Today we’d like to introduce you to Chantel Ferraro.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Chantel, So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I would LOVE to say that from day 1, I had a SURE vision for myself and what I wanted to be when I grew up. I have always admired those who seemed to have it all together. You know, those who just KNOW where they belonged and fit in this world.
As I mature personally as a woman, mother, and now entrepreneur and partner with my husband Mike Ferraro, I have come to accept and be proud of the journey I have traveled this far. I can appreciate the wisdom I have today traveling the winding paths and the peaks and valleys I have had to climb.
Photography has always been something I was curious about. My Dza Dza (which is the Polish term for grandpa or at least that’s what I called him) was always the person taking photos of our family. Today I couldn’t be more grateful for those memories that at one time just went unnoticed because we were living them. Looking back, I can say that between Dza Dza’s influence as well as being a huge fan of pop culture in the 80s, led me to the photographer I am at today.
I’m a born and raised city of Chicago girl. My grammar school years of Teen Bop Magazine and those days after school spent watching music videos on MTV all had a huge influence on how I saw the world and wanted to be a part of it. I loved EVERYTHING about style, fashion, and makeup. I was a huge fan of big hair, neon bright, Drew Barrymore, and hair bands like Def Leppard. (still am -just saying) Maybe it was my catholic school girl rebellion, but I was pretty obsessed with the images I saw.
Today I know a large part of why I became “obsessed” with how women looked to me in things. Being a chubby little red-haired girl named Chantel in the 1980s amongst major self-worth issues that stemmed from things going on in my life growing up, I just had a hard time fitting in at school. I was ALWAYS looking for a way to be seen. I was alone a lot then, so I learned to do things on my own and much of that was seeking out ways to belong. But I never understood why I felt so unseen and sad.
Because I so loved the images I saw of the girls & women in the world at the time, I wanted to learn not only how to be like them but I had interest in learning to take photos like they were in. However, my creative journey was inconsistent and sometimes altogether at a halt because of a quickly developing eating disorder that played a huge role in my life until just 10 years ago. By age of 11, I began compulsively focusing on diet and exercise rather than my interest in photography or anything for that matter. These behaviors grew into a battle within myself that would become a lifetime struggle-even today. Though I am proud to admit I am fully recovered, every day I have a choice on how to look at myself and the world around me. I share this very personal part of my story because it all plays a part in how I perceived and existed in the world back then and how today that struggle has not only inspired me to help others, but it has equipped me to see things in my subjects that some might miss. Things that matter. Things that connect us all. Quality connections with one another is vital to the heath our human existence and its vital to the success of my career.
Those that step in from of my camera, yes, come for a purpose, but regardless of whatever that is my ultimate goal is in that short time we are together document who you really are. Since I became a photographer professionally, I have made it my personal mission to TRY to make sure each and every person I interact with know that they matter, they feel seen, and that they believe they can make a difference.
Even in 8th grade, although I struggled with who I was in this world, I found a creative outlet that I enjoyed. Looking back, I know that even in a dark time, it fueled my purpose in life as well as adds to my life story in photography. I remember a time when I went to the library and researched through magazines and books on hair/makeup/and poses so I could produce my own shoot. I had a sleepover where I invited friends to model for me. And so, with my cover girl makeup collection in my pink “caboodle” I applied everyone’s makeup to the best of my 13 years old ability and along with 3 disposable Kodak cameras, I created my own version of what is now called a styled teen shoot. Think hair band girls mixed with a little 90210 because it was 1989 and the grunge days were quickly approaching.
I wish I still had those prints so I could share them with you today. But my family and I moved to Glen Ellyn in the fall of 1990 and unfortunately some of my old pictures were lost along the way. At the same time, I also had encountered an event that changed the course of my life from that day forward. I was raped. I never told anyone about the incident so not to add to the already stressful time of having to move to a new school my sophomore year. Because of that event my body image issues grew and then eventually diminished my passion and interests in photography and art all together.
Because of the impact these events had made on my life I had not been in the mind space for over 17 years to even think about becoming anything successful. To be honest, I had one focus -SURVIVE. Looking back considering the circumstances at the time, I can say I DID THRIVE however. No, I wasn’t pursuing anything professionally at that point. I didn’t go to college right out of high school like most of my friends. Instead, I married my best friend Mike who I met in high school back in 1991 and raised our 3 beautiful children where my focus was raising & protecting from the things that happened to me. It wasn’t until I was in my early 30s that I became so down, I decided I needed to come to terms with my eating disorder and figure who I was. After 3 months of treatment and coming to terms with the trauma I had endured I learned why my passions for things like photography came to a screeching halt. I emotionally shut down… for 17 years. Now don’t get me wrong, I had many amazing memories and experiences with my family during that time of course. But there was an ongoing emptiness and self-worth issue in me that I couldn’t shake off anymore. I was growing more and more depressed by the year. Feelings and memories that imprisoned me.
It was only after I had begun to face, accept, and forgive my past, that I found my passion and started to explore in depth the things I used to love. I first applied at several local department stores for a male artist positions. While waiting to become hired, I had been experimenting with makeup artistry, face painting, and photography until I could do something with it. As fate would have it, I got the job at MAC cosmetics and learned a ton about professionalism, color theory, and really honed in on my makeup skills. It built my confidence in the business and I eventually I began freelancing as an airbrush MUA for bridal parties in the Chicago market. With Social Media on the rise in 2006, I realized I could display my work online and control where it could get seen to get more work. Where I was having a difficult time was getting wedding photographers to provide any headshots of my makeup work to me for my portfolio.
I was frustrated because I was still a huge work in progress photography wise and all I wanted was decent headshots. However, I was determined to learn and not going to allow rejection to stop me. I learned everything I could on my own about photography with a point and shoot. My dear husband saw my passion and eventually purchased my first DSLR camera for me as a gift. I remember that day because we didn’t have the money and that gift signified he saw my talents and believed in me. Once I got that camera I spent every waking moment I could learning the art of digital photography. We invested every dollar we could in lighting equipment and lenses. I was becoming more and more excited to just take the pictures of my clients than to apply the makeup I was taking the pictures of.
As I began to truly understand photography more and more, I found myself doing less and less makeup. I was taking pictures of everyone. Fellow makeup artists at MAC & my kids were my go to models in the very beginning. I started displaying my work online and eventually the public took notice. I began with a small studio setup in my 10×10 front living room where I did small family sessions and “glam” photos. I say “glam” because they included make-up and photos. At this time, I was still freelancing in Chicago for brides looking for airbrush makeup but I had decided to leave MAC to pursue photography more full time. At the time I was shooting everything not knowing what I really wanted to specialize in. What had found was that when I photographed women and teens I was most happy. Everything changed for me as a photographer when I had a bride approach me to not only do her makeup but also to photograph her wedding. I declined. SEVERAL TIMES. I replied, “I do makeup for WEDDINGS …not photos.” Wedding photography scared me to death, SO much pressure. What if I screw up? Now I’m not sure about you, but if someone tells you they don’t think they can, I don’t think I would trust them with my wedding photos. But I do believe there was some divine intervention with this particular client because she never let me go and she never met me before. So, after SEVERAL attempts and requests, this particular bride won me over to take the leap and shoot her wedding.
After I accepted I remember looking at myself and thinking can I do this? I had never shot a wedding in my life nor did I have the experience, or connections to get the experience. Thank goodness I had a year to prepare. The first thing I did was apply for a grant (which I was approved for. yay) to the Illinois institute of Art where I was able to take a certification class that changed my life. I was already self-taught so I came in with pretty good knowledge what I needed to know and asked a ton of questions. I bought new gear, rented what I couldn’t afford to buy and hence my first wedding was a success. I think about that bride every day I step into my PRESENT studio located OUTSIDE of my home in the city of Elgin, Il and think if she didn’t believe in me… I may not have ever taken the step to try and I’m glad I had the courage at that time to accept the challenge.
Today I am not a career wedding photographer; my life doesn’t allow for it. But we (Mike and I) do take 10-15 a year and the ones we do we bring it. Every bit.
I know I said a lot here. Probably more than most would. But if I can encourage one person who thinks that his/her story is too much to become anything. or if the memories of the past are preventing you from moving forward then I am living proof .IT IS NEVER TOO LATE. My faith in Jesus, the support of my family and the true understanding that I am not what has happened to me is why I am here today. I bring a little part of that with me into everything I do. I see the world through a different lens because of the past I have overcame. It’s a gift and I have come to now accept that I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Other than everything I shared above, one my biggest challenges in being a photographer is understanding that what I see as beautiful and what I want others to see as beautiful or acknowledge as important isn’t always received in the way I hoped.
It’s really is all in the eye of the beholder. I care so much about the experience and connections I make with my subjects that when sometimes they don’t see the amazing beauty I see in the photos I give its difficult. But I get it. We have choice on how we see ourselves. It’s hard to change that lens if we have looked at it only one way our whole life. But one person at a time, I do my best to show them what I see. The story of us is so much more than we see at first glance. We need to train our eyes to see the good. To see the beauty. It’s possible. I’m up for the challenge every day.
Please tell us about Dream2Be Image Photography & Productions.
My 3 words for Dream2Be Photography are Authentic, Original, and Unique.
Authentic -stands for the experience with me. You are never a number. I care about you and your story whatever that is. I want to tell it as best as I can.
Original- There is no one like you and I do my best to bring that out.
Unique- Thats more about me. I’ve been told many times I’m not like other photographers and I’m to saying I’m better. I’m saying I’m me.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Growing upend 80s kids I LOVED Strawberry shortcake, my little pony’s, puffy stickers, and going to Kiddie Land.
Contact Info:
- Address: Dream2BE Image, LLC
204 Dupage St Elgin Il 60177 - Website: www.dream2beimage.com
- Phone: 630-361-2698
- Email: chantel@dream2beimage.com
Image Credit:
All Images are provided by and taken by Chantel Ferraro of Dream2Be Image, LLC
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