Today we’d like to introduce you to Chris Rusanowsky.
Chris, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I started photography when I was a young man, I moved to California when my parents divorced and found myself in a place that I knew little about. I was surrounded by gang activity in my neighborhood and was a bit of a loner during those early years. My grandmother one day gave me an old film camera and took me out to photograph in Catalina Island. I was hooked instantly.
I started to photograph my neighborhood and opened up to my surroundings, photography became a passion and I told myself that if I wanted to get the pictures I wanted, I must eliminate all comfort zones. Later in life, I started learning how to shoot with studio equipment from a local studio in Riverside. I attend group shoots and started setting up my own small productions.
Later in my career, Los Angeles, fashion companies like Travis Barker clothing company Famous Stars and Stripes started to contact me to photograph their products for catalogs and advertisements. This broke the threshold of being an amateur to professional.
Photojournalism came later on in my photography. When my father was deployed to Iraq, I started to pay more attention to current affairs. I saw images coming out of Iraq and knew this was the type of work I wanted to pursue. I started to apply myself in editorial projects; around the United States and out of the country.
Documentary has become my bread and butter, I apply storytelling methods to all my work; weddings, corporate, portraits, events, and non-profit work.
Has it been a smooth road?
Photography has never been an easy road. It takes a lot of passion and sacrifice to pursue this industry. I have worked many hard labor jobs to save funds for projects and my businesses. There have been many opportunities in my life that have missed out on due to balancing personal life and photography.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Chris Rusanowsky Photography story. Tell us more about the business.
I currently own two companies; Three Cameras, which provides clients with documentary style wedding coverage. Documentary style coverage falls under the fine arts and reportage style of photography. I capture emotion and light to narrate a convey body of work for my clients. The tools I use to reach this goal is a multimedia arsenal of tools; images, video, and sound come into play.
My second company is a freelance base company that I operate alone at most times. I create photo essays and documentaries for magazines, news media and commercial clients, like hospitals or Non-Profits.
I am proud of the connections and work I have made since I started to work full time as a photographer. It was never an easy road but I stuck with it. I believe that photography is an important communication tool in today’s world. I provide just that, I create bodies of work that help others with their cause, creation or their lives. What sets me apart from my competition is bringing a create a new look to how I photograph people. I don’t follow trends, I believe in developing a unique style that can be recognized as yours.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I see my industry on a roller coaster path. With the internet today, it has become a hard market to master, especially photojournalism. But I also see more need for quality stories and media. I can only speak for myself, I have goals to create images that will change policies in this country, images that will share the beauty of other people lives to help unite us together. I love what I do and love doing it with others. As long as there is someone that wants a professional take their picture, I feel I will always have a job.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.chrisrusanowsky.com
- Phone: 562-453-5796
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrisrusanowsky/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christopher.rusanowsky
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/chrisrusanowsky
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/three-cameras-riverside-2
- Other: www.three-cameras.com
Image Credit:
All images created by Chris Rusanowsky
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