We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Angela Callisto a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Angela, appreciate you joining us today. Do you manage your own social media?

I handle my own because I am a type A control freak, but also because I believe it’s truly a window into not just a photographers work but also who they are. The posts we share are our opportunity to say something to the world watching our work that gives them more than a viewing of our photos but an understanding of who we are. IF it’s done right.
Sure, I see a lot of photographers who just post “this gorgeous babe was in my studio today” and I do that too. But when the moment strikes me, when I have a story to tell about the subject, the family, my interactions with them, my own life and family as it may relate to the photos I am sharing. I take that opportunity to share my words.
Comments will come in resonating with what I have said and that is where there is another opportunity to reply, start conversations, form friendships and relationships and I become MORE than just pretty photos in the boxes of social media.

I have always said, “People are coming into my studio, most times having never met me or spoken to me outside their booking process, handing over the thing they love most in this world, to a stranger, to soothe and pose and photograph. If I can in any way tell them who I am as more than “just a photographer” before they come in, it will help put their mind at ease and trust me through the process. Tell them I am a mother, a grandmother, a friend, a real person behind that lens. It’s important.”

If someone else ran my accounts, I couldn’t do that.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

With twelve+ years of professional experience Angela Callisto specializes in custom newborn, maternity, baby milestone, high school senior & family photography in the buffalo and wny area. In her dedicated studio, located in Clarence NY, Angela has photographed hundreds of newborns & countess milestone sessions. Also, sunset golden hour family sessions on location through the spring, summer and fall months.

Angela focuses on both posed and natural set ups for her newborn work – a style that has evolved over the years and will continue to. Angela knows that each newborn, baby and family is unique and she strives to capture more moments than poses. The connection between families of all ages and the sweet details of each stage.

Angela knows choosing a photographer that will fit with your family – your expectations – can be a hard task. You a making an investment into capturing moments that pass so quickly. Please feel free to browse the site, take a look at some of the gallery sections, to get an overall feel for Angela’s work. And do not hesitate to contact her for more information on any of the packages offered.

It is Angela’s wish that you not just come to her for photographs, but for memories frozen in time, and friendships. She very much loves to watch your families grow – to watch your children grow – and to be able to continue to capture all of your moments.

We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.

I was always artistic. I used to paint and owned a small art gallery. I loved being creative from the moment I can remember even just being in art classes as a kid and I was ALWAYS the one with a camera in her hand through my 20s. Though, those cameras were the cheap disposable ones you could get at a drug store. I wanted to capture moments and memories. I am the holder of the photo albums my friends and I use to reminisce.

I picked up my first DSLR when my daughter was about 18 months old. I owned a salon at the time and had no intention of diving into photography. I just wanted to be able to take better photos of her and my son. I had all the programs for editing as I also did graphic design. However, I quickly learned that editing skin tones was quite different than creating graphics for business cards and websites.

I dove into learning and started to post the photos I took of my kids when one day, about 14 years ago, my brother who was expecting his first child said “I would like you to take his newborn photos”. I figured, how hard could it be? Looking back I kinda cringe to see them. My nephews photoshoot was done in their condo, by lamplight, and way over edited. Back then I was just slapping edits on top of photos, hadn’t quite learned to edit raws yet. Even so, others started to ask me to photograph their kids. By the time my niece was born three years later: I had sold my salon, I had my own studio and was teaching other newborn photographers. I remember vividly as she was a model for a workshop I was doing.

Crazy to look back and think how quickly it all went but at the time felt like a very long journey.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Because of the subjects I photograph: newborns, maternity, beautiful families growing up, milestones. Being the one people trust to capture these moments in time forever is something I will always be in awe of, be grateful for.

A woman’s changing body as she grows a child. And she trust me to capture that time.

A tiny newborn who will change almost daily. Parents coming in to hand me their baby and trust me to safely and beautifully capture this time, the details, the moments.

The milestones of babies first year, the rolls, the changing faces, first teeth and drool.

And families growing, expanding, kids changing so fast year after year.

It will NEVER be lost on me that people are trusting ME to freeze these moments in time for them.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.angelacallisto.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angelacallistophotography/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/angelacallistophotography

Image Credits

The photo of me looking at the baby in the bucket was taken by Melissa Madden Photography