Family Photos

MY family this time! These were done by Kim Jackson (the artist formerly known as Kim Donald).

I first met Kim five years ago maybe? My brothers and I had participated in many family photos with my dad and step-mom, at a variety of local studios. We decided to take photos for my mom for Christmas (who refuses to be in photos, so we knew it would have to be just of us). Now, my brothers HATE photo shoots, and I took the challenge upon myself to find a photographer that would be a completely different experience. I found it at a photography studio, but a natural light, not your typical posed photo studio. And Kim was our photographer. We loved her. My brothers actually loved the photo session. And my mom loved the photos (of course, we got her the more posed, color photographs, because she doesn't really get anything too artistic!) Walt and I went back to Kim later when I was pregnant with my first baby.

A year later, Walt's coworker at the time (I still assert that this was the only reason he was at that job for the short time he was - selfish of me, I know) gave him Kim's card, and Walt brought it home to me. Kim was on her own. And I had quit my career in education to be a full-time mom. I had taken photography in college for fun, and it had been a hobby ever since. I mustered up the courage to call Kim and beg to be her assistant, to soak in whatever amazing talent from her I could. She was so incredibly gracious, and took me under her wing.

She has taught me so much, and is such an amazing mentor. It still blows me away. People ask me if I do weddings on my own after having shot weddings with Kim for three years and I always tell them that I try not to. Why? Well, I'm a bundle of nerves first of all. I would be weighted down with ten cameras around my neck "just in case" and would still be sweating buckets. But also because shooting with Kim is so much FUN!

AND, Kim does all of our family photos. Which is amazing! I have to admit, at times when she's been really busy, I've tried going to other studios to get some family photos done. And they're fine. Really. There's nothing wrong with them. They're technically great. They just aren't this...they aren't US like Kim can capture. It's been a good lesson for me, though. I think I have people occasionally who come to me and really want to like my style, but they just can't get over the fact that they aren't posed, and not everyone is looking at the camera. There's nothing wrong with that - it's important for everyone to know what their style and preferences are.

So I'll stop rambling now...and let the photos speak for themselves...