Life & Work with Carter Gaskins

Today we’d like to introduce you to Carter Gaskins.

Hi Carter, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I was always an artist. I use to draw portraits of different celebrities and family members in my younger grade school days. This was the way that I dealt with my anxiety and depression from being bullied. So the artist was always in me. I lost my father in 2009 from kidney disease and was in a depression that was hard to get out of in life. The only hobby that came be life was drawing and motorcycle riding. In 2010, I met my wife. She inspired me to take my artistic skill to another level and bought me a tattoo kit.

I was a tattoo artist from 2010 to 2013. In 2011, we lost a child at birth. There were no photos of our son, which hurt us even more that we did not have that memory. During this time, I was still going through past trauma, and my wife moved to Lawrence, KS, to pursue a spiritual lifestyle and schooling in 2012. After all the depression, I decided to move to Lawrence, KS, and instead of being a tattoo artist, I bought a camera. In 2014, my beautiful wife gave birth to our beautiful daughter.

All that, I could think of was to take photos. Keep the memory that we didn’t have for our son. So I started taking photos and understood the importance of capturing the memories of life. This is how I started understanding that others need the same memories captured. I as of then and now, I have a passion for capturing moments. As for depression and anxiety, millions out there struggle with insecurities and maybe on the verge of suicide. I try to show these individuals how beautiful they are through the lens of a camera. This is my passion and my mission. This is Gaskins Photography Collection.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
It has not been a smooth road. Dealing with anxiety and depression is difficult when growing a business. Life gets hard, and then I take it personally sometimes and beat myself up. I try to learn not to take things personally, but it’s hard. It’s like every little mistake I make or lack of communication, and I beat myself up. But I am getting better at it. I call it trying to be a perfectionist.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a photographer. I specialize in maternity and portraits. I am known for my editing skill and am easy to work with. My goal is not the money. My goal is the client. Are they happy? Did I fulfill their mission? These are some of the questions that I ask myself. If any of these questions end with “NO,” I go above and beyond to ensure they are satisfied.

We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I do consider myself a risk-taker and also a careful individual. Let me explain! I take multiple risks to get to the next level. I will insert myself in meetings, conferences and invest in things to help me move forward. I am also careful because I do a lot of research before I make any decision. This also goes for who I work with. I make sure I research who will I be around and who will come to the studio. If it is not a good fit for me, I will send the client to a photographer who is a better fit.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.Gaskins-Photography.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gaskinsphotographycollection/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gaskinsphotographycollection

Image Credits:
Gaskins Photography Collection