Photo by Erika Bralich Photography
oh, hi!
I’m Christie! I’m all for showing up authentically, over appearing perfect, and relating to people on real levels; no fluff, no highlight reel. I’m just a girl trying to turn chaos into fun for my 3 kids, along side my husband, Drew, in our mostly messy home in small town Northeast Ohio. I wish had a natural knack for creating art or an exceptional entrepreneurial talent. It’d be cool if when I did yoga I was really good at it, or that I could run miles and miles and miles without getting tired. The reality is, I’m just an average gal, giving my best to the things that I love. I try to be kind and find joy, impact the world as positively as possible from within the walls of our home. I pray for my loved ones and keep up with my [very] small social groups. I am trying to give my kids a fulfilling childhood that they’ll look back on with joy, all while also keeping my sense of self. I may not be perfect at all that, but I am loving and hanging on desperately to this season of life.
There isn’t a cliche story here for becoming a photographer. It wasn’t even something that I loved and then figured out how to make a career out of it. I was 20 years old, thinking I would be a graphic designer, when I had to take a required photography course. That class felt like an experience that was unique to me. It was the first thing that I felt like I didn’t have try so hard at, just to come out as average. It didn’t matter if I knew what every button did or all the technical terms or how to do wild digital effects while editing or if I was the best of my peers. Photography was whatever I wanted it to be, whatever I created was the right thing. I felt grounded for the first time in my life and I changed my major to focus on photography. As I made my way through college and began to build my career, photographing anything I could get my camera on just to make a dime, I fell in love with photographing kids- especially babies. I just knew I fit there better than any other genre of this art. I also knew niching into newborn photography was going to be a grueling road, but I wanted to see how I could grow in it.
And, on that road, it just feels right. I work hard to stay educated, keep up with the shifts in the industry without falling for the newest trends and, most importantly, connect to my clients on a personal level with the hope that I am guiding an experience, not a service. I’m not in this industry because because it fills my bank account, I am in it because it fills my soul. Welcoming a brand new sleepy baby into my studio and connecting with families in one of their most vulnerable seasons, while producing art that will timelessly hang in homes… that is an absolute privilege that I will never take for granted.
I get behind my camera to create timeless, natural, and emotional images for people like YOU.
Let's chat! I want to get to know you, what's your story?