We recently connected with Costa Christ and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Costa, thanks for joining us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?
I never imagined I could actually become a professional fine art photographer until after I graduated from college. I attended SMU and had no formal education in photography; I earned a degree in accounting from the Cox School of Business. My girlfriend at the time, now wife, emptied her savings account to help buy me a camera and encouraged me to pursue a more creative career because she could tell I would be miserable working as a CPA. Shortly after graduating, I utilized this semi-professional camera, single lens and an old tripod to begin Costa Christ Media, a photography enterprise with an emphasis on architecture. It was then that I began my quest for visual excellence. Weekends in my early 20’s were spent hanging out in camera shops, watching tutorial videos and reading countless articles and forums as I began to form my own style and interpretation of architectural photography. With limited resources, I was often forced to improvise – shooting interiors without any of the external lighting equipment all the “experts” deemed essential to compete. It was extremely difficult to convince prospective clients to give me an opportunity to work on their projects as I insisted on shooting interiors with all lights off. In an effort to prove the capabilities of my technique and begin assembling a portfolio that would attract a greater audience, I offered to shoot massive projects for $50, sometimes even for free if necessary. I began to establish instrumental relationships with leaders in the local industry, many of which I still proudly hold today. These cherished opportunities were made possible not by a rare skillset or creative talent but by my willingness to work extremely hard and consistently deliver high quality photography that served the specific needs of each client. After 5 years of relentless persistence, the shooting style that hindered me early in my career became my registered Trademark and the pride of my identity as an architectural photographer: Strictly natural light.®. Over the course of a 9 year career as an architectural photographer, I proudly earned the opportunity to photograph over 2,000 beautiful homes for hundreds of clients, including some of the most accomplished and awarded residential architects, builders, interior designers and real estate agents in the nation. My work has been featured across the globe in publications that include Forbes, Southern Living, Veranda and Architectural Digest. My quest for visual excellence is still very much alive today and I will never stop “learning the craft” as there’s no such thing as a perfect photograph or photographer but I will do everything in my power to bridge the gap between perfection and where I am at any given point in my career.
Costa, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Absolutely. My name is Costa Christ. I’m a fine art photographer based in Dallas. From 2017 to 2022, I averaged shooting over 300 residential photography projects per year. My wife and I would travel to Europe every July to recharge before returning for the second half of our busy season. During these trips, I would bring my camera, hoping to capture a few sentimental images from our hard-earned travels. The images I captured were never intended to be shared publicly. Rather, they served as intimate reminders of our time exploring the world and celebrating our newfound love of international travel. During a trip to Greece in 2019, I received news that one of the projects I had photographed for an interior designer was selected for the front cover of a popular interior design magazine. The particular image the editors selected for the cover included a TV above the mantle that had been digitally altered to display a photo I took during a recent vacation to Santorini, per the designer’s request. It was at that moment I realized these images must be shared and can be appreciated for their beauty if produced and presented at an exceptional level. This marked the beginning of a new chapter in my ongoing quest for visual excellence and Costa Christ Art was born. It began with a personal commitment to an enduring mission of travel, exploration and adventure. I have spared no expense ensuring patrons of my art series will invest in an exclusive brand of limited production fine art photography, skillfully crafted with the very finest materials and techniques available. In creating fine art, I intentionally aim to set my work apart with simple designs, complimented by a sharp, luminescent abundance of detail. Subject matter will vary but each and every image I capture and Edition I craft is intended to evoke powerful emotion for my viewers. The Costa Christ Art series is a reflection of my personal celebration of life, creative freedom and the pursuit of my American dream. This work and everything it represents is bigger than me and my hope is that it will endure beyond my time on Earth because ultimately, I love to win and that’s what winning is all about.
Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?
I take great pride in being self-taught and not following the traditional path of an artist / photographer. With my educational background in a conservative and pragmatic practice like corporate accounting, I understand and relate to the application of this type of work in business and commerce. I never believed I was better than competing photographers because of my creativity or natural talent; I believed I was the better choice for my clients because of my relentless work ethic, willingness to network and my direct communication style. These are choices; not skills.
Alright – so here’s a fun one. What do you think about NFTs?
My feelings on NFTs are mixed. At this point in history, I’m willing to say I do not value NFTs as a relevant form of currency and I can shamelessly admit none of it makes any sense to me even after I’ve done a decent amount of research and engaged in conversation with the people that do claim to understand it. That said, my fine art photography series hinges a lot of its value on my ability to limit each Image I produce to a very low Edition count and the non-fungible attributes of NFTs do seem somewhat logical.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.costachristart.com
- Instagram: @costachrist_
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/costachristart/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@costachrist_