Meet Christina Petsos | Professional Photographer and Content Creator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Christina Petsos and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Christina, do you have a favorite quote or affirmation?
I have two. One is a quote. One is an affirmation.

“Whether you think you can or you can’t – you’re right.”
– Henry Ford
I have said it to myself in my head over and over. This is one of the most accurate quotes I’ve heard. Your mindset determines almost everything in your life. Your attitude can certainly determine if something is a success or failure. I attribute a lot of my success by telling myself that “I CAN”. If you think you cannot do something, you are also probably right because that is the attitude you are having toward it. Speaking words into existence is powerful. For more on that topic, I highly recommend listening to a podcast called “Impact Theory with Tom Bilyeu”. He speaks with mindset experts that teaches you how your attitude impacts you thoughts, which impacts your life, and how to work to control it. One of my favorite episodes is with former Alabama football coach Trevor Moawad. He speaks on how just saying something out loud increases the probability of it happening.

Which leads me into my affirmation of “Why not me?” It gets me motivated because it is true, why can’t it be me who gets the success?? And the answer is simple, it can be!! It reminds me to keep going, even when things are tough. If others can do it, so can I. It just takes consistency and dedication mixed with just a tiny bit of talent to be successful as a content creator.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am a professional photographer/videographer and a content creator. What sets me apart from a lot of photographers and content creators in the area in the quality of my work. I take a lot of time and care into everything I post, which shows. My specialty is food photography, which makes my work noticed on instagram. As an influencer, people don’t generally expect me to show up with a whole setup. When everyone is going to the same restaurants and events, you have to think of a way to stand out. Mine is the quality of content I produce. I study and practice constantly because I want to have the best photos from anything I go to. This is how I became noticed to start doing product and menu shoots professionally. I got to where I am professionally by putting in the work, researching, and never quitting. Nothing is really ever easy, but I would not say this has been particularly difficult. I wanted this. Was it a lot of work? Yes. Hard? No. Just time consuming. Some people may consider the time commitment difficult. I truly believe if you love something though, the time requirement is easy.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
A week in Orlando! People hear Orlando and automatically think Disney. While I do love Disney, there is so much more to Orlando than that! Of course, Disney would definitely be on the itinerary, though. We would get a park hopper ticket and start at Magic Kingdom and end in Epcot. Epcot is so much fun to explore, especially when there is a festival. I love experiencing the food and drinks from other countries.
There is also a lot of good food in Orlando! The Michelin Guide finally came down to Florida and selected four restaurants to receive a star! My favorite being Capa, which is a rooftop steakhouse at the Four Seasons. it is definitely not to be missed. If you visit Orlando, you must eat here. You can see the fireworks from both Magic Kingdom AND Epcot from the top of this restaurant.
One day would be spent paddleboarding, as we are surrounded by water. There are so many pretty springs like Blue Springs, Kings Landing, Crystal River, Weeki Watchee, and more. The water is so blue and often times you can see manatees floating by. Other bodies of water have alligators you can observe. They will eave you alone as long as you do not bother them.
International Drive is another fun area of Orlando for someone who is visiting. Icon Park has a lot of fun themed restaurants. There is also the Museum of Illusions, Madame Tussauds, an aquarium, and the Orlando Eye (a giant observation wheel).
Universal Studios is a must to see the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. It is such an immersive experience and truly feeling like you’re in the movies.
A stroll down Park Avenue on a Saturday is one of my favorite activities. I grab a cup of coffee from barnies, browse the shops, and have lunch at one of the many fantastic restaurants on the strip.
In Downtown Orlando, walking around Lake Eola is very relaxing. It is a beautiful park and the swans are fun to watch. Often times you can find baby swans and ducks. It is a dog friendly park, as is most anywhere in Orlando. Also in Downtown Orlando, you can find the off leash dog bar, Pups Pub.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I dedicate my shoutout to my former U.S. Army Battalion Commander, Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Craig Giancaterino. When I was a platoon leader in the Army, I knew it was not what I wanted to do with my life. I was very unhappy with my job as an officer in the Military Police Corp. I had made my decision to resign my position as an active duty First Lieutenant to transfer into the Army Reserve and go back to civilian life. There is always a lot of negative stigma surrounding an officer when they do this, and a lot of times they are treated poorly. This was not the case for me because I had an incredible boss at the time, LTC Giancaterino. LTC Giancaterino embodies the Army’s changing mission of “people”. He truly cares and is one of the best bosses I have ever had. He listens and then he executes by doing what is best for a Soldier as a PERSON, rather than a number. He asked me what it is I wanted to do when I got out and I told him marketing. He allowed me to have a marketing internship within the Army rather than having to continue to be solely committed to Military Police. I also became out Public Affairs Officer, which allowed me to run multiple social channels for a large organization and create content on a daily basis, while remaining in the scope of my military duties. This is very unorthodox in the Army, but I have all the respect and gratitude in the world for him. He gave me the tools to be successful outside the Army by providing me professional experience for a governmental organization in the field I wanted to pursue. So thank you, Sir, without you my last year in the Army would have been awful. I attribute a lot of my current success to you allowing me to just be myself in the Army, an organization notorious for the opposite.

Instagram: @somehowimnotfat, @cpetsos_photography

Facebook: www.facebook.com/somehowimnotfat

Other: tik tok: @christinadoesorlando