Can you believe it?! TEN YEARS. Ten years of photographing newborns and families. Ten years of growth inside and out. Ten years of trusting me with your most prized possessions! What a whirlwind and what a great blessing to have you all in my life!
My interest in photography began back in middle school when disposable cameras were still commonly used for those who didn’t have a “real camera.” The thrill of taking a camera into Walmart and finding out what was inside was something I lived for! When I got the images back, I aways made sure to share copies with my friends. My first digital camera was a Kodak DC 3200. Although it felt giant in my hands, I loved being able to see what the image looked like immediately after taking the photo. Instant gratification! That is the first camera I remember owning.
When I entered high school, I enrolled in a film photography course. My grandma gifted me my first (and only) film camera. Although I didn’t stick with film, the class did inspire me to continue to follow my interest in photography.
My love for all things tiny
I began my career as a nurse in 2010. In 2012, when we settled in Charlotte, I was able to secure a position in the NICU. I dreamed of working with preemies for so long and that dream finally came to fruition! It turned out to be a great fit for me, and I am still employed there today.
My love for all things tiny was so great that spending time with them in the NICU just wasn’t enough. I invested in a DSLR camera sometime around 2010 or 2011. It was a Canon Rebel T2i, which is a great starter camera! Fast forward to late 2013, a college friend asked me photograph her newborn. She wanted to do the session outdoors in November, and I agreed. I was hesitant and wondered how a newborn would feel being outdoors in the winter, but it actually went really well and the baby slept the whole time. I got lucky with that one!
And so it began!
Ten years ago, in December 2013, I shared the results of that very first newborn session on Facebook. I didn’t have a website, a portfolio, or branding of any kind. I truly started from scratch and let things grow organically. After all, I didn’t want to invest a lot into this new business if I wasn’t sure whether or not I had an artistic eye.
That first year was the perfect time to explore the sessions that I was most interested in and decide on a specific genre. So I took on anything and everything that came my way! Different lighting situations challenged me. Unpredictable children challenged me. I grew from every situation and learned to roll with the punches. I look back on some of those portraits, and I can definitely think of things I’d do differently now, but I had to learn somehow!
The highlights
2014
I officially created a Facebook page for Krista Gantt Photography. I started offering to photograph friends and their children to get more practice using my camera and editing software.
2015
My photography business exploded! I got a website and started posting my work to the blog. I felt a little more “official.” I learned and grew and photographed so many families. I photographed a few weddings as a second shooter with my friend Julie Staley of Old South Homes (previously Old South Studios). I also discovered that weddings aren’t for me! I didn’t mind second shooting, but I didn’t want the pressure of being the one ultimately responsible for catching those one-time moments.
2016
I started my free NICU portrait program with the help of an organization called Pierce’s Project, which has since been acquired by Bee Mighty. This program has been a fun and rewarding way to merge my love of NICU babies with photography, all while providing a free service to NICU families in the Charlotte region.
I entered a photo contest at the Neonatal Association of Neonatal Nurses. My winning image was published on the cover of their journal, Advances in Neonatal Care.
The Baby Summit in Atlanta in the fall of 2016 was a highlight of my career. Seeing so many photographers I followed for years in person - and learning from them in a small group setting - was phenomenal. That was my first experience with in-person learning, and it was an exhilarating introduction into the big world of newborn photographers.
2017
My studio got a big upgrade this year to accommodate my growing business. I converted a room in my home to a studio and added hardwood floors, which made cake smashes a possibility! We also started our annual tradition of private sessions with Santa.
Click Magazine approached me about publishing my NICU portraits along with some tips for photographing preemies. I’m not much of a writer, but I wrote an article and sent over some of my favorite images of NICU babies. I was pleased that they wanted to published my work in their May/June 2017 issue. I didn’t have a goal to be published, but this made for the second time, and both times were such a fun surprise. There’s nothing like seeing your work in print, especially when you know it’s going to be in a lot of other people’s hands as well!
I went on another trip, this time across the country to Santa Barbara, for a photography retreat with a national association of photographers. It was a much smaller group of ladies but still very informative.
I spent a lot of time and money on education, joining online learning platforms and educating myself more specifically in newborn photography. I learned so much about editing and was able to bring significantly more consistency to my work.
2018
I became a mom! Evan changed everything for my family. I was really able to grasp just how fast childhood goes and to see the value in photography for myself. I started making annual family yearbooks just to have something for him to look back on when he’s older. So much happens throughout the years and there’s no way to remember everything… Photos are the way to go!
2019
I had the opportunity to put up NICU portraits at Novant Hemby Children’s Hospital in their family room. This was huge for me, as it meant more exposure to other NICU families but also the opportunity to celebrate the work I have done in the NICU.
I spent the year learning how to balance motherhood, owning a business, being a nurse, etc. with my 1 year old in tow. I also tried boudoir portraits and decided it wasn’t for me.
2020
Like so many small businesses in 2020, things slowed down for me significantly this year. I was thankful for the opportunity to spend extra time with my husband, Michael, and son, Evan. I was finally able to reduce my hours at the hospital, but that came with a price. I had to go back to night shift. I also finally took the plunge and upgraded to a mirrorless camera! I was a little worried about adjusting to it, but it turned out to be an easy transition.
2021
Studio sessions, Santa sessions, and NICU portraits resumed after a hiatus. It took me a little while to get things back up and running and get back into the rhythm of an increased workload. I branched out and tried a few new types of sessions that didn’t get much traction, but you win some, you lose some!
2022
I hired my first employee, Lauren, to help me with many aspects of the behind the scenes work that this business requires. The business had grown even more, and with the increase in volume of photos I was taking, that meant it was time to focus on getting things organized on the back end. I was able to truly focus on doing the parts of photography that I love and couldn’t outsource. The rest was in Lauren’s hands. She helped me accomplish more in a shorter time, which led to an increased turnaround time for my clients.
I began offering NICU sessions at a second hospital in Charlotte, NC and introduced 3 new and very popular mini sessions (see more here). This is when I was really thankful for Lauren! The increased volume of sessions and scheduling extra clients was a lot to coordinate.
2023
I got very specific with the sessions I took on. I started homeschooling Evan and really felt the pull to slow down even more. After 10 years in the business, it was time to find a new balance and carve out more time for family.
4 cameras, 8 lenses, and 10 years later, I’m proud of how I’ve grown and incredibly thankful for all of the special people I’ve met along the way!
What’s coming in 2024?
I’ll be focused on serving my Luxury Membership clients throughout the new year. My favorite work is always done with the clients I spend the most time with. I’m able to get to know them, and their children get to know me - and we have fun together! When work is fun, it doesn’t feel like work anymore.
I’ll be spending my time photographing these families and designing albums and other products to make their photo visions come to life!
Make sure to follow me on @kristaganttphotography on Instagram to see where the new year takes me!