ABOUT
My name is Chris Casaceli, and I am a 27 year old filmmaker and Photographer based in Reno, NV.
A passion for creating exciting and beautiful imagery has possessed me from a very young age. I have always been interested in drawing, painting and visual arts of every sort, but growing up in Reno, Nevada, the annual Great Reno Balloon Race (GRBR) had a particular influence in focusing my artistic efforts towards photography and filmmaking. Something about the peaceful visual splendor of lighter-than-air aviation has captivated me endlessly from infancy into adulthood. As early as I have memories, year after year, I was on the launch field at Rancho San Rafael Park every morning of the event developing my budding passions for photography and filmmaking as I strove to improve upon my work from the previous year. I was additionally motivated to improve my skills when I learned that the winner of the annual GRBR photo contest was awarded a ride in a hot air balloon at the next year’s event.
Eventually, in 2014 one of my photographs depicting the Dawn Patrol against the Reno skyline won the contest, and I was awarded the balloon ride I had always dreamed of.
My photograph of the dawn Patrol at The Great Reno Balloon Race - Winner of the 2014 GRBR photo contest
The Great Reno Balloon Race From Above - Photographed in 2015 during my first ride in a hot air balloon.
Though I attribute my initial infatuation with the visual arts to the inspiring sight of hot air balloons, I also fell in love with the art of visual story telling as I sought to expand and develop my photography and filmmaking skills in high school. Story telling has since become the basis from which I derive inspiration for all of the visual art I create. There is a story to be found in everything, and I find nothing more exciting than visualizing and telling those stories through images.
After high school I attended the University of Oregon on a music scholarship where I studied jazz music and composition. I maintained my passion for photography and filmmaking throughout my time in school, drawing a healthy amount of inspiration from the beautiful Pacific North West. After graduating college, I decided to make my passion for photography and filmmaking into my full time career.
In my free time, I am now studying to be a hot air balloon pilot myself, having received my student pilot certificate in 2022.