THE PHOTOGRAPHER
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 well over 1,000 weddings
- I have traveled to photograph dozens of destination weddings including events in 19 different states and 8 foreign countries
- My work has been featured in countless 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. From volunteering to teach photography classes to spending a day shooting for fun, my absolute favorite times definitely revolve around my love of photography. I will happily join in on anything photo related, but my passion within the field is capturing candid and really authentic moments. I love incorporating that passion into my weddings and family photography. A genuine moment will always spark my creative eye!
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 the beach. 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 grew up in Pennsylvania but have lived in Fort Myers now for the greater part of my life. I have a wonderful family. My husband and I actually met on a cruise in the Bahamas, dated long distance for several years (he's an Iowa boy) till we finally made our way back to the Bahamas for our own destination wedding (I can definitely relate to wedding planning from afar). Together we have a wonderful blended family with a crew of daughters. I also have two amazing pups, Vannie (a nutty Chihuahua) and Lyla (a very senior Weimaraner) who are my furry family. There's a fun feature on The Daily Dog Tag blog, with my two loves, check it out!
My other obsession is travel and collecting frequent flier miles. 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 no matter where you are planning your wedding for!