Hey, I’m Kimberly
Before you scroll any further, there's something I want you to hear...
You think you'll remember this part.
The way your toddler says "spaghetti," the exact pitch of your senior's laugh before they leave for college, and how your partner looks at you across a crowded kitchen. You're sure it's burned in.
Yet mostly, it fades away.
And with a good photograph, you can have it back, if only for a few moments.
There's always a "once," and it's always a little further out than today.
But the day you think you're not ready is the day worth capturing. Because someday you'll be eighty, holding a photo of yourself from right now, the one you almost didn't take because of your arms or your weight or your tired eyes. And you won't see any of that.
You'll see how young you were. How loved.
How your daughter had her hand on your shoulder, and your husband was mid-laugh beside you. You'll think, I would give anything for one more afternoon like that one.
Truth be told
Growing up in the 80s
Maybe it was all the family photo albums my mother lovingly created, but I’ve been rolling through life, camera in hand, ever since.
01
Class of ‘95
I was the kid at every school activity, with a camera in hand and a yearbook full of photos to show for it come graduation. Worked at the local camera shop and bought my first camera, one paycheck at a time. I didn't know it yet, but that little Canon was the start of what would become my life’s work.
02
A darkroom and a nudge from Dad
Somewhere along the way, my dad converted our basement into a darkroom. Years later, when I wanted to quit my corporate job and start my own thing, he was the one who gave me the confidence to make the leap. I’m so grateful for the photos I have with him.
03
The leap
Enter my late 20s. Following a pivotal career stint in Chicago, I registered my LLC, put in my two weeks at my advertising job, then flew to Italy on a whim. After that, I was all in, shooting thirty-some weddings a year and loving every minute of it.
04
13+ countries
A month through Thailand, all over Europe, the Inca Trail in Peru, and a very humbling climb up Half Dome in Yosemite. I shot weddings wherever the road went, from Mexico to Lake Tahoe to Maine. Turns out a camera is a very good excuse to see the world.
05
Strength and Grace
A personal project lead to my first gallery showing during the Short North Gallery Hop. It was a series featuring inspiring women athletes and dancers. The room was packed, and my heart was full.
06
2015
I married my Mike. Through countless adventures and navigating life together, he's been on the other side of my favorite photos ever since. For someone who spends her life behind the lens, I understand now, more than ever, why my clients care so much about getting these right.
07
Where I’m now
I've been doing this long enough to enjoy the privilege of following people through whole chapters of their lives. From engagements to weddings, career milestones, and the first baby to the kid who's suddenly a senior. I've grown right alongside my clients, and a lot of them feel more like old friends now.
08
I've never had a year without a camera in it.
dad & me
My favorite part of this job is getting to be a small, recurring character in people's lives. So many of my clients started with engagement photos, came back for the wedding, then the first baby, then senior pictures for that same baby eighteen years later. Getting to be a throughline in a family's story is the honor of my career.
Here's the catch, though. The connection is the easy part to feel and the hard part to capture, because the moment a camera comes out, most of us stiffen up and start performing a version of ourselves we think looks better. My whole job is to get you past that.
I want you to be comfortable enough to forget I'm there, so what ends up in the frame is the actual you and the way your people love each other. Your dynamic, your humor, and the thing that makes your family yours and no one else's.
What I love most isn’t the camera. It’s the people.
That's what I'm after, and it's why I still love this as much as I did at seventeen.
While we're getting acquainted
Here are a few things about me!
IF I'M NOT
I’m probably outside, biking, hiking, saying hi to dogs at the park, or sipping something on a patio while planning our next adventure.
MY IDEAL
A quiet campsite or cozy cabin with a mountain view soaking up as many sunsets as possible.
AND FOR THE
I’m not afraid to get my hands dirty, but I sure love a good excuse to get dressed up too!
working:
vacation:
record:
"We first worked with Kimberly for our wedding 13 years ago, and we loved her so much that she's been our photographer ever since, capturing our family each year as we grow. What drew me in first was the quality of her work, how crisp, vibrant, and beautifully captured her photos are. What's kept us coming back is how comfortable she makes us feel, completely natural in front of the camera. I'm so happy she captures every look, smile, grin, and frown of my children. That, and her laugh. She's the best."
"I've chosen Kimberly every year for 13 years."
13 years."
Ashley G.
(Mom of 3)
