Once upon a time my father build a darkroom in the basement of our house. Everyday this tiny little room sat unused and for my safety I was told not to touch anything. When nobody was around I would sneak into the darkroom and with wide eyes would stare in awe at the cool gadgetry. I was fascinated with the process and wanted to learn how to create pictures. At the time, developing film seemed liked magic and was granted to those who studied sorcery. Because of this I started to look for photography courses that would help me learn this black magic. As luck would have it, the school I was attending had a course in photography. After a little bit of coaching I learned how to mix chemicals and process both film and prints. I was like a young Walter White in my latex gloves and lab coat.

I started to spend hours and hours trying to perfect each print. As much as I liked working in the darkroom there were major problems with the process. The chemicals were toxic, it was time consuming, and the room needed special treatment to handle this type of work. As I moved around to different cities this aspect of my photography took a back seat. One day in 2008 I was taking a few photographs with a friend's digital camera and I was blow away with the quality. Because of that I decided to purchase my first professional digital camera. This led to a desire to learn photoshop and an array of editing software. I began watching every tutorial I could find on photoshop. My whole world turned upside down. The hours I spent in the darkroom could now be done in seconds with photoshop. Mind = Blown!

I have spent many years studying and learning all aspects of photography and digital post processing. Because of this I bring a wide range of skills to each session. 

WHY CHOOSE ME?

I know there are many great photographers to choose from, so I think it's important to know what differentiates me from the rest. First, to create great images a photographer needs to build trust with their client. Trust doesn't happen overnight and most photographers are not willing to put in the time it takes understand their client needs. Before any image is taken I work with the client to uncover exactly what they are looking for and how the images will impact their business or personal story. Second, I make every session feel like a vacation. It's important to laugh and have fun. Creating this type of atmosphere always gets the best images. Third, some photographers only offer one kind of photography, or they have limited photoshop skills, or their turnaround takes weeks or even months. Not only do I have one of the fastest turnaround times in the business  I also deliver high quality images that have been carefully edited with the most current techniques in digital photography. Finally, I will use any photographic lightning technique to achieve the desired result for the client. I pride myself on being limitless for each and every client! 

Lately, I've been diving into video production and using my music background to score video projects (see my media page).  My music chops come from years of study and teaching music. I have a degree from Berklee College of Music in music production as well as an MBA from San Jose State University.  For more info on music please visit my music site http://www.christopher-ohara.com

Photography influences: Michael Muller, Joey L, Jermey Cowart, John Keatley, Richard Avedon, James Nachtwey, Annie Leibovitz, Herb Ritts, Edward Weston, Ansel Adams, Dave Hill, Joel Grimes and too many others to mention.