Hola holA!
Me llamo Kristen – that’s Español for “My name is Kristen.” 😉
Not too many moons ago I retired from the hustle and bustle of the NYC corporate banking world, trading in my heels for a surfboard and camera in Costa Rica. My photography work has been featured internationally in Harper’s Bazaar, Coastal Living, American Express, and Real Simple, to name a few.
I love dancing with waves, chasing sunsets, frolicking with my teeny-tiny Chihuahua named Gidget, laughing my butt off, and capturing genuine emotion & authentic love. I’m beyond blessed to call two beautiful places home, Tamarindo, Costa Rica and Savannah, Georgia.
Can I get a hey y’all?! How about a Pura Vida! Read on for the rest!
published work (Holy moly!)
A little about me…
When I am not dreaming under a palm tree or wandering the mossy Savannah squares, most days you can find me surfing beautiful Costa Rican waves, photographing a breathtaking sunset, or playing on the beach with my Chihuahua, Gidget. I’m a natural light photographer, sunset chaser, and a soul surfer. I am passionate about my work and life, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
THE DAY I TOOK MY FIRST SURF LESSON OVER FIVE YEARS AGO IS THE DAY I DROPPED BACK INTO LIFE. UNHAPPY WITH MY CORPORATE JOB, IT WAS TIME TO START BEING PASSIONATE ABOUT WORK AND LIFE AGAIN. IT WAS TIME TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT – – TO DANCE TO THE RHYTHM OF THE SEA – – TO LIVE, BREATHE, AND EXPERIENCE THIS BEAUTIFUL THING WE CALL LIFE. IT WAS TIME TO
p.s. my favorite color is suNset 🌅.
Some of My Favorite Things
From a very early age I can remember staring at pictures that my parents took on their worldwide travels and being mesmerized. I could not wait to get my hands on one of my parents’ SLRs. When my mom finally let me use her Nikon, I was ecstatic loading the film for the first time and even more elated seeing my first photographs come to life in front of my eyes in the dark room.
That Nikon SLR instantly became one of my best friends, coming along on every jaunt and worldwide adventure. Gone are the film days, and a digital Nikon DSLR is a welcomed addition to best friend status, but my viewpoint when I look through the camera lens is still the same. The world around me is transformed when I look through the viewfinder. I feel beyond blessed to be doing what I love and living my passions.
1,2,3...Samba!
I took my first surf lesson in 2011 and it was love at first wipeout. After two trips to Tamarindo, Costa Rica within a couple of months of that first surf lesson, I was sitting on my surfboard in the Pacific Ocean when my heart whispered I needed to be in Tamarindo. I hadn’t felt that alive in years. A year after my first trip to Costa Rica, in September of 2012, I took a leap of faith and left my job at a big bank in New York City. I hopped on a plane to surf in Pura-Vida-dise and to help Mr. Endless Summer, Robert August, with social media and blogging.
Soon after landing in Costa Rica, I started chasing and photographing the oh-so-magical Costa Rican sunsets every night. After seeing one-too-many ugly postcards for sale in Tamarindo, I decided to take matters into my own hands and started selling my own line of 100% recycled postcards, notecards, mini cards using my sunset photographs. Selling my photographs via my cards inspired me to finally pursue my passion for photography full-time. Sunset chasing with my oh-so-adorable Chihuahua Gidget is now a daily ritual – – every afternoon no matter where I am in the world, I close my laptop and head out with Gidget to chase sunsets. Costa Rica and Savannah so far are our two favorite spots to watch Mother Nature’s magic!
P.S. You can bring paradise home with you with my sunset and beach prints from my online print shop, The Sunset Shop!
Special Thanks
A very special thanks to Jen Hudson at Cor Signatures for the most breathtaking watercolor art used on the website background for Samba to the Sea, Lyndsey Smith of Lyndsey LaRue Photography for taking such beautiful portraits, and Lani at Lani Joy for my gorgeous logo!
P.P.S. Did you know that your photos will give back to help keep Mother Nature magical?
As a proud member of 1% for the Planet, every client at Samba to the Sea helps support this amazing environmental non-profit organization — 1% of gross revenues are donated to 1%FTP (heck yea!!!). Click here to learn more!
Bring a piece of paradise home with you with prints, pillows, and postcards!
Enough about me...
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Samba to the Sea is an internationally published lifestyle photographer, sunset chaser,
& wave dancer.
Based in Tamarindo, Costa Rica & Savannah, GA. All images © 2023. All Rights Reserved.