Hello! I'm Krista, I'm the very fortunate photographer behind all of these weddings and portraits.
First, a few professional facts:
- I hold my Bachelor's Degree in Photography from RIT in New York
- I have been photographing weddings and families full-time for over 20 years in Southwest Florida
- I photographed my first wedding when I was in high school and have since photographed over 1,000 weddings
- I have photographed weddings in 19 different states and 8 foreign countries
- My work has been featured in dozens of National wedding magazines and online publications
As for me personally, my biggest hobby is actually photography too. I have had a camera somewhere close to me since I was 5 years old and have never professionally done anything else. I grew up in Pennsylvania and my husband is from Iowa so I frequently find myself between those two areas (and often photographing weddings in PA and IA), but I have actually lived in Fort Myers now for the greater part of my life.
Outside of photography, I'm a huge fan of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (former sideline photographer here), I have a pretty extensive cactus collection and a huge love of show tunes and theater. I'm also a volunteer-aholic. I'm a mentor with the Foundation for Lee County Public Schools and the Florida Take Stock in Children program where I work with high school students every week. I am a sponsor and volunteer for Big Arts on Sanibel Island. I have worked with UNICEF, including advocating for the organization on Capital Hill in Washington D.C.. I have started a church ministry to welcome new people into the community, I have led several photography summer camps and I have offered my photography skills to countless other charities and non-profit organizations. I love any opportunity to meet and help people, which is definitely just one more reason why I love being a wedding and portrait photographer too.
I have a wonderful family. My husband and I have been married for five years (destination wedding in the Bahamas, so I personally know wedding planning from afar). Together we have a wonderful blended family with a crew of daughters. I also have two amazing pups, Vannie (a tiny yet vocal Chihuahua) and Lyla (a wannabe hunting dog/Weimaraner) who are my furry family. Check out #VanGoes to see the adventures of Van and Lyla (because of course I had to make my dog his own hashtag!). There's also a fun feature on The Daily Dog Tag blog, with my two loves!
My other obsession is travel. I will get on an airplane to go anywhere on a moment's notice. I love that destination weddings have me hopping time zones too. My first Caribbean wedding back in 2006 had me hooked on destination weddings and I think I've just kept my bags packed ever since. I have photographed weddings in St. Lucia, Barbados, Bahamas, Mexico, Nevis as well as all over the United States. I have actually made it a personal goal to photograph a wedding in every state so don't be shy to reach out even if you are planning your wedding in Alabama :)