Hi! I'm christopher cleary, a photographer based in south Florida.
my photography journey began in middle school. i loved messing around with disposable cameras & the family camera. in high school i was gifted my first true digital camera, a canon powershot s100 Digital ELPH! That little camera captured so many memories throughout high school & into my college years. After taking a few b&w film photography classes in college with our family camera, a Minolta xg7, i grew interested in digital slr photography, but never ended up buying a suitable camera.
around the same time camera phone quality was "good enough" for capturing the various shows, events, festivals, parties, etc i helped facilitate in the 2010s. During this time i looked up to the folks i would see taking professional photographs at these same venues, but convinced myself i could never afford the "pro" gear, so digital photography wasn't for me. years passed, memories made, but no photographs to show for it. next thing you know 10 years have passed and there's barely any images of that time in my life.
The global pandemic upended the world, but helped me slow down a bit & appreciate the little things, the still moments, & the memories of past days. In the 2020s i moved to home to south Florida to be closer to family, & am glad i did. my younger brother suddenly & unexpectedly passed away on 3/14/2024. this event thrust me into such a period of immense grief & sadness. In the days and months that dragged on after, i noticed the absence of photographs from around the same time period of his life as mine.
That's when i decided i would become my family's archivist. Capturing present & future moments , digitization of our old photos, vhs & video8/high8 tapes, & organizing everything for us to enjoy later! I've dedicated much of my time to learning the best practices & methodologies in the field of digital photography & media digitization. AS i progress i will add to this portfolio. i hope you enjoy my portfolio & are inspired by my work.
Photography Gear: Canon eos 5d mark ii, various canon ef lenses