My love of Photography started with my dad.  On my 10th birthday he gave me my first camera.  I was a natural from the start; I didn't know what composition was; yet my photos had it.  By the time I graduated from High School I was well known in my small circle for being able to capture the "true essence" of the people and objects I was photographing.  The artists that influence me the most are the German Expressionists, Vincent Van Gogh, Edvard Munch, Dorothea Lange, & Robert Frank.  My goal as an artist is not to make a "pretty picture," but rather, to capture the true essence of my subject matter, as I see it.  My life experiences, personality, viewpoints, and mood all play a major role in each piece.  The resulting work, therefore, tends to be dark and emotionally charged. I am moving toward studies of light, digital & 3-D collage.

Christa A. Stein