about Karisa

behind the lens

I am 24 years old and currently live in Clearwater, FL. I moved here from Tulsa, OK when I was 5 years old but since I grew up here, Florida will always be considered my home ♥ But don't worry--you can still hear the country accent come out every now and again LOL!

I married my best friend on October 21, 2022! Nick and I first met in Clearwater in May of 2020 and haven't looked back since then. Nick is also in the Coast Guard and is currently stationed in Puerto Rico, so I frequently fly out to see him and our sweet golden retriever, Riley ♥ We will be moving to WASHINGTON DC in June of 2023! Through all of our struggles of being apart, he has always been my number one support and probably one of the most understanding people I've ever met. I am so proud to be his wife ♥

When Nick was first sent to Puerto Rico, I was still working as a Registered Nurse and did travel nursing for about a year. Even with the newfound flexibility that came with travel nursing, I found myself becoming exceedingly burnt out and no longer in love with what was once a passion for me. In an attempt to find an outlet to relieve the stress and anxiety, I picked up my camera again for the first time in YEARS.

My passion for photography first showed itself when I was 8 years old. I had found some old rinky-dink point-and-shoot camera that had been tossed in a drawer and forgotten about for years (that is, until I discovered it). I recall trotting over to my neighbor's as they had these pretty pink Powder Puff flowers in bloom. The detail of the photo mesmerized me, and ever since then, I was hooked. Well, almost.

the photograph that started it all...

Photography always interested me from that point on, but I must confess that my interest did wax and wane over the years. Schoolwork, getting my first job, head-over-heels for high school boyfriends. Ya know, the works. Finally, the passion was reignited when I was 22. I was sitting in my temporary apartment out in California frustrated over schoolwork (I was taking online classes towards my Bachelors) and nursing in general. Then it hit me--why not pick up my camera and get to work with it? If I could build a business out of this, I could escape the chains of nursing and be free to express my creativity in a beautiful way while still being able to help those in need. And here I am now, ready to capture beautiful moments for beautiful people!