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So what is Fantasy Stills Photography and who is Kimarie? (I like Kim better than Kimarie, so please, call me Kim.)
OK so... I'm a self-taught wedding photographer, family portrait photographer, a high school senior photographer, a children's photographer and a pet photographer. What is my specialty? People. (Dogs are people too) All my subjects have to have a heartbeat. Landscapes aren't my thing. I just don't have the patience to wait for the perfect sunset or get up early for the sun to rise and photograph it. Instead, I'm usually up by 6am on the computer editing or retouching to make my people portraits the best they can possibly be.
When I opened the doors of my first studio here in Ukiah 18+ years ago, did I really want to? No! I knew so little about photography, only theatrical make-up, and nothing about running a business. I owned a camera but knew squat about shutter speeds and apertures. In those days, it was film. So, I always say I went to the school of hard knocks and lots of wasted film. Anything outside the studio was grossly over or under exposed for a long time. I trusted a lot of people to give me any advise, and went with it, sometimes to find out later that I really didn't need certain things like studio lighting strong enough to light up State Street to be a good photographer. My lighting has never been real technical, as a matter of fact, I'd much rather use available light and a reflector when I can. To me, the technical part is in my posing, and being as creative or romantic as possible. Nothing that looks stacked, shoulder to shoulder, stale or out of character.
So what's my favorite thing to photograph? I can't answer that. Each area brings something new to the table. Small children take a lot of energy and I keep shooting as long as they let me. Their attention spans are usually short lived and I stay crouched on the floor like a frog until they're done. I credit my knees and hips for holding up because of little people. I always say, when you work with children, you work quickly. That also goes for men in a family portrait sitting. I get that their wife bribed him or dragged him in by his ears. My goal is to get it done and have them walk away saying it wasn't so bad. When it comes to family portraits, the main thing is color coordination, and I'm a stickler about it. Follow my rules, follow my lead, even if it means sitting down in the damp grass and you won't be disappointed.
I do want to talk a little about weddings. Since I've been doing weddings, I've become completely obsessed with my photographs because I've been entrusted to use every fiber of my being to produce the best wedding images possible for my brides and grooms. Recently, weddings have taken me to Union Square in the city, Golf and Country Clubs and to Champagne caves in Napa. What's ironic is the first wedding I did outside of Ukiah was in Wales in the U.K. in 1997. Was I nervous? You bet. But you never let them see you sweat.
Don't get me wrong. A wedding in Ukiah is no less important than a wedding in a big city. What I'm saying is, it can be stressful taking yourself out of your box but it makes you use all that you've learned to go to the next level. One recent wedding in particular is a prime example of butterflies in your stomach. Local girl comes home from D.C. to get married, but she just happens to be a staff member of our First Lady of the United States at the time. No pressure there! (And no, Air Force One didn't land in Ukiah but we did check out the gift table for a familiar name.) One can only hope that someday the bride has an opportunity to share her wedding album with her former boss.
In closing, I'd like to say a bit more. In this business, you must love people and you must take the word “NO” out of your vocabulary. Knowledge is power and lack of knowledge in a field such as this limits you. It's a career that is by no means a 9 to 5 job. It has become life consuming but it is one of the most fulfilling careers out there. It's worked for me for almost 20 years, and I figure I'm good for another ten. But please, don't pull me out of retirement for you daughter or granddaughter's wedding out of obligation because I've photographed your entire family thru the years! LOL! I'd be the most grateful person on the guest list.
To everyone who has come to my studio, and to future clients, I've made lifelong friends and hope to continue to do so.
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A personal note from kimarie
- Thank you to all who have supported me thru the years and who have granted me the pleasure of photographing the special people, special moments and milestones in your lives.
- To my husband, who has stood by me thru the years of huge transitions, major hurdles, and hugged me when i was overwhelmed and in tears when i didn’t even know where the “ctrl” or the “shift key” was on the computer. How things have changed.
Kimarie
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