Meet Karoline Scardino | Photographer

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

Hi Karoline, can you share the most important lesson you’ve learned over the course of your career?
Change is just a new opportunity for growth. That’s what my parents always told me whenever I had to move schools again. I hated that phrase as a kid, but my complicated career path has showed me how right my parents were. I first moved to Texas to be a police officer. I studied criminal justice, and while many of my classmates wanted to become lawyers and work out of corner offices in high rises, I wanted to serve my community as a police officer. Unfortunately, I had a terrible accident on the job and it ended my career. All of a sudden, the career path I had worked so hard for was over. I had no idea what to do next. My husband’s job moved us to Austin. Late one night while surfing Indeed, I found a job posting for a personal stylist. Instantly, it reminded me of when I was 7 and I dreamed of working in the fashion world. I had long forgotten about that dream, but here was an opportunity to make a fresh start and pursue 7-year-old me’s dream. Being a personal stylist is worlds away from being a police officer, but I knew I had to apply. Just to remind myself that I could dream again. I’m still not sure how it happened, but the company offered me a job, and I quickly found that I loved my new career. I enjoyed working as a personal stylist for this company, but I dreamt of being my own boss. So I started freelancing and styling photo shoots. It was during those photo shoots that I fell in love with photography. I became enthralled with the way photographers told stories with their cameras. There’s a kind of magic to photography, the way it invokes emotions and crafts stories with just a single snap. Finally, after all those changes, I knew then what I wanted my long term career to be. I had found my new opportunity for growth.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I think what sets me apart from other photographers is that I don’t see it as a job or even just taking someone’s pictures; I see photography as a way to tell people’s stories whether it’s their birthday, their love story, or their last few weeks before adding a new member to their family. Each person has an amazing story to tell. And I feel lucky to be the one to to help them tell it.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Our first stop is Downtown McKinney. It’s a fun place to take pics (of course), eat good food (shoutout to The Yard), and browse cute shops. Next up is the Stockyards. No trip to Fort Worth is complete without a taste of Texan history. The shops there are perfect for a little wardrobe update Texas style. It’s also the perfect place for some more pictures. Last stop: Tandy Hills Natural Area at sunset for a final photoshoot with the Fort Worth skyline as a stunning backdrop.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Throughout the most difficult years of my life, I had four people who were always by my side supporting me: my parents, my sister, and my husband. Without the four of them, I have no idea where I would be today, but I know I would not be here. They gave me the strength to pursue new dreams and the encouragement to put myself out there when I was terrified of failure.

PersonalKarolineScardino

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

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

Image Credits
Myself (@karolinewithakamera)