Your name: Kelly

Workshop: week 2

If you have a nickname, what is it? mommy (from the kiddos) and babe (from the hubby)

Are you single, married, have children? Married 10 years to Jason with two boys.

If you have children: how many, what are their names, how old are they: Two boys…Cody is 3 and Jake is almost 7. I LOVE having boys…I’m such a mom of boys. I wouldn’t know what to do with a little girl…too much drama and not enough climbing, I would think. 

What state do you live in ? Currently we live in Kansas which is where my hubby and I are both originally from (go K-State Wildcats!!) My husband is an Army officer so we’ve also lived in Georgia, Washington, back to Georgia, Kansas for one year while he was in Korea, and North Carolina. After Kansas we’re thinking maybe Italy or Hawaii…like we have a choice 

What do you spend way too much of your time doing? Reading photography forums and blogs, trying to learn and keep up!

What do you wish you could spend more of your time doing? I wish I did a better job spending time doing “mom” stuff…baking, art projects, volunteering at school. My boys aren’t really asking for that, I just feel like I could say I was a better mom if I did more of those things.

How did photography find you? Well, I’ve always had a camera attached to my wrist. I have albums and albums of photos from high school and college. I guess watching my dad with the latest and greatest camera equipment helped. I also loved how he had pictures documenting every event in our lives. I just thought that’s how it was supposed to be. When my children came around, that’s when it became more of an obsession. It got to the point that my friends all quit carrying theirs with them because they could always count on me to capture the great moments. It wasn’t until the first part of 2007 that I even considered a career in this field. I had mentioned in the past, after a really great experience with a photographer in NC, that maybe I could do that someday. Thank God for the encouragement and push from my best friend and my husband. Without them, I would never have thought it was possible. Now that I’ve jumped in feet-first, I can’t understand why I wasn’t doing this before. I have truly found personal happiness aside from the joy of my family. I LOVE what I do!

What is your favorite thing to take pictures of? People, but mostly children. I love looking back at expressions and remembering the moment. Childhood goes by so fast. Even though I’m not doing any wedding photography (except for a friend’s next summer), I would love to be the second photographer at a wedding—responsible only for capturing the candid moments throughout the day.

How long have you been doing photography ? As a hobby…since I was twelve. As a profession, several months.

Do you have a photography business? If so, for how long? Yes, just introduced my business to the world this summer.

What is your favorite food? I love asian food…Chinese and Japanese.

What is something you can’t live without? Definitely my family.

What is something no one knows about you? There’s not much my friends and family don’t know about me…I’m kind of an open book. I guess one thing is that I try to exude confidence, but really I’m very self-conscience and worry about what others think about me…personally and professionally. I probably shouldn’t have given that one up, huh? Actually, I think a lot of women probably feel the same way.

What is on your iPod or Playlist: The Fray, Goo Goo Dolls, The Killers, Blink-182, Counting Crows…way too many to list.

Are you a night owl or early riser? Definitely not a morning person, but not really a night owl either…I love sleep too much! Having two early-rising kids reminds me that it’s not worth it to be a night owl.

What is your favorite guilty pleasure? Sour gummy anything and a warm fudge brownie with vanilla ice cream. And sleeping in.

If you could have dinner with anyone in the world…dead or alive, who would it be? Ugh, I never like this question. I always feel like I’m going to say the wrong thing, or that I’ll answer something dumb like “Brad Pitt” and then a good answer will come to me later, when it’s too late. Even though I’m at peace with it, I would love to see my friend Heather, who was killed in Spain as an exchange student, one more time.

What are some things that you like? I love the smell of my husband, snuggling with my boys, having drinks with my girlfriends, a good book, sleeping in, honesty, meeting new fascinating people, being the driver, autumn—September, October, and November—love the colors, back-to-school, Saturday college football, the cool crisp air…I could go on and on!

What are some things you don’t like ? I don’t like bad drivers, attention-seeking people, girl drama, being late, loosing my temper, when my husband’s deployed, hot humid weather.

When you can do anything, what do you do? Shop by myself.

What do you have to do before you die? I would like to visit Europe and see my boys grow up to be strong, kind, loving men.

Tell us something more about you:

Funny I like to test things out by smelling them. In a buffet line, you’ll often see me smelling food before I’ll put it on my plate. This offends some people, but I just think its good sense! J

Serious I have an irrational fear of large spaces--not just like a football field or a parking lot—more like outer space or the ocean. I once saw a split photo of an iceberg, half in and half out of the water, floating in the ocean and I thought I was going to throw up. The same thing watching a movie in which the astronaut detached from the space ship and floated off into space. It makes me sick to my stomach.

Entertaining Ever since I was very little I’ve been a sleep walker. I also have this related affliction called night visions. I’ll open my eyes and see things in my room, like people or objects. Anyone who’s roomed with me—friends, sorority sisters, my husband—has been very entertained by this…and freaked out on a few occasions. For me, it’s really annoying and sometimes scary. I bet you’re all dying to room with me now!! J

Philosophical Being kind is top on my list of important qualities in a person (I’m not sure that’s philosophical)

Exciting I’m just starting my business and finally doing what I love—for me this is very exciting!

True I am a good friend who values honesty. Don’t ask me if you look fat in those jeans unless you want to hear the truth.

Meaningful God and family are everything to me.

Powerful I’m not sure I can think of anything powerful about me. My cousin would say that if you’re going to wrestle with me, make sure you don’t let me get on my back and use my legs, because then you’re beat.

Name 2 of your weaknesses:

1) I am impatient and sometimes act before I think

2) coffee and chocolate

Name 5 of your strengths:

1) I am honest

2) I’m a hardworker who strives for perfection

3) I’m organized

4) I’m a good listener

5) I’m fun