Chala was introduced to photography during her teenage years. A Pentax, many rolls of black and white film, a darkroom, chemicals and prints.  But it was the digital era that inspired her to apply photography as a medium to express herself.  As she explored various styles of photography, she studied at the International Center of Photography for a well-grounded understanding in digital photography techniques and lighting. She was drawn to a surrealist style of photography and found it satisfied her need to transform her imagination, thoughts, feelings or dreams into a story in an image.