Meet Kristina Svirskaite | Lifestyle Photographer

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

Hi Kristina, where are you from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
I was born and raised in Lithuania. It was still during Soviet Union times, so we didn’t have much. We didn’t have fancy things, we didn’t have lavish vacations. We just enjoyed each other: playing outside with friends, camping, and gardening. I was a tomboy, always climbing trees and helping my dad fix cars. My dad also had this old film camera and I grew up watching him take photos and develop them in his dark room. I have this faint memory of standing in his dark room and watch the images emerge right in front of me. I was so fascinated by it!

My dad got me my first film camera when I was fairly young. I was always taking photos. It was something that I always did and I never thought anything special of it. Once I had my son, photography gave me a special meaning. Made me want to freeze those moments to make them last forever. Whenever I travel back to Lithuania, till this day one of my favorite things is to look at the albums of photos that my dad took. The power of image! It freezes time, it takes us back. I want to do that for others.
The way I grew up, it truly helps me to appreciate the little things, it made me humble.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a lifestyle family photographer. I focus on capturing candid and raw moments. When you look at the photos, I want you to feel them. I want you to remember how it felt that day. We laugh, we cry, and we make memories.

I don’t have any expectations for my sessions. I don’t have a set shot list. It’s not about me posing you and making you look a certain way, it’s about you and your family! I am just there to capture that love you have for each other. My biggest compliment I get from my families, saying how I truly capture the essence of their family and connection. 

Was it easy to get started? I would say yes! I never stopped taking photos. Once I had my son, I discovered lifestyle family photography genre and I never looked back. I remember, I had thousands of photos of my son and my mom just said “since you love this so much, why don’t you take photos of other families?” The next day I did a model call in a local mommy group. I photographed 10 families within two weeks and by the end of the month, I had my website, social media accounts and my business was up and running. Of course, there are times when you get discouraged, I still have my corporate job, a toddler. Some days it’s a lot! Some days you just wonder if you are chasing a dream, but I love this so much and I can’t see myself not doing it.
I pour my heart and my soul into photography. It’s not about the money, it’s not about having a hobby, it’s about me truly trying to make those memories for you. These kids grow up so fast! I want to freeze those images of little toes, you snuggling against your babies, because you’ll blink… and they’ll be all grown up.

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.
Buford highway for yummy food, most likely Food terminal. Take a stroll on the Beltline for people watching and hopefully finish up the way watching sunset at Arabia mountain. I’ve only lived in Atlanta for about 5 years, but I fell in love with the city. So many different people, so many different cultures, views on life!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
When I started my photography journey, I was really blown away by the support of other photographers. I am truly thankful to my son’s newborn photographer Sarah the owner of The Morgan Studio, who guided me and helped me to get this started. When you start your business you don’t realize how much it goes into it. Taking photos is just a small portion of everything else. Taxes, licenses, platforms, subscriptions… the list goes on! It can get overwhelming! Sarah was so patient and always answered any questions I had. It’s important to have those mentors in your life, because it’s easy to get discouraged and give up. And of course, a shoutout to my son’s dad. He always reminds me to be patient, not to get discouraged and just slowly keep pushing forward.

Website: www.kristinasvphotography.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/kristinasvphotography

Facebook: www.facebook.com/kristinasvphotography

Image Credits
Miriam Hoffmann Photography