Christine M. Cannella was born in Omaha, Nebraska. Her introduction to photography came as a toddler watching her Uncle Joe manipulate his ever-present Leica; she also loved the magic of watching her father’s Polaroid pictures reveal themselves.Chris earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism in 1973 from the University of Kansas. She joined the staff of the Leavenworth Times in 1974. In February 1976, the newsroom scanner reported a fire over the feed store downtown. Chris’ photo of a fireman rescuing a 7-month-old ran in newspapers around the world. It led to Chris being hired as the first woman among a photo staff of 27 men at the Kansas City Star in 1976.Chris earned a Master’s Degree in Social Welfare in 1983 from the University of Kansas. She became a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and a Registered Art Therapist until her retirement in 2016. Chris continues to make photographs nearly daily.Two of her long-term projects include: The shepherdess/poet: four years, following a, then-14-year-old girl raising a herd of sheep on the Coast of Maine and a year-long project shooting the Milky Way at the New Moon