Meet Chris Ossenfort | Professional Advertising Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Chris Ossenfort and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Chris, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Having a creative outlet has always been part of my life.  I grew up in a small town with a supportive artist community, surrounded by painters, sculptures, potters, skilled craftsmen, and musicians.  Creating was just an everyday part of life.  At the age of 16, when using a professional camera for the first time, while attempting to create images to use for drawing and painting, I realized I would be doing photography the rest of my life.   Landing in the freelance world of fashion and advertising, at age 20, as a photo assistant, my goal, at the time, was survival more than anything. Luckily the industry was booming then and my dedication to hard work allowed me to climb the ladder quickly. 

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
What a ride it’s been.  From being backstage with my favorite bands, to exotic beaches and jungles, travelling the world over, and all the amazing people along the way, this career has given so much to me.  The ability to do what I love and create, and have those campaigns afford not only financial peace of mind, but a sense of accomplishment as well, is something I could have never imagined when I started.  I’m most often hired for my technical ability and my love of graphic results.  It takes developing the right team and then trusting them to do their jobs to accomplish my goal. When you have the right people around you, success will build on itself.  I have shot for many successful brands like Kate Spade, Michael Kors, Angela Scott, Diesel, Karl Lagerfeld, and several others. Staying true to their brand while giving it the graphic look that comes with my work has been an enjoyable challenge.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
My recreation is always split between anything that is a new or better experience or creative endeavors, anywhere with live music, good conversation, and great food.  Sundown is always a safe bet.  Anywhere with a personality and ambience that adds to the conversation is always good. Ruins in Deep Ellum offers those experiences. Swizzle on lowest Greenville would probably be a great place to get out of the heat.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
The list of people that I owe my success to is endless. Everyone that I spend any time with tends to have a strong impact on the journey of my life, but of course there are some that should be mentioned above others. My mother and father for allowing me to be a creative and imparting so much wisdom and empathy on me. My brother JP created a safety net that allowed me to take risks and fail, and on the road to success, one will fail several times. Of the uncountable number of mentors I’ve had, Philip Bower, Phillip Esparza, and Wade Livingston, truly took me under their wings and made me feel like family. Of course, I have to mention my wife Natalie, who has been the stable rock that allows me to embrace/enjoy my creative chaos. And hundreds if not thousands of others help should be credited as well. It really does take a village.

Website: www.ChrisOssenfort.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrisossenfortphoto

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-ossenfort-3b05a919

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chrisossenfortphoto/