Costa Christ: Armed With a Sword, Not a Shield

Protecting Artists and Their Creative Legacy

When your life’s work is made of ideas, technique, and vision—not steel or stone—you need protection that is as strong as the art itself.

Costa Christ understands this better than most. An internationally recognized photographer and artist based in Dallas, Costa didn’t begin his career chasing light; he began with spreadsheets. But shortly after graduating from SMU in 2014 with an accounting degree, he traded debits and credits for a camera and tripod—and set out to create something unmistakably his own.

From the beginning, Costa was driven by a belief that architecture deserved to be captured in its purest state. No artificial light. Just raw, unfiltered environments. It wasn’t an easy sell in a crowded field of established photographers and designers, but he stayed committed, taking on small architectural projects and refining the meticulous process that would become his signature. Eventually, that process—and the images produced by it—became his professional trademark: Strictly Natural Light®.

The world took notice. Over the next decade, Costa and his wife Jackie traveled the globe photographing more than 3,000 architectural projects. His work appeared in Southern Living, Architectural Digest, Veranda, Forbes, and countless others. Every image was captured with the same discipline, craftsmanship, and trademarked method that defined his artistic identity.

But success often brings something far less inspiring: infringement and misuse.

In an age of influencers, rapid-fire content, and endless online sharing, many creators discover their art is far too easy for others to lift, repost, or repurpose without permission—or payment. Costa learned this firsthand when one of his photographs appeared on the cover of a major design magazine without his authorization.

“Just because a photo isn’t tangible doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be treated and protected like a tangible product,” Costa said. “They kicked me to the curb until Michael and his team got involved.”

With Griffith Barbee’s help, Costa secured a settlement—but more importantly, the magazine implemented new internal procedures to prevent future misuse of photographers’ work. That victory protected not only Costa, but the rest of the creative community.

“We live in a world of influencers running the internet,” Costa said. “They don’t want to pay, but they’ll offer photo credits. I used to take it on the chin. Now, if anyone tries to infringe on my work, I just mention Griffith Barbee—and suddenly I’m armed with a sword, not a shield.”

Inside the Griffith Barbee office, Costa’s luminous images brighten our walls. But behind each photograph lies something equally valuable: his technique, his process, and his protected intellectual property.

Griffith Barbee has long specialized in helping clients establish, protect, and defend their intellectual property rights for their trademarks, patents, copyrights, and more. If you would like to learn more about protecting your intellectual property, please contact our office, and we will be happy to offer a preliminary consultation and determine how we can help you navigate the critical steps in this process.