50 Essential Portrait Photographers: Anastasia Chomlack of Anastasia Photography

I put a call out to my Twitter followers asking for recommendations for portrait photographers. I received the following message from @KellyDiels: “@anastasiaphotog is BRILLIANT.” And no kidding.

Anastasia Chomlack sees beauty. She’s known for honing in on a subject’s quirks, its essence or inner strength, and lets shooting situations evolve organically. Her easy manner with the young and not so young alike make her a perfect fit for the family sessions that have become her calling card.

Why did you get into photography?

Traveling through India and Thailand as a collage student taught me how to “see beauty” in the unexpected. I learned how to see light and shape and I learned how to “see” people, interaction – and joy. I picked up my camera and could not put it down. That passion carried over to when I had babies – and to my friendships as they had babies. Eventually that led to phone calls requesting I take photos – babies turned to families turned to weddings, turned to commercial work. Now I photograph whatever comes up and whatever brings me life.

Tell us a bit about your company.

Anastasia Photography specializes in lifestyle portraiture – a fancy way to say a little of everything. It started with just me “Stace” (Anastasia is my FULL hippie name) and as weddings and commercial got added in the mix, it grew to incorporate my husband Chad who has a background in photojournalism. We have grown quickly and established a fantastic reputation mostly via word of mouth. As a family business and as a mom with two little ones at home, that just works perfectly for us!! We have been able to travel a lot through the last three years and hope that travel will always be a huge part of what we do. We have been to Fiji, throughout the US and hope this year to add India.

How would you characterize your style of photography?

Fresh, clean. Super fun and natural. Lots of moments captured and interaction.

Who are your clients?

Oh, anyone. Young families. New moms. Kids stores. People who are drawn to photography as an art form wanting to capture something important to them and they like the way I “see.”

What should your mom clients expect when working with you?

A coffee date. A walk in the park or to a funky part of town. I have been told that people feel like I have been there friend for forever, or like a sister. It is always easy and natural. We chat and laugh. I play with the kids, run around, roll in the leaves, play tag and chase. And then at the end, the product is these amazing memories.

Anything else to add?

I don’t think so – just that I love what I do. I am passionate about photography and capturing real life. And I love showing families how I see them. I come in with new eyes, new perspective. I notice the glance and the details, the hand grasp, and I tell the story. I love that. I feel honored that this is my job!!