Today we’d like to introduce you to Krista Lance.
Hi Krista, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My path to becoming a professional photographer wasn’t exactly linear, but looking back, there has always been a thread connecting everything I’ve done.
I first became interested in photography at a young age, around 10. I learned more about the techniques in high school and continued taking photography classes in college, where I developed a strong appreciation for composition, light, and visual storytelling. At the same time, I was studying Environmental Design at the University of Colorado Boulder, focusing on architecture, landscape architecture, and city planning. I eventually went on to work professionally in landscape design in Colorado.
Even while I was working in landscape design, photography was always there. I loved documenting the projects I worked on and had this constant desire to capture the finished product—to show the details, materials, spaces, and landscapes that had taken so much thought and work to create. My employers were incredibly supportive of that interest and gave me opportunities to photograph our projects, which helped me continue developing my eye.
Through the years, photography began to feel less like something I wanted to do alongside my career and instead make it my career.
I transitioned into professional photography through commercial real estate marketing and eventually built my own business around architectural, interiors, and real estate photography. Over time, that expanded into hospitality, vacation rentals, and broader commercial branding imagery.
Today, I’m based in Santa Barbara and work with architects, interior designers, builders, contractors, hospitality businesses, real estate professionals, and property owners. What I love most is that my background in design still informs the way I photograph. I understand how a space comes together, and I think that allows me to photograph it with a different perspective than someone who simply sees a beautiful room.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Entrepreneurship is always going to be one of those things where you can feel like you’ve finally figured something out, only to realize there’s an entirely new challenge waiting around the corner. You are constantly learning and growing, which I think is actually really cool.
One of the biggest challenges has been learning how to run a business while also being the person doing the actual work. Photography is the part I love, but there’s so much more behind the scenes—marketing, sales, contracts, pricing, licensing, client communication, accounting, scheduling, and constantly figuring out where to focus my limited time and energy.
I’ve also had to learn to become comfortable putting a value on my work. That’s particularly challenging when you’re a creative and genuinely care about helping people. You want to say yes, be accommodating, and make things work. But I’ve learned that protecting the value of my work and setting clear boundaries ultimately creates a better experience for both me and my clients.
Moving from Denver, Colorado to Santa Barbara was another big transition. I had established relationships and a network in Colorado, and moving meant starting over in many ways. At the same time, it gave me the opportunity to be intentional about the kind of business and client base I wanted to build in my new area.
I’m still learning every day, but I’ve come to appreciate that the challenges are part of the process. They’ve pushed me to become more confident, more strategic, and much clearer about what I want my business to be.
As you know, we’re big fans of Krista Lance Photography. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Krista Lance Photography is an architectural, interiors, and hospitality photography business based in Santa Barbara.
At the core of my work is the belief that photography should do more than simply document a beautiful space. It should communicate value.
I work with people and businesses who have invested significant time, creativity, and expertise into the spaces they design, build, or operate. My job is to translate that work into compelling visual stories that help them attract their ideal clients and support their broader marketing efforts.
That can look very different depending on the client. For an architect or interior designer, I might focus heavily on composition, materials, craftsmanship, and architectural details. For a hotel or vacation rental, I may incorporate more lifestyle and social-focused imagery that helps a potential guest imagine themselves there. For luxury real estate, I like to take a more editorial or architectural approach rather than simply creating traditional listing photos.
My background in architecture and design is a big part of what sets me apart. I understand architecture, landscape, proportion, materials, and how people experience spaces. I’m not just looking through a camera and deciding what looks pretty, I’m thinking about the design decisions behind the space and how to communicate those visually.
I’m also very intentional about the process. I like to understand how the images will be used, who the audience is, what the client is trying to communicate, and what makes a project special before I ever arrive on-site.
One of the things I’m most proud of is that I’ve built a business around a very specific point of view. I’m not trying to be everything to everyone. I want to create thoughtful, high-quality imagery for people who care deeply about design, craftsmanship, hospitality, and the way their work is presented to the world.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
So many people. It’s impossible to build a business entirely on your own, even when you’re technically a one-person business.
First and foremost, I’m incredibly grateful for my past and repeat clients. They’ve trusted me with important projects, allowed me creative freedom, come back to work with me again, and referred me to others. Every time a client tells me they love the images or trusts me with another project, it builds a little more confidence. Those relationships have played a huge role in helping me grow.
I also have to give credit to the people who supported my interest in photography long before it became my career. The photography classes I took in high school and college helped me develop an eye, but studying architecture and landscape architecture taught me to really see spaces. My past employers in my early career also deserve recognition. They gave me opportunities to photograph the design projects I was working on, or the office space I was helping to lease, which allowed me to develop my skills in a real-world setting.
And then there’s my husband, who has been an enormous source of support throughout this entire entrepreneurial journey. He’s incredibly smart when it comes to business, and I regularly bounce ideas off of him—from pricing and client communication to bigger business decisions. Having someone who can provide a completely different perspective when I’m too close to a problem has been invaluable.
Lastly, I regularly attend networking events and meetups with other entrepreneurs and creatives. The kind of brainstorming and business conversations that happen here are so helpful, and I always encourage other “solo-preneurs” just starting out, to attend. When people come together as a community to support, refer, and collaborate with each other, everyone wins.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kristalancephotography.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristalancephoto
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573416750969
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristalance/
