We recently had the chance to connect with Kimber Greenwood and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Kimber, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What are you being called to do now, that you may have been afraid of before?
Love that we’re starting this out with the hard hitters! This past year, I’ve poured a ton of time and energy into building out an online educational platform called the Underwater Creatives Academy. I LOVE hosting in-person workshops, but I can only do 1-2 per year and I understand that it’s a huge time and financial investment for photographers to attend in person. To better serve my growing community of over 2000 members, I decided to create online educational courses along with a private members forum. This has been a massive undertaking that I’ve delayed on for years due to fear, overwhelm, and honestly, a bit of imposter syndrome. I won’t lie and say it’s been easy, because it most definitely has not. There were times I almost scrapped the entire thing, however, it’s been amazing to hear about the creatives it’s helped so far! We’re about to launch our second set of courses at the Underwater Creatives Academy and I can’t wait! New topics will include dedicated courses for underwater posing, lighting, and editing. I’ve tried to build in a ton of value to each course and little bonuses too (ie posing cards, free actions, and more).
Growth doesn’t happen where we’re comfortable, so I try to remind myself of that each time I feel overwhelmed.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Kimber Greenwood, and I’m the owner of Water Bear Photography and the Underwater Creatives Academy. I became one of the leading underwater portrait photographers through intentionally building my business, piece by piece. I hold degrees in both Marine Biology and Nursing, and have skills from both that I still use daily. However, my business truly exists because of my love of the water and my son. My son has some special needs and I left my job to care for him- in doing so, I picked up a camera for the first time and found my third passion after motherhood and diving. I’ve been a scuba diver for over 23 years and am a technical cave diver, so the water has always been my first love. I’m currently based in Gainesville, FL, and have a studio and custom-built pool to best serve my clients (not to mention, the gorgeous Florida springs are nearby!). I’ve worked all through Florida, from High Springs to Miami, and the beauty of this state never ceases to amaze me.
It’s my greatest joy to design custom underwater sessions for my clients and one-of-a-kind workshops for my students. I love to build up others, create, and be in the water, so this is truly my dream come true.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. Who taught you the most about work?
I started working when I was 11 years old, and if that sounds really young to you, it’s because it was. I did not grow up privileged, but I did grow up loved and with a strong work ethic. I started as a babysitter, then worked as a bagger at a grocery store, then a cashier, lifeguard, swim instructor, tutor, office manager, janitor, server, promo girl, and so many more. There probably aren’t many entry level jobs that I haven’t worked, because I’ve always had the drive to learn new skills and work. So I would say that I’ve taught myself the most about work.
Even now, I wear many hats from photographer to social media coordinator to public speaker to photography educator, and so many others.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
I would tell my young self that her value isn’t dependent on her productivity. She deserves rest, good things, and a soft life. Those aren’t just for people that are better or more privileged. You do not need to earn rest or leisure- simply because you want or need them is reason enough. Our society glorifies the hustle, and I did too, for many years. Now I’m trying to rewire a bit and focus more on what makes a truly happy, full life.
I am so grateful to my young self and her work ethic because she brought me to where I am today- someone with a job they truly love and resonate with and a life built with intention, filled with quality people. But I also wish she would have slowed down a little bit and stopped to smell more roses along the way.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Is the public version of you the real you?
Ooh, this is a question that I see a lot of people get asked…and avoided. So let me tell you my truth- the answer is mostly. The public version is authentically me in many of the ways that matter- her humor, goofiness, empathy, creativity, and positivity are all real. However, my public identity is curated. I’m not going to share my more personal struggles- or if I do, it will be filtered. The Water Bear Photography account on Instagram is the best version of me- she has constant adventures, positive quotes to share, and quirky memes to re-post. The real Kimber Greenwood has slow days, low days, and lots of burnout. She deals with chronic fatigue and self doubt, but she won’t often let that show. Not because she doesn’t want to be authentic, but because she doesn’t want to be a bummer. She wants people to feel comfortable coming to her page and feeling better than before, since social media wasn’t designed for deep connection- that happens privately in person.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. When do you feel most at peace?
Peace is something I value more and more these days. I know it’s the obvious answer from the underwater photographer, but I feel the most at peace when I’m underwater. As soon as I sink under the surface, it feels like I’ve lost a hundred pounds of stress and anxiety and fear. Something about the pressure, the silence, the sunlight playing on the sand, the blue water…it just heals my soul.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://waterbearphotography.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/waterbearphotography
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimber-greenwood-882059288/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/waterbearphoto1
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/waterbearphotographyllc
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/waterbearphotography
- Other: https://waterbearphotography.com/academy/
