Today we’d like to introduce you to Chrissa Markos.
Chrissa , can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Although I have always been. very creative I did not grow up knowing I wanted to be a photographer. In fact, throughout my 20s I really wanted to be a writer. I have always been a voracious reader so it made sense that I would want to write for a living. I was drawn to people and their intricate stories and spent hours listening to them. I wanted to document the human experience and what it means for each of us.
After high school I moved to Athens, Greece and that is where this all began. I was deeply influenced by the Greek culture and the amazing versatility of the Greek language. I was also very intrigued by greek modernist cinema. It was a whole new world and showed me a another way of expressing myself. I also spent a lot of time traveling throughout the countryside meeting new people and gathering with the locals in my parents’ village – talking to them and hearing about their daily struggles. I guess it was a natural next step to want to add images to all these amazing stories.
Eventually, I moved back to Boston to enroll at NESOP and begin my photography studies. I remember my first time in the darkroom developing film and printing my first ever image and feeling totally elated. I don’t think I left the darkroom that whole first year! Fifteen years later and I am still just as excited about photography and I am still documenting life stories around me.
Today, I am a full-time mom and still very much a storyteller. These days many of the stories I document are those of my two young boys. They are a big source of inspiration. We spend a lot of much time together so I get to observe the beauty of childhood up close. Kids are complicated little humans and there’s so much going in their minds. Their expressions are the only thing that reveal their inner worlds, and that is what I am always trying to capture – the story.
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?
The road to becoming a photographer and finding my creative voice has not been easy. It took many long hours and lots of dedication to get where I am today. My first big challenge was making the switch to digital photography. It was completely overwhelming and it took a long time for me to learn it and to actually like it. I was a film student so nothing could compare to the ‘good old days’ and I resisted for quite a while.
However, I realized quickly that in order to work I had to make the change. The business side of photography has also been difficult because it seems to change every day. Years ago we printed postcards and sent them out to potential clients while today everything seems to revolve around social media. This continues to be an difficult terrain for me and the learning curve is huge – but I am doing it.
The biggest challenge, however, has been motherhood. Balancing family life with full-time photography is not easy because time is very limited and you do not always get it when you need it. Even with a very supportive husband, it is difficult to find time to work as much as I would like. Fortunately, being a mother has not affected my creativity. In fact, I find that it has made me even more creative. The challenge really is finding the time to tap into it. I am always jotting down notes and sending myself voice memos so I don’t forget an idea I have for a shoot.
However, I do take advantage of the moments that are given to me with the boys and I do spend a lot of time documenting their childhood and all of their fun experiences. I am documenting their stories and it is a source of inspiration for my other work. It keeps me shooting. As they get older I am definitely working a lot more and spending longer days in the studio and on location and it feels great. But I also want to enjoy my time with them while they are young so it’s a balancing act every day. But that is parenthood I guess. I feel that being able to adapt, putting in the hard work and making the best of what life presents to me has been key to my success as a photographer.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Chrissa Markos Photography – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Chrissa Markos is a niche photography studio. My work is minimal and evocative, fine art with an emotional element consistent throughout all of my photographs. I believe an image should be felt as well as seen and should leave a lingering impression long after you have stepped away from it.
My work is heavily influenced by film and a lot of the work is shot as a series so as to tell the story as a narrative. Styling is a big part of each session as it sets the mood and enhances the story. I spend a lot of time finding interesting, and often unusual, locations. It is not uncommon to find me photographing kids holiday portraits in warehouses, subways or boatyards.
Post-production includes extensive editing on each and every photo to get it to match my initial vision and to ensure that it is consistent with my style. It is a very custom edit with no presets or bulk editing. I put many hours into the editing piece of the project. A lot of my work is digital collage and is very intricate but in a very subtle way. It is not obvious at first glance – you have to look a bit deeper to notice the details.
I get hired by clients for my style and not because I specialize in any one genre. It’s a fine art and custom approach and clients are willing to give me creative freedom so that I can put my vision into their project. It is a close collaboration and takes time. Because my work is so personal there is a genuine and lasting connection with my clients and I work with them for many years. I really have had amazing clients and have made several friends along the way.
At this point in time, most of my work is focused on portraiture and fine art prints. However, I have started to expand into the social media genre and am working with clients to create personal branding photos for their small businesses. This is very new but I am really enjoying it and I am especially intrigued by food photography!
Like a lot of things in the creative realm, my style is not for everyone. I am totally ok with that. I believe strongly that you should do what you love because it will be more rewarding and putting in all the long hours needed will not feel like a burden. I want to be excited to go to work each and every day – and I totally am!
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
My newest project is fine art prints. Although I currently sell to several clients I am looking to expand into a bigger market. I would like to take on more custom work and collaborations. This will be my new project for 2018 and I am very excited about it!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.chrissamarkos.com
- Email: chrissa@chrissamarkos.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrissamarkosphotography/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chrissamarkosphotography/
Getting in touch: BostonVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
