Charyse Reinfelder | Photographer | Cinematographer | Maui
Born in northern Michigan, Charyse started building herself in creative outlets like dance, modelling, and graphic design throughout University. Shortly after, she began travelling the states and then internationally. Her passion blossomed during a trip to Tonga, swimming with humpback whales. That quickly led to greater interest in photographing marine life in Moorea, Tonga, Azores, and Hawaii.
A move to Maui allowed Charyse to use unique landscapes and endless Oceans to create new worlds. Her work strives to blend high fashion with her passion to protect the seas.
She has been honoured to work with international brands and has been recognized in many photographic competitions. She is always excited when projects allow her to expand her creative mind to create new compelling visuals with new faces.
What’s your profession?
Full time profession is ER/ICU Nurse, as well as photography/cinematography when I am not working at the hospital.
What is a typical day like for you?
It varies. I work three days a week at the hospital, night shift, attempt to workout if I am not too exhausted and need a little extra sleep. Work 12.5 hours and then head home and sleep. Other days I get up and dive or surf, draw, design, do computer work, hang out with friends, but lately It has been mostly photo editing and shooting in my free time. The more I can shoot the better a photographer and filmmaker I can become.
What are the fondest memories from your upbringing that you feel impacted your life choices and lifestyle today?
My family was pretty strict so I didn’t get to do much exploring and self development until I got into college. I think for me it is why I am so curious and explorative now. I was so held back by my upbringing that I felt I had so much talent to give to the world but wasn’t able to explore those talents. At least not until I was in college. I want to try everything and see everything and then I want to share those with everyone. I think about the little access I had to the Ocean as a young girl in norther Michigan and I wanna be able to give those experiences, even a little piece of them to people that are landlocked or may never get to go on the kinds of adventures I do. I know many of the experiences I am grateful to have are things many people will never get to do in their lifetime.
What/who currently inspires you?
I have a few photographers that I follow, and many more photos that inspire creativity in myself. My boyfriend Karim Iliya is a photographer and taught me a lot of what I know now. My friend Natalie Karpushenko is more of a portrait and fashion photographer which I admire highly. Jono Allen is another friend who has beautiful fine art images. Erin Sullivan, erinoutdoors, made such a huge pivot in her photography during COVID that it was so special to see her brain creating new ideas and that is something I hope to do. I am constantly inspired by people around me, and animals to. The ocean give us so much room bro explore and grow in ourselves that protecting it and sharing it means the world to me. Theres so much beauty on the surface and under the water that I think can be utilized so much more than it currently is.
What path did you choose after leaving school?
At first I contemplated becoming a fighter pilot in the navy, even started passing the tests involved to apply, so far from my lifestyle now. Mostly because I had great eyesight and great hand eye coordination and they wanted more females flying. Those strengths definitely have been a help in photography. Instead of pursuing that crazy idea I started doing travel nursing. Which is when you work short term contracts at hospitals that are short staffed. I loved the idea because I knew I would hav a job while traveling around. Two years after I moved out of Michigan I took a trip to Tonga to swim with whales. My passions as a little girl were always creating and having a huge love for dolphins and whales. That trip is what then propelled me into photo and video that I do now.
What have been the biggest challenges you've had to overcome?
Fighting imposter syndrome. It is such a huge thing, I think it becomes even harder when we are saturated with amazing talent on the internet and the algorithm continues to show you better and better imagery and talented humans doing similar things that you do. Its hard to take a step back and say, I deserve to be where I am, I have the talent and I have worked hard to be here.
What would you most like to change in the world/environment today?
If I could plant a little seed of connection in the hearts of humans to the oceans I think our environmental issues could be solved. Connection makes people care. I want people to care about our planet, and take responsibility for what is happening to it. Even for me, I am consuming and contributing to it, even though I try to make that impact as small as possible I still make mistakes and order things with plastic wrapped around it. Ultimately if we worked together instead of fighting and arguing whether or not the earth is dying we could make change happen so incredibly fast. I hope that in two or three generations the animals we have the privilege to see and interact with won’t only be stories in a book but alive and thriving.
What do you value most in life?
Time. It feels like it speeds up as you get older, I don’t even know how I did all the things I used to do in college. I moved at a million miles an hour. Now I value it in a different way. I value the quality of the time I am spending and who I am sharing my energy with. If it doesn’t fulfill me enough, or if something doesn’t feel worthy my time then I let it go and move on. I never want to loose time in a job I hate or an experience I don’t enjoy. Life is short and I wanna be able to make the most of the time that I have here in the world. It’s important to create meaning with your time, at least for me.
Are there any books/documentaries that have guided your thinking?
I think more than those its been experiences and travel that have guided it. Meeting people in different walks of life and different countries allows you to step in to another persons views for a minute and you take away the good parts of that. Humans can be so influential, especially when there’s passion. As a kid my parents didn’t teach us much about environmental issues so I learned it along the way and I am still learning every day so much about our planet. I suppose BBC Earth and other nature documentaries have a special place in my heart. You get to see the most amazing footage and sometimes the saddest.
What brings you the most joy?
Creating. It feels so good to make something from nothing. Whether I am drawing, painting, filming, writing, or whatever outlet that I have decided to try to make something, that is what really makes me happy. I will sit on the hard wooden floor for hours sketching with music playing and won’t get up until my bones are hurting or I have finished. Sounds obsessive but makes me so fulfilled. Then even more than that, is connecting others to that creation and stimulating the same response I felt in the moment inside them.
What legacy do you hope to leave?
This question has to be the hardest. When I first read it I wasn’t sure how I wanted to answer. I had to take some time to really think on what I hope to leave. I would like to empower females to do exactly what it is they want to do. Whether its in photo and film, or something else. As a woman I see so many talented woman out there but they don’t get the recognition they deserve and it can be hard to push yourself in a field that makes you feel like you are not good enough to be there. That imposter syndrome. I hope I can leave a passion for the ocean and a reason to protect it.
