Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kristina Holman. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Kristina thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

Since 2020 I have been a full time photographer. After covid I took the leap after losing my part time job as a bartender to really commit to my creative career. Prior to this I spent 7 years having photography consume about half of my work week. Every time I went in for a shift at my other job I felt that I deserved more. I knew I didn’t want to work a job the rest of my life that felt like a waste of time.

The biggest step that finally got me to let go of my bartending job and pursue photography was lining up consistent clients. When working in a creative field one of the most difficult parts is finding stability or consistent work. I decided to partner with another photography business part time and shoot real estate photography. This job gave me the flexibility to still pursue other clients on my own but have a way to bring in a more consistent income. Overall I think the timeline of how I became a full time creative went exactly the way it needed to.

To this day I still don’t think its necessarily a bad thing to have a part time job support your creative work to avoid burnout. I wish I would have been more easy on myself about that.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Kristina I’m a full time photographer as of right now I specialize in portraits, interior design and hospitality photography. 
I started my photography career with portraits, engagement shoots and weddings in 2013 after about 5 years I realized I wanted a change and aimed to photograph more restaurants, coffee and cocktail bars in the great Tampa, Florida area.

What I’m most proud of over the last 10 years of my photography career is consistently evolving into what I feel fits me best. In a creative career I think its important to let yourself change and do what you feel aligned with instead of feeling you need to only work in one subject. This job has taught me how to be more in tuned with what I really want in a work setting.

When it comes to my photography style, one thing that has been consistent is my love for black and white images. I love how a photo can become timeless when taking away color. I also feel like the viewer is less distracted and can really see the emotion/ subject better without color. One of my goals within the next year is to create a hardcover book of all my favorite black and white images.

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

I think the most rewarding aspect would be the freedom you receive in your art. Sometimes while I’m taking photos or figuring out an edit for a set of images I realize how excited I am to be creating something new and there isn’t many things that liberate me the same as that.

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

The biggest lesson I keep coming up to is the idea that everything I create I’m not meant to love forever. I look at old photos I’ve taken and remember in the past thinking it was the best thing I’ve ever done as time goes on you almost become embarrassed by some of your work. Ive had to take myself out of that mindset countless times to realize thats how you get to where you are in the present. Each piece of art builds on one another.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://krisholman.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/krisholman/

Image Credits
All photo credit to myself: Kristina Holman https://krisholman.com