Today we’d like to introduce you to Chris Tyre.
Hi Chris, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I’m originally from Chicago. That’s where I grew up, studied, and started my career in graphic design and marketing. Fast forward to 2016. That’s when I started my photography business, Nomad + Camera. It was born out of shooting on the road. At the time, I literally didn’t have much more on me than my camera and backpack. The concept was in the name. I wanted to “capture time” for a living.
My lifestyle goal in the mid-2010s was to be a digital nomad and be able to balance remote work and travel as a lifestyle. The idea was simple, but the execution to make it work was a lot more challenging. Not to mention all the admin stuff that comes with starting an LLC, understanding taxes, pricing, etc. All of which is first required for really just wanting to be creative all day!
After being based in Chile for a year, my wife and I moved to Austin in fall of 2017. We had visited for a 3-day weekend in the summer, loved the city’s vibe, and decided while staying at our Airbnb on the eastside to move down here asap.
Nomad + Camera started as a side hustle. I had been doing a wide range of shoots from headshots to engagements, from interior photography to product shoots, but started finding a niche with event photography. All the while, since university, I had also been designing company logos, product campaigns, transforming spaces with experiential-based design, and working on brand strategy, both independently and as a full-time employee. Finally, this spring, I decided to launch my own design studio, Via Visual. While photography may be a component, developing brands from crafting the logo and visual assets to helping clients grow their business and expand their reach is what I want to do.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Much like the roads I grew up with in Chicago, there’s been a fair share of potholes. But it’s the challenges that lead to evolving and being alert at the wheel.
Pricing.
Not that I have mastered it by any means, but you have to make sure you’re getting paid your worth. Understand the value of your services. You’re not going to survive otherwise. Not everyone is your potential client and that’s ok. There’s so much to running a sustainable creative business that the actual “creating” part is only a fraction of it.
Build community.
I also learned the hard way that what may not be taxable in one state could be taxable in another. I started my business in Illinois and started working in Texas as a foreign entity. My word of advice is do your research but don’t try to DIY everything. I say this as someone who has tried to DIY a lot. There’s no dumb questions when it comes to taxes. Partner with people. Not just for taxes, but in general. Pay people that specialize in what you need. It not only saves you time but helps support others like you. Join communities of freelancers, creatives, entrepreneurs, and network with people that have very different skill sets than you. Then do a lot of listening.
Be human.
I naturally tend to want to isolate myself, figure things out on my own, and then surprise everyone like “boom, check this out!” But over the past six months or so I’ve been actively trying to do the opposite and be open about where I am, where I want to go, and what I’m struggling with. In that short span, I feel like it’s expediting my growth, creating transparency, and keeping my services top of mind. At the same time, I’m trying to share and help where I can for those trying to do the same. We’re all in this together. I’ve treated too many interactions in life as an interview where I’m trying to impress when being real is more powerful.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Via Visual?
We’re Via Visual. Visual storytellers based in Austin, Texas. We specialize in growing your brand’s story starting with the logo design. Think of us as brand fertilizer but with a slightly better scent 😉 What we deliver is creative leadership, a focus on concept development and problem-solving, dedication to detail, and I’ll probably slip in a few puns along the way.
We are a design studio that believes in the power of collaboration, an open mind, showing up, and the positive impact of good design. What sets us apart is that we really, really listen first before anything else.
If you’re about to launch a new business or if you think it’s time for a rebrand, let’s set up a chat! The team is currently Liz Liebeskind, our talented business development manager and myself as art director.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christyre
What makes you happy?
Short answer, cookie dough ice cream. Honestly, that’s a simple but deep question. Aside from my son, wife, friends and family, it is doing things sustainably that I’m passionate about. Happiness is being in control of the direction of my life and career and my growth as a creative. I’m happy to take the responsibility that comes with that.
“Passions” might sound general, but passions evolve. Eight or nine years ago, I really just wanted to travel. And I did. But working a plethora of jobs like being a waiter, rideshare driver, door to door salesman, custodian, English tutor, HR specialist, and so on wasn’t sustainable and wasn’t making me happy. That’s not to say I didn’t like the people I worked with or didn’t grow as a person, but I wasn’t becoming the creative that I wanted to be nor doing the work I wanted to do. I reflected. What was it about travel that made me happy (besides the food)? It was really experiencing a new place’s art, design, culture and different perspectives that inspired me to want to create. Knowing that was driving me, I could harness that “open-minded, let’s learn and try something new” approach to so much more without having to pay for airfare. Approaching life with that travel mindset has made me happier. I’m living a life that captures time.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@viavisualstudio.com
- Website: viavisualstudio.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/via__visual/
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/nomad.and.camera/
Image Credits
Design-case-study-darktolightproductions.jpg: Photo courtesy of Dark To Light Productions. Client: Blaine County Sheriff, Production Agency: Dark To Light Productions All of the rest of the images were created by me. Notes… Design-case-study-waterloocreative.jpg: Client: Wildlike, Event Agency: Waterloo Creative Logo-design-process.jpg: Client: The Liberty Theater, Production Agency: Dark To Light Productions
