1. Please tell us about yourself…
First, thank you so much for having me! I am Kristen, happily married to the love of my life for 17 years now, and mother to three precious children whom we adopted at birth. My faith and family are my greatest joys and are what give me fulfillment in life. I homeschool my kids and treasure our days together. I love being with them, seeing them grow and learn, watching them passionately pursue their interests and flourish when those interests take flight. They are remarkable human beings and I am so grateful to be in their presence. We live in southern California and I feel very blessed to live here. Despite drawbacks such as traffic or high taxes, the beauty of the mountains, the ocean, the desert, the farmland, ranches, wildlife, and so much more keep me in a daily state of awe and wonder.
First, thank you so much for having me! I am Kristen, happily married to the love of my life for 17 years now, and mother to three precious children whom we adopted at birth. My faith and family are my greatest joys and are what give me fulfillment in life. I homeschool my kids and treasure our days together. I love being with them, seeing them grow and learn, watching them passionately pursue their interests and flourish when those interests take flight. They are remarkable human beings and I am so grateful to be in their presence. We live in southern California and I feel very blessed to live here. Despite drawbacks such as traffic or high taxes, the beauty of the mountains, the ocean, the desert, the farmland, ranches, wildlife, and so much more keep me in a daily state of awe and wonder.
2. Can you describe your style in 3 words? Why those words?
Emotive, Connected, Grateful. I think no matter how my style evolves it will always be rooted in capturing emotion, a sense of connectedness between the viewer and the image (understanding, delight, a
childhood memory, etc.), and the gratitude I feel for life, my children, for nature and beauty. At least I hope those things shine through!
3. What sparked your passion for photography?
I am creative by nature and though I've ventured into other outlets such as sewing, painting, knitting, cooking, and gardening (some at which I excelled, others not so much, lol), I have always loved photography. Even when all I had (for many years) were Kodak disposable cameras. Preserving memories and freezing time in such a way that will bring joy to you and others later on has always been a passion of mine. Again it's all about preserving the emotion or gratitude you felt at particular time in your life, to recall those memories later and be grateful all over again. But in the end my kids are my biggest spark in fueling this passion. They grow so fast and time really is fleeting like everyone says, and I want to capture as many of these precious moments I have with them as I can.
4. What's in your camera bag right now?
I shoot with a Nikon d610 and an 85mm 1.4G. It's the only lens I have right now! I'm hankering for a 35mm to capture more storytelling shots, but saving for it is going slower than I'd like. :)
5. What is your dream shoot or project?
I feel like I am already living my dream project. At this time I don't feel called to do anything bigger than what is most important here and now; raising my children, loving and being present to them. Photography-wise, being able to capture a beautiful collection of images for a client and then hearing back that she cried when she saw them…is truly a dream! Perhaps one day my aspirations will change but for now I feel very fulfilled.
6. What are some of the misconceptions you had about photography and photographers at the beginning of your photography journey? Have they changed, and how?
I did not realize how long it takes to hone your craft both technically and artistically. It is time intensive and you really have to learn to balance your hours. I have put in a solid two years of work now and still feel like a beginner in many ways.
7. What advice would you give to newbie photographers? What advice do you wish you'd been given at the very beginning?
Again I still feel like a beginner myself, but…be yourself. It sounds cliche but truly, you are blessed with specific gifts, instincts and passions that others may or may not have. If you shoot what you love in the way you love you will flourish and take joy in your work. Say "No" when you need to (a hard one!). Join a photography group and participate in weekly challenges - they really do help you grow. Be grateful for your gifts and your failures (which are really just gifts in disguise) - all photographers have both. And if your
camera (or Lightroom!) is taking priority over the things that are most important, put it down and be present to those you love. Pick it up again when the time is right. Relationships are always more important.
Find more of Kristen's beautiful work here:
Love this. I'm such a fan of Kristen's work.
ReplyDeleteWonderful feature! This is a photographer I had hoped to hear more about. Stunning images.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI've been watching Kristen's work, too. She always had a wonderful "eye" but it' s become so much more cultivated as of late. It's obvious she takes the learning seriously and as she is a homeschool mother, I am not surprised. She is modeling hard-work and passion to her children. Beyond that, she is creating a family identity and legacy with these images that so clearly project the love of family and gratitude. Thanks for interviewing her! It allowed me to find this blog and I know I will enjoy reading more interviews here.
ReplyDeleteSo so beautiful.
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