Krista Nash Sutherland
Faith and Frames: Krista Nash Sutherland Builds Community Through Photography
In the rolling hills of Pickens County, Krista Nash Sutherland has built more than just a photography business. She’s created a community.
The daughter of beloved Southern Wesleyan University professor Dr. Robert Nash, Sutherland has followed her father’s legacy while forging her own path. “My dad was very well liked,” Sutherland shares. “As far as disposition is concerned, we’re very much alike in that community is our big focus. We’re socially minded, like to laugh, and enjoy doing funny, quirky things.”
Sutherland’s journey to professional photography was not linear. While attending what was then Central Wesleyan College in the mid-1980s, she hoped to major in journalism. When that wasn’t available, she started in English before eventually graduating with a Business Administration degree, a foundation that would later prove invaluable. “Try a lot of classes,” Sutherland advises current students who might not know what they want to do yet but are inspired by her journey. “Get involved in school life with organizations on campus, clubs, or even volunteer work off campus. That’s what I did!”
Her interest in photography began in 1993 when her son was born and she purchased her first camera. What started as a hobby gradually transformed into a side business and eventually, in August 2011, became her full-time career after nearly a decade as an operations manager and coach at a gymnastics facility.
“People have always asked me, ‘Were you not afraid to leave your work and just open your own business?’” Sutherland reflects. “I’ve never had that fear. It’s always been faith. I’ve always felt that God would provide, and I’ve seen many ways where He’s led me.”
That faith-based approach has served her well. From humble beginnings as an outdoor photographer, Sutherland’s business has grown to include a studio on her 14-acre property in Marietta. This year, she’s expanding with a second location in downtown Pendleton, allowing her to serve a wider community.
“I just wanted to be in an area where I could make a little bit of a difference,” she explains.
Sutherland specializes in family photography with a unique approach that differentiates her from traditional studio photographers. Her most fulfilling work involves themed mini-sessions where she creates magical experiences for children. But beyond the technical aspects of photography, Sutherland’s business thrives on relationships.
“When I started my business, I grew it by giving the best client service and experience that I could. Since I wasn’t technically trained in photography other than by trial and error, I decided to lean more towards the client experience,” she explains.
This relationship-focused approach has made her a cherished part of many families’ lives. “My very first paying client is now married,” Sutherland notes proudly. “She was 18 months when I originally did her photos, and she’s now married with a daughter and a set of twins.”
Like her father, Sutherland’s success stems from her genuine care for people. In continuing to develop her photography business in new communities, she carries forward Dr. Nash’s legacy while creating her own: one frame, one family, and one community at a time.