A Year in Review: Highlights from 2022 at Christi Baker Photography
Whoa, 2022 was quite a year filled with the most amazing squishy dog faces on the planet and the best part, I got to photograph some seriously remarkable dogs!
In May, I left my corporate gig to pursue pet and dog photography full-time! It was both insanely scary and exciting to pursue this niche that is not exactly mainstream and build my very own business. Don’t get me wrong, my corporate gig was both intellectually stimulating and full of amazing people, but for a long time I felt a gravitational pull towards both photography and entrepreneurship. The moment to make my move finally arrived.
To back up a bit, since I was a little girl I dreamed of owning a business one day. The vision on what that business would be eluded me for a long time, and then finally the concept crashed into me like a giant wave. I’ve worked to build my skillsets and build my business. This clarity arrived with some amazing dog faced friends and opportunities to dive in headfirst.
Kicking off summer Abby, the spunky golden doodle, was such a fun session in a local Atlanta park. It is amazing to me that as a photographer, I can make something that is in the hustle and bustle of over 5 million people look like it could be captured anywhere. That was truly the magic of her session!
I held some wonderful portfolio building sessions with several adorable dogs from the city and we ventured out to some exciting places for sessions.
I’m always dreaming up new concepts and projects. Occasionally, I share information about the opportunities with the CBP community, so get plugged in and you’ll be the first to know about special opportunities.
One of my most memorable creations of 2022, was photographing Loki, the Corgi, in Piedmont Park. Literally, the star of his mom’s world, he rocked his photo session. This session pushed me creatively in capturing the essence of an adventure in the city combined with classic dog portraiture. I had so much fun trying new ideas and teaming up with Loki and his amazing parents.
One of the wildest adventures of my year was traveling to Spain for a pet photography retreat in Barcelona, called Barkelona. Yep, you heard that right! It is the most idyllic and a wonderful name. I truly found my people, just as dog obsessed and with incredible passion for photographing the unique personality of each dog. Barkelona was filled with learning time from some of the world’s best dog photographers, on-location photography with some super special dog models, incredible chef prepared meals (that I still dream about), and a horseback riding adventure to top it all off. Most importantly, I made new lifelong friendships. Dog people are special people, and they are my kind of people.
In a not too distant future, I traveled to London to visit family for the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday. With the help of some wonderful friends, I had the opportunity to photograph Calyspso, a gorgeous Husky & German Shepherd mix. She was gentile with the sweetest disposition to everyone around, except the squirrels. She was keen on destroying the squirrels. What can I say, that’s most dogs. Photographing an incredible subject in a picturesque park in London is a dream come true.
To close out the year, one gazelle like dog sprinted past me and created her own wind! I thought I was going to spin out into 2023! This pup is Beep and never have I been so excited to photograph a dog in action. She is seriously INCREDIBLE. Beep is a Collie Whip living in Colorado and ready for an adventure! (Images coming soon)
There are more than a few things I learned in 2022 but most importantly, be open to opportunity and to not beat yourself down. It sounds cliché, but I’ve done things that felt impossible just a short time ago. I’ve connected with the most amazing friends, many new and a few friends that I hadn’t seen in many years. I see now that dogs are what help me connect with people, because dogs are truly the best.
