Meet Brandy Melville’s young photographer, Krissy Saleh, whose motto is ‘Glorifying God’s creations through photography’
Interview by Lauren Engel
Tell us about your upbringing
I live in a city where going to college and becoming a doctor or a lawyer is very important. I decided to be that one weird kid who wanted to be a photographer and just attend community college then transfer. Luckily, my family was very supportive. I can’t thank my family enough for being so supportive and helping me live my dreams. I feel like if I didn’t have such supportive parents I wouldn’t be where I am today. My family does not practice any art, but they do appreciate it.
Do you do photography full-time?
Yes! And I love it! :)
What do you love about capturing people?
I love capturing the subject’s personality in a photo and having the audience connect with them. I like to show people’s beauty. I try to photograph people with the most beautiful personalities so other people can see how beautiful they are. I also love it when I show the photos to the subjects and they get excited and really like the photos. It’s a fun feeling.
“I feel like photographing can help someone get over their insecurities. I like to help people feel beautiful and show them that even though no one is perfect they are still beautiful to me. Insecurity is such a huge thing in this industry and I hate seeing people beat themselves up for not being “perfect”.”
Define ‘Glorifying God’s creations through photography’?
So, I am Christian. I put it in my bio so people know that everything I do is for God. I also put it in my bio because I feel like by photographing all the people I do its glorifying God. I feel like photographing can help someone get over their insecurities. I like to help people feel beautiful and show them that even though no one is perfect they are still beautiful to me. Insecurity is such a huge thing in this industry and I hate seeing people beat themselves up for not being “perfect”. Everyone struggles with this, even models. Models are constantly told they are not good enough. People in general, just compare themselves to everyone. We all have this twisted perspective on what is perfect, and what is right. I feel like social media has made everyone feel like they have to act, dress, and look a certain way to be “beautiful.” God made everyone in his own image and I believe that we should embrace that even if it is difficult to believe. So that’s why it’s in my bio, and that’s what it means to me.
How did you start shooting for Brandy Melville? What is your role with them?
I started shooting for Brandy Melville about a year ago. They found me on Instagram and emailed me! I am a photographer for them. I mainly shoot for their instagram. I occasionally shoot for their ecommerce, and I also occasionally work the register in the store for fun and to be social haha.
How do you get in contact and photograph your models–are they all through Brandy Melville?
Most of my photoshoots you see on my instagram are for Brandy Melville, since I mainly work full time for them. So yes, I do meet a majority of the models through Brandy Melville. Other times a model will contact me, or I’ll contact a model. I also sometimes ask agencies to send me girls to photograph.
What is your perception on true love?
What a tough question! Well, I believe true love doesn’t have to be a romantic feeling between two people. I feel like you can fall in love with your family, a hobby, your job, friend, or even a dog. You can fall in love with an art piece, or a photograph. I think it’s just when something/someone makes you feel a certain way that you never felt before, in a positive way of course. You could be in love with your friend, because they bring you joy and are extremely caring and loving. I feel like true love and being passionate about something are two very similar things. I’m not sure if i’ve ever felt true love romantically, so this isn’t the best question to ask me haha. For now i’m married to my job and my camera.
1 comment
I appreciate Krissy’s perspective on perfection. It’s easy to lose sight of ourselves when comparing to others or societal expectations. Focusing on personal values instead of ideals can really help. I remember feeling the pressure to fit in during college too. It can be tough to navigate those expectations.