Want to learn how it all started?
We aren't just your photographer and videographer, we are your friends
Beyond our business we are a couple who adores life's rich experiences - from exploring new destinations world wide to weekly board game nights with our kiddos. We love getting to share stories and creating lasting connections with those around us. We are often outside on the trail with our kids or driving to the next National Park or Theme Park on our list. We keep it real, real fun with this amazing life we have made.
Creatives From the Start.
Performing Arts
From an early age I (Nickolaus) had always loved to just perform. I would sign up for talent shows and plays in elementary school. I once did a very serious production of "Lewis & Clark" pictured above alongside one of my good friends (who I actually photographed his wedding years later ~ Sarah and Aundre) Later into middle school and beyond I got heavily into band & choir which lead to show choir. I have always loved singing, music, plays all of it.
Creative Arts
My mom is an incredible artist who as I (Emily) was growing up constantly encouraged us to paint, draw & just create. She taught me without realizing about famous artists & their work. I grew an appreciation for being able to express myself through painting. I would paint the back of my door constantly (thank you mom & dad) I loved exploring other mediums of art whether it was sculpting, painting, baking, photography and film. I also dabbled with performing arts by participating in ballet, jazz , tap and hip hop for over ten years.
Couple of Hobbyists.
Finding Photography.
"I (Klaus) have always been messing around with a camera for as long as I can remember, back in middle school my best friend Logan & I would photograph each other launching ourselves over my parents furniture in the living room. It was madness but I had to get those mid air epic shots you know?" My mom would always give me her old digital cameras and I was constantly taking them with photographing everything with my friends.
When I (Klaus) started to really take it serious I was hooked, I would carry my camera around with me everywhere & was on this endless pursuit of knowledge for all things photography. I started going to this ABQ street photography meet ups with Mothership Alumni & other groups. One year I woke up early every single day of the balloon fiesta and found a different location to capture the balloons at. I got really into astro photography & understanding shooting with low shutter speeds. I loved when I traveled the world I was able to photograph so many different things from people to these massive incredible scenes.
I have shot landscapes, people, animals, sports, travel, weddings you name it
"Growing up myself (Emily) my brother and neighbors would make these really elaborate home movies that would include a Microsoft paint trailer slide and 30 second trailers. We literally knew nothing about editing so for us it was a lot of retakes, rewinding and rerecording over bad takes till we got it right. It was madness, I am actually trying to hunt those tapes down & digitize them"
In later years through middle school and high school I learned film photography from the late great Mrs Shields at good ol' Moriarty High School My school actually had a really amazing darkroom that was incredible to be able to work and learn in I will say. I shot on my moms old Canon AE1, which funny enough Klaus now has in his possession & often brings along to weddings & travels.
There are too many Nick Sanchez's here & so "Klaus" was an idea derived from a friend's stepdads name (who funny enough was also a photographer) His name was also Nickolaus & Klaus is a nickname for that which I just loved. Naturally I added my middle name and it all sorta flowed "Klaus James". I wanted to make sure this business of mine stood out but in a way that it was still true to myself and who I am as an artist.
The Birth of Klaus James
It was a lot of work.
What most people don't actually know is the idea for it came to me back in 2015, I realized this hobby I adored could potentially lead to a career for myself & I was all in. The following year I traveled around the world with the intention of building a huge portfolio of work to start a photography business. When I returned I experienced my first taste of wedding photography after a friend from school reached out & loved my photos & asked if I would photograph her wedding to which I agreed. I had never photographed a wedding but I had photographed enough over the years that I figured I could do it. Wedding photography is a whole other ball game, but part of me grew to really love it. I knew very quickly after shooting a few weddings if I wanted to grow my business as a wedding photographer & make a name for myself I needed to level up so I reached out to one of the best at the time in the industry Tony Gambino, I mentored under him & learned so much. In 2019 I met Emily while still working part time at Whole Foods, her & I began dating & she started coming along & helping me out during shoots, all the while learning my flow of how I worked. In 2021 I solely focused on Klaus James & she started photographing weddings alongside me full time. Together we grew Klaus James into the wedding photography and videography business it is today. Capturing real and true memories for our clients to have for years to come.
Traveling the World
In 2016 as I mentioned I traveled the world, it was a huge inspiration in my life & a big chain reaction for how I lived my life years after & still to this day. I packed a backpacking backpack with only the essentials, my camera & I was off. I saw 22 countries, made countless friends & experienced more than I ever planned. I had no real direction when traveling, I let my next destination come to me as I traveled through hostels, meeting & making connections with friends world wide. I found myself zipping through scenery on scooters while in Laos praying I didn't get caught smoking a joint. Some nights I was surrounded by friends in a big party hostel exchanging work for stay, others I was alone in a foreign country entirely with my thoughts, thousands of miles away from everyone I knew. I spent holidays with new found homies trekking through the Himalayas on Thanksgiving. Coming home I knew I would never be able to work a 9-5. I needed to be my own boss & obtain a career where I would be free to travel the world. The drive for Klaus James was ignited more than ever. When Emily & I met I was fresh off touring the United States living out of my Element so I had the travel bug still biting me in the butt. I was so excited when I finally got to share my love of traveling with Emily as her & I backpacked England, Scotland, Paris, Barcelona & Morocco this last summer.
Whole Love Baby.
Whats Our Love Story?
Funny how it dawned on us that we get to hear & experience all these different love stories of how couples met & it's not often we share ours. So here it goes, Nickolaus & I met at Whole Foods. So many different tiny conversations & interactions that lead to our love story happened within the infamous organic food chain grocery store (listen here's the real funny thing is if you worked at whole foods for more than a year the chance of you meeting the love of your life basically goes up by like 80%, it's the truth I swear.) We both loved our weekly game of thrones chats while Nickolaus stocked the fresh pack & I was 100% taking my time stickering some buns in the bakery. He would tell me his thoughts about the episode & they were always the best. I was often an episode or two ahead of him & dying to talk about it with someone & couldn't wait to talk to him about it specifically. He has always been my favorite conversationalist. We just have this ebb & flow with it, it feels like home like your kicking it with your best friend growing up just living life & talking into great lengths about whatever comes to mind. So we kinda just started hanging out & never really stopped <3
Blended families have more fun
Chances are if you have had a session with us you have gotten to meet our kids.
When we met Emily had Olivia & Elliot, they were so tiny. Elliot was only a little over a year old & Liv was 4. The first time I met Olivia she answered the door & only had some underwear on, this little 4 year old with so much spunk says "Sup, you Nick?"
