Member Spotlight: Kristen Ghiraldi

You capture everything from quiet landscapes to high-energy street scenes. When you head out with your camera, do you find yourself in a different headspace depending on the subject, or is there a common 'thread' that connects all your work?

No matter where I am I like to capture places that evoke a feeling. Most of the time when I am out with my camera I try to go with the flow of the environment around me whether I am on a hike or walking the streets of New York City. A common thread in a lot of my photos are landscapes and nature since that is what made me fall in love with photography and is where I draw a lot of inspiration for my work. I also love to travel and a lot of my work is part of an ongoing project where I document all my travels on film. Photography is very therapeutic for me and as an introverted person it helps me capture the beauty of the world around me and tell stories through my own visual perspective. 

What has been your favorite part of being in the Camera of the Month Club? Has the community pushed you to experiment with a genre you might not have tried on your own?

My favorite part of being in Camera of the Month Club is seeing everyone’s work at each meeting. I find it to be so inspiring and I love seeing how everyone interprets photography in their own unique way. The talent and the feedback from the community has helped me look at my work in a different light and has challenged me to push myself as a photographer. A lot of my work is predominantly focused on places and CMC has inspired me to want to incorporate more people in my photography, whether it be through street photography or portrait work.

Do you prefer shooting film or digital? What is it about that specific medium that helps you best capture the diverse range of subjects you're drawn to?

I was introduced to photography through film so it’s always been a medium that’s been near and dear to my heart. My grandpa had his own darkroom when I was growing up and I was always fascinated with the process and love that went into his photographs. I appreciate how film helps me slow down and really think about what I am capturing. I have been dabbling in digital photography lately and even though it is very new to me I am having fun with it and enjoying the process. I hope to have some digital work to share with the CMC community within the next few months!

We’d love to see the world through your lens. Could you share 3–5 of your favorite images from any genre and tell us the story behind the one that challenged you the most to capture?

I love these photos for their simplicity. I am a strong believer that quiet and stillness speak volumes especially in a world that feels very chaotic and uncertain. My most challenging image was the one that I took at Fenway Park. I am not a baseball fan by any means but I was determined to take a few photos of the stadium without any people or distractions in the background. This was not easy since there were several tour groups walking around the stadium that day and they were also setting up for a concert so I was very uncertain how the photos were going to come out. All and all everything worked out and I was able to capture a few shots that I still really love to this day.