Meet Casey Elise Christopher

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Casey Elise Christopher. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Casey Elise below.

Casey Elise, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.

I found my purpose when I adopted my kitten in 2014 from my local animal shelter. When I saw the quality of the photos of the adoptable animals, I knew I could use my photography skills to help get more animals adopted. I started volunteering at the shelter, photographing the cats and dogs, and posted them online. I made social media accounts about my photographing and started posting my kitten as well as adoptable animals. I started photographing for rescues in and around Los Angeles and then brands and pet owners started reaching out to hire me to photo for them as well.

In the last ten years, I’ve fostered over 150 cats and kittens, often taking kittens with special needs or medical issues. I like taking on challenging cases so I can learn something new, keep improving my skills as a kitten rescuer, and share my newfound knowledge with others. I’ve fostered cats missing eyes or limbs or tails, paralyzed cats, cats with deformities, cats with cerebellar hypoplasia, cats with cancer, and cats in need of hospice care.

I’ve photographed approximately 10,000 cats and kittens in shelters and rescues in the last decade, raising much-need funds for veterinary care, as well as increasing awareness of the overcrowded shelters in Los Angeles, the crisis that is kitten season, and the need for low-cost spay neuter.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I am a photographer who specializes in cats and kittens. I love photographing cats being themselves and I aim to capture their individual personalities. I primarily use photography to raise awareness about animals who are typically overlooked. I also fundraise for rescues for veterinary care and promote adoption.

Aside from photographing adoptable animals, I take photos for brands and for pet owners. I will happily photo cats and dogs. I love photographing animals happy in their homes with their families and giving their owners photos showcasing their pet’s beauty, character, and quirks.

My website is CaseyElisePhotography.com

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Growth Mindset – Being open to learning, staying curious, and constantly seeking ways to improve my work are essential. I have learned a lot about marketing (for both myself and the animals) and proper lighting for portrait photography.

Creativity – You need to always be changing and improving to stay relevant. I go through phases of what I like to, what kinds of photos I like to shoot and am open to taking risks and making mistakes.

Empathy – It’s important to connect with the animals that I photograph so I can capture their personality and soul through the photo.

For those early in their journey, my advice is to seek out opportunities to collaborate and engage with others. The more people you meet and connections you make, the better. These can lead to more jobs, donations, learning opportunities, and future collaborations.

What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?

My biggest area of growth in the last 12 months is learning patience and celebrating progress, however small it may be. This year I’ve been caring for a little blind cat with multiple health issues and it has been extremely stressful and challenging and also immensely rewarding and beautiful.

I’ve fostered about 150 cats and kittens, but this cat has my heart and I would do anything for him.

I’ve learned a lot of new medical skills in caring for him, which is great for my rescue work, and watching him improve has been such a joy. He calms me down and slows me down and shows me that everyone has their own timeline and that’s ok.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Casey Elise Christopher

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