Photographer Christofer Garcia Speaks on His Photography Inspirations

Photographer Christofer Garcia Speaks on His Photography Inspirations, Why He’s Motivated by Scenery, His Popular “I’m from Jersey” Photo Series, and Much More

Photography is interesting because there are so many photographers who focus on shooting certain things. Some are inspired by music and others are inspired by nature but the primary focus is to always capture the most compelling piece for your audience. Christofer Garcia, who also goes by his photography name Chris Feliz, is a New Jersey shooter whose primary focus is capturing his home state the way its never been showcased in photos before. Chris has been able to display not only his talents but his hometown in multiple photo series which he titled “I’m from Jersey.” He has also made a few trips across the bridge and captured some photos in a few “New York” series as well.

I had the chance to catch up with Chris to talk about his decision to get into photography, why he decided to go the scenic route, his very first “I’m from Jersey” photo series, the likelihood of him expanding his photography talents in other areas and more. Check out the full interview below.

1 – How did you get into photography?

I fell in love with the idea of taking photos in high school (2012) and have had that same feeling since!

2 – What was your main inspiration for getting into photography?

I believe the feeling I get from taking photos keeps inspiring me to do so, the absolute obsession I have pushes me to keep going. It’s my escape!

3 – Why did you decide to focus more on scenic photography?

Scenic photography is my form of creating art and where my passion lies.

4 – What it is it about the scenery that made you want to capture it in multiple series?

I definitely believe the idea of creating a series of multiple photos is a new idea for people to grasp on, almost like a show with a set of episodes of just artistic photos.

5 – Do you remember the first picture or series you released that started grabbing peoples attention?

Yes the first “I’m from Jersey” series on Twitter grabbed so much more interaction than any post I’ve had before that, so I decided to delete every post/ photo before that and continue from there, although my most popular series is “I’m from Jersey” series 3 with over thousands of likes and interaction, a few more series got a few thousands as well but still remain less than the 3rd series.

6 – Why do you think it was important for you to showcase certain parts of Jersey in your photography series? 

I’m a Jersey born and raised native, it’s definitely important to showcase the state in a way it hasn’t been showcased or showed off before!

7 – How long does it normally take for you to complete a series? Secondly, do you look for certain shots when it comes to putting together a full series?

It can take me a day or two, or a week or two depending how busy I get with bookings, when I first started I had so much more time so I was dropping a series almost every 3-4 days, now I fortunately been working with so many more people so I have to find the opportunity to shoot for my series since that is what made me. Also, as for specific shots, yes not every photo makes the cut I feel if it makes sense for the series I’ll post it, a photo that makes sense to me is a photo that showcases a very popular part of Jersey that many are familiar with. 

8 – Are there any photographers out there that inspire your work?

No, I do follow a few photographers whose work I enjoy but my real inspiration comes from how I feel about my work and of course the interactions I’ve received this past year has played a big part! 

9 – Do you see yourself doing other things with your photography like a concert, event, session etc?

I see myself doing it all or anything I feel I have the opportunity to create, I don’t like just taking a photo but making one!

10 – What’s next for Chris Feliz? Do you have any other projects in the works that your fans can expect?

I have a lot of ideas that I believe can change the photography game forever, while still working on my series of course but also implementing the idea of a series for many other states and cities once I get the opportunity to do so!