Meet Chip Freund | Photographic Artist

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

Hi Chip, do you have a favorite quote or affirmation?
“ You can’t change the direction of the wind, but you can adjust your sails.” – Unknown

It is a reminder that we always have the power to choose how we respond to the world around us. Further, it instructs us to take constructive action to change what we can to make the best out of each situation.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am an artist who uses landscape and nature photography to engage others with the natural world through images. I find my greatest inspiration in places where water meets land, the water’s edge. Not only are these places often rich in biodiversity, they often are some of the most beautiful. Much of my work is minimalist in style causing the viewer to pause and question what exactly they are seeing. After a long and successful career as a product marketing executive in the tech and telecom sectors, I wanted to transition to a career that had more meaning and would be more fulfilling. As so many do, I started my professional art career as a side hustle in late 2017. Despite lots of research and planning 2018 was a year of lessons learned and virtually no revenue.
My primary sales channel is direct sales through local and regional art fairs. Year two on the local art fair circuit was the year to put my learnings to work. The results were encouraging, but the reality of the work necessary to grow Chip Freund Photography into a self-sustaining business remained somewhat daunting.
My initial plan was to develop the business part-time for four to five years and then transition it into a full-time endeavor. The pandemic combined with a corporate restructuring accelerated those plans turning my art business into my encore career. I had to make some tough decisions that would affect the whole family by the drastic reduction in household income. With their support and encouragement, I took the plunge and became a full-time artist.

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?
The perfect week in the Triangle would include walks in the woods, fine dining, excellent spirits, nerding out on science, and a strong dose of the arts. We would begin with a trip to the North Carolina Museum of Natural History, the regions’ premier science center, followed by drinks and dinner at Death & Taxes. Day two would have us up and out early for a morning hike and trail lunch at White Pines Nature Preserve, one of Triangle Land Conservancy’s unique natural spaces.
The next day we’d stay closer to home and head to the heart of Cary to experience the growing arts scene in western Wake County. First stop is the Cary Gallery of Artists, home to 24 local artists exhibiting a variety of media from jewelry, glass, and ceramics to painting, color pencil and photography. A short walk down Academy Street continues our visual arts exploration of Cary touring the gallery spaces at The Mayton Inn before settling into a lovely lunch on the terrace at Peck & Plume.
The adventure continues the following day with a short drive west down I-40 to Durham to dine at Nuvo Taco and take in a Durham Bulls game or perhaps a show at DPAC.
Before our week together comes to a close, we must get over to the North Carolina Museum of Art. A trip to NCMA is all about beauty. Beauty in the visual arts in the museum and immersion in the natural beauty as we walk the trails of the grounds and park that surrounds the museum.
We celebrate our last evening together enjoying the region’s bounty at Mandolin Restaurant and their exceptional farm to table cuisine. There is so much more to share, but that will have to wait for your next trip!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The decision that has most significantly contributed to my success was made long before I ever even knew I wanted to be a professional artist. It was the decision to marry my wife, Susie. I could not do what I do without a strong and supportive partner.

Website: www.chipfreundphoto.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chipfreundphoto

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/chipfreundphoto/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/chipfreundphoto

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chipfreundphoto

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/chip-freund-photography-raleigh

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@chipfreundphoto

Other: My most recent project is Blue Glacier Then & Now: A Personal Photographic Story of Climate Change Spanning 40 Years (https://www.blueglacierthenandnow.org/)

Image Credits
Two of the images (note watermark) where taken by Stacy Whiting of Stacy Whiting Creative ([email protected]) at the Port Warwick Arts Festival in Oct 2023. All other image credits are my own (Chip Freund Photography)