We were lucky to catch up with Kerri Nasser recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Kerri thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

Honestly every project is meaningful to me. My tagline, ‘Capture the Moments that Matter’, represents this. My understanding is that no matter what type of photography a client is seeking, it matters to them. So it matters to me.

There was a time I struggled with memory due to medical circumstances.
Years ago I suffered on average 20 seisures a day for two years and this impacted my mobility, speech and memory. I started to capture every moment and every detail so that I wouldn’t lose those moments. My kids were still young during that time and those were memories I couldn’t sacrifice or risk losing. It was this understanding of the fragility of memory and a drive to preserve it that helped me understand how important and useful photography could be. I started my photography career with this understanding. My job is to support my clients in the best way I can through photographic imagery. There is something satisfying bringing a part of a supportive element in someone’s life or business. If you’re seeking portraits for family- I’m supporting that families meaningful memories. If it’s a business needing website and marketing imagery- I’m supporting that business’s growth and success. An individual or business is seeking art for personal enjoyment or a business office- I am supporting them by providing what they are looking for. If an artist, musician, model, or entrepreneur seeks me out- I am supporting that individual’s effort and desire to make something of themselves. Photography is my passion and being able to support my clients is in turn supporting my passion and my goals. My gpal with photography is tp provide that support for my clients and help them capture those moments that matter to them. Each photographic project is meaningful to me for this reason.

Kerri, 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?

Well my journey began when I was eight years old getting my first camera and capturing everything that I thought was beautiful or I wanted to share with someone . I didn’t know at the time that I was already putting into practice some very useful skills of photographer. Paying attention to the composition, the lighting and the angles of my images were all things that I did on a daily practice. Photography was just a hobby untill I had that life changing medical experience with seizures effecting my memory.

Once I had gone through that experience and began to heal, I decided to seek to improve my skills in college. My favorite class was film photography, particularly black and white film. Though I absolutely love color, this particular class gave me a huge appreciation for the process of capturing and producing great photos. To say I was an over achiever in this class is a little bit of an understatement. I spent more time on my work and materials than average. My teacher said that I worked like a true professional. Though I had the skills of a good eye, it was my work ethic and the way that I viewed the the assignments that made an impression upon him. I wasn’t there just to get the assignment done or to complete a project task. I was there to create a master piece and true works of art utilizing every skill time and talent that I had. It was through this class that solidified my desire to be a fantastic photographer. I want to usefully and positively impact people’s lives through this skill.

As for my genre, I’ve never been one to settle upon one genre of photography and there’s a good reason for this. I saw so much value in understanding the variety types of photography and the uses they provide. As an artist I realized the importance and understanding that I couldn’t be put into a box. I need to have the freedom to express what was needed and desired with whatever tools and skills I have. This is why my learning journey it will forever be continuous. As for the services that I provide, there is a variety. I provide portraiture, real estate, Fashion, professional, website, marketing, Artist portfolios, fine art, travel photography types and more. My photography services are viewed as functional with the heart of fine art and the compassion of supporting my client’s.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

The lesson I had to unlearn was a huge one. Before I did photography and before my life changing experience, I worked a 9-5 career. It didn’t feed any passion and it paid the bills comfortably and I didn’t entirely hate it. I was doing what I was taught, what was expected and the norm. There is nothing wrong with that but for me it became non successful to keep doing this. I got sick and was debilitated for years. My seizures affected my brain and body. Once healed I had to learn that how to be successful as I am. “Seeking success as you are” became my personal motto. Not to stay in an unsuccessful state but to find success in the midst of my struggle. I didn’t have time nor could I afford to be negative or think ‘poor me’. I had to learn how to be resilient and positive. This resulted in a perspective that has greatly helped me overcome my challenges in life and succeeded in my photography career. Now I view life and it’s challenges like a photography shoot. As a photographer you need to learn how to bend, move, crouch, stretch and minuver in whatever way nessisary to get the successful shot. It’s the dance of a photographer.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

Funding is a constant strategy for sure. I, like many others, need to work out other streams of money for daily living while the balance scales are shifting. Every step every day is progress towards full-time photography as my sole income. At first I had only $50 a month to put towards my business as all other money I had went to living expenses and bills. However every dollar I earned with my photography I put back into my photography upgrading equipment and tools. I’ve had to make my own business cards, website and perform my own marketing to keep moving forward on such a tight budget and it’s worth it. Honestly if you want true growth there should always be money set aside from earnings to invest back into your business and that’s what I do now that its grown. Investing into your business is interesting into you and your future.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kerrimariephotography365.square.site/
• Instagram: kerrimariephotography365

Image Credits
All images are taken and processed my myself Kerri Nasser aka Kerri Marie Photography365