We recently connected with Kassandra Kraus and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Kassandra, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

I learned to do what I do by picking up a camera one day at the age of 10 and figuring out how to make a movie from there! I would film anything from goofy skits to nature scenes and spend hours editing it. This carried onto my college career where I studied the film craft and developed my skills and knowledge from there.

What I could have done to speed up the learning process is probably not taking a break for a short time after college. I could have taken more classes, gotten my masters and watched more YouTube videos to see what other creatives were doing and their techniques.

The skills that were most useful was learning how to tell a story through lighting and camera work which is basically Cinematography which is my favorite side of filmmaking. Once you have that down I feel like you can make beautiful work and it makes you more valuable to those looking to hire.

The obstacles that stood in the way of learning more was just growing up and having to do those adult things, worrying about bills, how to sustain living by yourself, and relationships can all occupy a big chunk of your mind that for me hindered me creatively.

Kassandra, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I come a small town where there wasn’t too much to do and I grew up always seeing my dad with a video camera filming us kids. I wanted to do what he was doing so I picked up his camcorder and started filming things. Then I found out that people make careers out of filming things and telling a story. So I got it in my head that I wanted to be a filmmaker and that idea has never left. I studied the film craft during my time at the university and I really was drawn to Cinematography. I was the Cinematographer for two films and a show that was produced by students on campus and my passions took off even more from there.

After school I no longer had equipment resources and I really realized how expensive film equipment was so I decided to use the old camera I had and took up photography, putting filmmaking on a small pause. I really fell in love with fashion photography and am even featured in a few magazines. I thought photography could still be like Cinematography, theres a camera, lighting and a story so I began to fall in love with the photography craft too. While working some film gigs I decided to make a photography business and even dove into wedding photography. I love telling the story of all the lovely couples I get to meet.

I think what I am most proud of is that I always found ways (even with some life circumstantial pauses) to be creative and try to get that outlet. I am also determined and I care about my work. I run my business and have a full time job as a Videographer/Photographer so I find myself very busy these days but I love that I get to do this every day now.

I think a lot of this stuff comes naturally to me and I really love creating. I hope I get to continue on this path.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

I think the most rewarding aspect about being a creative is the look on people’s faces when they see their photos or when work is really happy with a video I created. It makes me feel good to know I am putting a smile on people’s faces even just in this small way. I also love it when a vision I had in my head comes to life or even better than I thought. Makes me believe I may be on the right path.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

I think what society can do to support artists is to stop thinking that our work isn’t hard or that we don’t need payment because its just “being creative”. I think a lot of artists are underpaid or taken advantage of. I think the best thing as creatives that we can do until society truly sees our work as important is to stay talking with one another and stay connected. There are so many times when I’ve talked to other photographers or filmmakers who have told me the rate I should have gotten paid and I realized I was really selling myself short there for a while, but I would not have known if I wasn’t involved in the community of artists.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kassandrakraus.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/photobykassiani/

Image Credits
Model in Malvie Magazine is Tamila Minovarova, model in all other fashion photos is Joanna Mona.