of ten years (Eric) back in my life, after dating in high school many moons before. After we got married it was my sweet husband and family who bought me my first “big girl camera” and told me he believed in me contrary to my fears of starting a photography business. My sweet mother-in-law, Cheri, was actually the person who encouraged me to go for it and name my business “Chani Gunn Photography”. It was all definitely a family effort!

Then after many years of being called “Mrs. Gunn”, my teaching chapter came to an end as I became a mom to a beautiful little girl and picked my camera back up again. Each time I pressed the shutter my heart felt like it was finally kicking back into gear and finding it’s way to a plan I didn’t even know existed.

Life as a photographer hasn’t always been a cakewalk though. I was scared to death. I really had no clue how to balance being a mom and running a business. I remember my hands shaking as I applied for the Assumed Name Certificate. I compiled journals and journals of notes, ideas, goals. I changed my logo a ridiculous amount of times. I took online classes on the art of photography, editing, and watched just shy of a million YouTube videos. I was terrified of actually having people pay me for my work. I would lay at night and pray and pray my decision to start a business wouldn’t fail because we all know starting a business isn’t cheap. As I started spending the money I was just hoping people would believe in my art enough to hire me.

Our son was born a few years after our daughter, and he had some complications in utero that led me to think I was going to put the camera down full-time and just focus on our son, but God again had a different plan. Upon delivery, we discovered our son was a perfectly healthy baby boy… I had to keep going, keep shooting and keep pursuing this spark inside me that brought me joy.

It’s amazing the highs and lows of what we’ve experienced while I have owned Chani Gunn Photography but one thing has remained constant. I’ve never been failed by this dream of my job as a photographer even when I felt like I should throw in the towel. I have been able to stay home be with my babies and continue working and clicking away.

Each photo session I shoot fills that career cup of mine. I absolutely know I’m where I’m meant to be, and seeing those faces in front of the camera confirms it so much. I have fun with my clients, and I develop relationships that sometimes even grow into friendships. My clients know they can come to me with their ideas, their visions and we work as a team to make it happen. My job is fulfilling and just feels right. The very best part is when it comes full-circle… some of those little 3rd graders I loved in the classroom and taught years ago are now my clients in their very own senior portraits! Talk about fun! My goal at this season in life is continue to use this business as a way to give back to people, serve the community and help where I can. I’m a blessed girl through and through and I certainly never take this life as a photographer for granted.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It definitely hasn’t been an easy road. I have wanted to quit so many times. The late nights of editing, time away from my family… not to mention the cost of equipment and repairs when, well… placing a very expensive lens on my running dryer expecting it to not crash to the floor. (Ugh! That one cost a pretty penny!) Other than that, it’s been easy-breezy! Ha! Thankfully, my husband has always been my biggest encourager and supporter in me pursuing my goals and dreams for this business. And I will say, regardless of the trials, I have always been brought back to the art of photography.What were you like growing up?
I was actually a very shy, introverted child growing up. Always afraid to make a mistake I would rarely try new things. I remember my mom, Linda, telling me she thought she was going to pull her hair out teaching me to ride a bike because I was terrified to fall and skin my knee. Luckily, my beautiful mom is such a people-person with an absolute heart of gold, so watching her interact with people and the community over the years really taught me to leave fear behind and be bold and brave, especially in photo shoots. Watching her love on the world has given me a great example of what stepping out in faith looks like. Starting my business was a huge leap of faith for me. (And hey, I even mastered riding a bike! Thanks, Mom!!)As much as I loved art as a child, I wasn’t exactly good at it. My grandpa was a French artist and designed jewelry for Cartier, and as far back as I can remember, he was always asking for me to practice drawing. I can still hear his thick French accent, “Chantal, where are your drawings??” Even though drawing wasn’t ever my “thing”, my mind was always fascinated by cameras, and a capturing a beautiful photograph has always been my art, my ‘drawings’, so to speak. My father was a hobbyist photographer and encouraged me to learn and practice photography as much as possible. The pride he had for me as an artist and a photographer definitely pushed me subconsciously to strive to be better in the art and make my family proud.