about Karisa

behind the lens

I am 24 years old and currently live in Arlington, VA. My husband and I just moved here from Clearwater, FL in June of 2023 and we are LOVING it so far! For a gal who grew up near the beach, it has definitely been an adjustment but I am shockingly finding that I love the hustle-and-bustle of the city life, the opportunity to meet so many new people, and being in an entirely new city (it's like a new adventure every day--even going to the grocery store 😂). Plus, I have to admit that it's pretty freaking cool to see the Washington Monument & the Capitol building on a daily basis!

My husband and I have been married since 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, hence our recent move here to Virginia. We actually lived apart for 2+ years before we moved here to VA (he was previously stationed in Puerto Rico), so we are really enjoying the fact that we live together again! 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!