April 17, 2017

Meet Christopher Martin of Chris James Media in West Hollywood

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Christopher Martin.

Christopher, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My story is like a very windy road. I grew up in Orange Country, and dropped out of high school in order to work in music promotion, culminating in a historic concert in Southern California, which had an attendance of about 10,000 trend setting surfer/skater/rockers, which closed with an unforgettable ending. From there I was signed by L.A. Models and gained a great deal of experience working in modeling, fashion, and entertainment. I began to long for what I left behind in high school, so It was at that time that I decided to finish my education. I worked my butt off at Santa Monica college where I also began to study photography, and transferred to UCLA where I received a degree in Global Studies, and Film. From the very beginning, photography was a passion, so after finishing college, I decided to make it my livelihood. Since then I have followed a business model focused on capturing the intimate elements of life in Los Angeles; from a family’s first days with their adopted newborn, to pop singers on the stage, to portraits for Huffington Post.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road has most definitely not been smooth, but it hasn’t been boring either. My work is closely linked to my life experiences. Dropping out of high school was a huge struggle that made graduating from UCLA all the more sweet. I’ve spent my whole life in southern California and I feel my story is truly unique, so I seek that out in others with my photography; looking for what it is that makes all of us here so unique. It is my biggest strength professionally.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Chris James Media – what should we know?
Chris James Media is a technology based, media agency that embraces creative diversity. We provide out-of-the-box solutions to a global range of projects. As a business model, we keep overhead low by working with a network of design/creative professionals on a project basis. So, if we are shooting a wedding for example, there would be all the traditional photographic services, but we additionally offer more unique services. Our creative team can reserve the web domain, build the website, and create digital invites. Our media team can get drone footage of the wedding or engagement party for the wedding video. Our second photographic team can create a custom photo booth, and so forth. This format of team building has worked on projects ranging from commercial shoots for fitness products sold at Costco, to stewardship campaigns for non-profits, even to first birthday parties. Our creativity and adaptability It is both what sets us apart and what I am most proud of.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Resilience is by far the quality that is most important to mine and my company’s success. I am a problem solver and my company is a solution provider. We are the antidote to cookie-cutter photos and videos, with a very specific southern California attitude. When I am shooting, I have a difficult time saying “that’s a wrap”. I always feel like that next shot is going to be the one we just could not have missed! I also love volunteering for my church, as well as my LGBT community. It is hard to separate myself from my company, and I think that is a good thing.

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