We recently connected with Krista Frohling and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Krista thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?
My parents did a lot right. The most important thing that they did was offer their unquestioning support. It’s hard to have your child tell you, “I want to go to art school.” without flinching and asking in return, “OK, but then how will you pay rent?” Both of my parents worked more traditional career paths. My mom was a special education teacher and my dad worked at a factory. However, every step of the way they provided unwavering support for my artistic endeavors. They themselves also have talents and passions in the arts, which I believe truly helped build their empathy for my passions. My father is a talented musician and spent part of his youth playing trumpet in the Midwest Rock Ensemble based in St. Louis, MO. My mother is a talented 2D artist creating intricate bulletin boards and displays for her classroom that attracted the attention of everyone in the school and made her classroom the envy of all the students. Even though they did not personally pursue careers in the arts, they supported my exploration and growth in the arts from a young age. My mother took my sisters and I to summer art classes at the local community college and brought me to piano lessons. She even went so far as to finding me a private tutor so I could make the transition from playing clarinet to bassoon in the school’s band. I felt seen and supported in my efforts. So when I told them I wanted to become a photographer, they unquestionably supported that decision as well and bought me my first camera.
Being told from a young age that you are valuable and your interests are important made a huge impact on my life and career as an artist. Working as an entrepreneur/artist is 50% bravado, 40% grit and determination, and 10% talent. When you truly believe in yourself and your abilities, your potential clients will too. My parents helped instill that confidence in my craft. They still support me today. Whenever possible, they still come to my art exhibitions and cheer me on from the sidelines. I couldn’t have asked for more. I know how lucky and privileged I am to have grown up in a home where those lessons and that endless love and support was available.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I started my career in photography during my senior year of high school working for a local photographer, Mark Beaven. I assisted him during weddings changing film and setting up lights and gear. I learned a lot during that time. So when I was ready to graduate from Webster University with my BA in Photography I began my own wedding photography/portrait business. I also worked events, commercial photography, and the occasional architectural job. The care in lighting and ability to work with artificial lighting really set my portrait photography apart. The combination of on the job training with Mark and my formal training in lighting and commercial photography at Webster set me up for a lot of success.
After running my business for a few years I went back to grad school at SIUCarbondale and obtained my MFA in Mass Communication and Media Arts so I could teach photography at the collegiate level. After many years of working as an adjunct professor across St. Louis, I am now a full time Assistant Professor of Photography at William Woods University in Fulton, MO.
I also participate in fine art photography and have exhibited in a variety of locations in the mid west. My fine art work deals with a variety of topics, but my longest running project and a theme I find myself returning to often, is an exploration of motherhood and the labors of parenting. It’s an on going project in collaboration with my three children ages 5, 5, (yes, twins) and 9. I also enjoy working in silver photography and alternative photographic methods such as cyanotype prints and Polaroid emulsion lifts. I’m conceptually preparing a new project working with my grandmother’s Kodachrome slides and the Polaroid emulsion lift process.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being creative in your experience?
I love the intellectual freedom that comes with being an artist and creative. The idea of wasting away my potential and passions anywhere is incomprehensible to me. Working as a creative individual and especially as an educator, I have the opportunity to share a small piece of myself with the world. Art helps us touch one another and share our grief and triumph, it tells stories and captures the emotional undercurrents of historical events. If through my art I help make even one more person feel less alone. That is a valuable voice.
As a portrait photographer I get to capture family’s history. How cool is that? I’m invited into the happiest moments of people’s lives and the biggest moments of change. I’m there to record and commemorate those times. I love nothing more than showing up to a clients home for a new photoshoot and seeing a wall of my work on display. It feels like the best gallery of work I could create. This work, I know without a doubt, will be loved and cherished.
Through my work as an educator I have the unique opportunity to help nurture and support the newest voices that are just about ready to shine. It’s overwhelmingly rewarding to watch my students progress and grow throughout their time at the university. Daily interactions with such brilliant and engaging individuals helps fuel my desire to create and grow as well. I don’t think the students realize just how much they give back to me as their instructor. I consider myself extremely lucky that I get to spend my days doing what I love most in the world.
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 think what gets overlooked so frequently is the value that art brings to the daily lives of the masses. The first day of art appreciation with non art majors I ask them what role the arts play in their lives. Initially they glaze over and say, “nothing really”, or genuinely struggle to come up with a response. Then I ask them to imagine for a moment a day without music or tv, all content created by artists. Then imagine a day without seeing a photograph or interacting with an element of graphic design. What about the clothing you wear and the design of the phone you’re using right now? What about the building you are in? Those are all elements of your life that are touched by artists. When arts education is cut, they are devaluing the culture, recorded history, and entire foundation of so much of our daily lives. People don’t see and realize that. By the end of the semester, my non-art majors are able to fully appreciate and realize the value that art brings to their lives and the daily roles of art in society.
Contact Info:
- Website: kristarosephoto.com and lamorerose.com
- Instagram: @kristarosephoto
- Facebook: @LAmoreRosePhoto and @KristaRosePhoto
- Twitter: @lamorerosephoto
Image Credits
All images ©Krista Rose Frohling