Today we’d like to introduce you to Kim Shane.
Hi Kim, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
During a family camping trip when I was seven years old, I asked many times if I could take a picture. The answer was always the same “no.” My incessant pleading must have finally worn my father down, and he put his Polaroid in my hands for the first time.
The anticipation of waiting for a full two minutes before pulling that film apart to see what I captured was exciting. I can still see that dark, blurry photo in my mind today. Even though he didn’t say it out loud, I could tell my father was slightly disappointed. But not me – I captured the back of my grandmother’s head and the side of the pop-up camper! Success! Haha, it’s crazy how things stick with you. I continued to love taking photos all through elementary and middle school. I had a collection of Polaroid, 110 and 126 cameras, and finally, in high school, a Canon 35mm Sureshot! It was a big deal. Thinking back, I wish I had held onto all of those cameras.
I’ve been taking pictures for quite a few decades, but it’s only been a few years that I’ve called myself a “photographer.” It took another professional to get me into that mindset. And when it sunk in, things started to change for me. Since then, I have won an award, sold work, built my portfolio and upgraded my gear (yup, still a Canon girl!). And like any enthusiast of anything, I even book vacations around my passion. Even today, as I write this, I am sitting in my hotel room outside Glacier National Park. It’s been on the list for a couple of years, and outside of a little smoky sky, it did not disappoint! The goal this week is bears, elk, and moose! I also work full-time in corporate real estate/construction. And I love it too, so I will continue to do that alongside photography until I’m ready to call it quits in corporate America. Then photography will be my full-time passion.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been smooth?
I won’t say the road was smooth or challenging at first, mostly because I wasn’t “on” the road for many years. When I finally decided it was time to draw a line in the sand with this “passion” of mine, it was then that the struggle began. I watched videos, did online classes, and attended some in-person workshops. And the funny thing was, the more I learned, the worse I got (so I felt), and it was utterly infuriating! Then I realized that while I had much to learn, I wasn’t necessarily getting worse, but there were all these new theories, terminology, and math (insert ‘eye roll’) to figure out, and I wasn’t allowing for the learning curve. And I was raising my expectations. I was finally forcing myself out of my comfort zone – time to execute for real. I have always been a student – life, work, technology, environment, personal development, you name it. And this was a challenge that I was going to overcome.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Unless you know you are a portrait, wedding, or landscape photographer, there can be a lot of pressure to pick one thing because I have so many different types of photography that I love – from portraits, to wildlife, to cityscapes, to landscape, to my German Shepherds. And so, I say “to each their own.” I’m a life photographer. I capture what’s present and tell the story I lived that day. And if I can tell the whole story in three photos, even better.
One of my favorites was recent – my husband and I met a woman fishing off a local dock – Miss Gracie. She was chumming up the waters and slinging big mullets onto the dock, one after the other. We started a conversation with her, and without losing focus on catching her dinner, she gave us a whole “how-to” on catching, cooking, and sharing this fish. That story was told in three black and white photos that night, and my network responded in a huge, positive way. That was a great feeling! I love that I could share my afternoon with them through photography and they enjoyed Miss Gracie as much as I did.
I also did it during an impromptu family session. Letting the kids run around and play with a puppy was incredibly fun, and there was no pressure to “get the shot.” The parents said I captured the kids’ different personalities during these candid shots, and the results were a great family portrait collection. The subject can do its thing and I’ll do my best to capture a few moments that stand out as special.
What would you say has been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
Don’t put off ‘til tomorrow what you love to do today.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.instagram.com/kimshanephotography/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimshanephotography/
Image Credits
Gary Shane
