Kimberly Burton - From Track Star to Photographic Artist
Jun 13, 2024
Alimond Studio
Have you ever found your true calling in the most unexpected of places? That's exactly what happened to Kimberly Burton, a former track athlete who discovered a profound passion for photography after a twist of fate. In a heart-to-heart on our latest episode, Kim shares the intimate details of her transition from the thrill of the race to the quiet beauty of the darkroom. Her story isn't just about changing lanes; it's about embracing the unexpected paths that life presents and finding joy in every snapshot along the way.
Join us as we explore the transformative relationships between a photographer and their subjects. Kim unveils the nuanced dance of easing clients from initial trepidation to a place of trust and comfort in front of the lens. Her dedication to her craft shines through, revealing her aspirations to create a photography studio of her own and offering pearls of wisdom on how to navigate the crowded waters of the photography business with grace and authenticity. Whether you're an aspiring photographer or someone who appreciates the tender art of visual storytelling, Kim's insights are a treasure trove of inspiration.
When it comes to capturing your family's legacy, the choice of photographer is as personal and significant as the memories themselves. Through our conversation with Kim, we unpack the subtleties that make a professional photographer an invaluable addition to your family's journey. It's about more than just clicking a button; it's about choosing a visionary who can weave your tale with light and shadow. As Kim guides us through the selection process, her love and commitment to her art form become a beacon for anyone looking to preserve their moments in a way that transcends time.
Have you ever found your true calling in the most unexpected of places? That's exactly what happened to Kimberly Burton, a former track athlete who discovered a profound passion for photography after a twist of fate. In a heart-to-heart on our latest episode, Kim shares the intimate details of her transition from the thrill of the race to the quiet beauty of the darkroom. Her story isn't just about changing lanes; it's about embracing the unexpected paths that life presents and finding joy in every snapshot along the way.
Join us as we explore the transformative relationships between a photographer and their subjects. Kim unveils the nuanced dance of easing clients from initial trepidation to a place of trust and comfort in front of the lens. Her dedication to her craft shines through, revealing her aspirations to create a photography studio of her own and offering pearls of wisdom on how to navigate the crowded waters of the photography business with grace and authenticity. Whether you're an aspiring photographer or someone who appreciates the tender art of visual storytelling, Kim's insights are a treasure trove of inspiration.
When it comes to capturing your family's legacy, the choice of photographer is as personal and significant as the memories themselves. Through our conversation with Kim, we unpack the subtleties that make a professional photographer an invaluable addition to your family's journey. It's about more than just clicking a button; it's about choosing a visionary who can weave your tale with light and shadow. As Kim guides us through the selection process, her love and commitment to her art form become a beacon for anyone looking to preserve their moments in a way that transcends time.
Speaker 1:
So my name is Kimberly Burton. I go by Kim. I'm the owner and CEO lead photographer of Capturing Women's Photography, where I specialize in wedding, family and lifestyle photography. Wonderful, how did you get into photography, oh God? So there's a long-winded story.
Speaker 2:
We're here for a story, right I?
Speaker 1:
started when I was 15. When I was in high school, I was an athlete, so I thought the track was going to be like my ticket to any and everything. My sophomore year I kind of hit a dead end where I was like I don't really like this. I'm very much a person where I love sports, I love the grit that comes with it, and so track is a sport either you're all in or you're all out, like there really is no in between. And so I realized like as I got older, as I hit puberty, as my weight kept fluctuating, as my weight kept fluctuating, I kept getting injured.
Speaker 1:
I had shin splints one day, then I had something going on with you know a different bone another day. It was just too much and I realized like this is not what I see myself doing for the next three years in high school which was hard for me because I was very much, that was my identity Everyone associated Kim with the track runner, the fast girl, and so to hit this wall where I no longer had it thing that I was good at kind of sent me into not really a spiral, but more a place of oh my God, what's going to be my thing? Like what?
Speaker 2:
am I going to do?
Speaker 1:
Yes, I'm very type a like. I planned my whole life out since I was five years old, um, so that was really hard. However, I think it allowed space for photography to really find me. Um, looking back, there were definitely connecting points in my life where I realized like it was destined to happen this way, but, of course, I didn't realize it until I actually got into the field. So when I was a little girl, I was the type of kid who I would go to like family members' houses, friends' houses, and every time I would get there I would read, like photo albums. I would look through it for hours, not even knowing anyone in the photos.
Speaker 2:
I would just love looking at photos so old, like other people's families, other people's families' photos, of course my own right.
Speaker 1:
But even when I went to my friend's house like, do you have any photo albums? Like I would love to just look through them, they're like you don't know anyone. I'm like I don't care, like I just love it. When I would go to doctor's offices and, like waiting areas, I would flip through magazines, never read a headline, the photos. It just so happened during that time. Tumblr was a big thing, instagram was a big thing. Of course, these are more platforms where just photos were used, and so I remember being on Tumblr like as a teen. I would just scroll for hours until I would fall asleep, sometimes even in front of the computer, and it's just looking at photos over and over Tumblr. People could use it for blogs and stuff like that, but again, when it first started, people use it primarily to post photos, and so I had bought a camera, really just to kind of have when I went on vacation with my friends, when I was out at the mall what was your first camera?
Speaker 1:
oh god, it was a burgundy, like regular point shoot, the little wrist cameras that you have, like all of this big um. And so I just bought it just to have, you know, hang out with my friends and stuff. And I was like, okay, this one is kind of clear, but it's not as clear as I want. So I got a different one. It was an Icon Coolpix now. It's a little bit maybe like this big now, and it had a lens that kind of extended out a little bit. And so I was like, oh, I like the camera quality a little bit better again, just wanting it to photograph for me and my friends. We would go like to the beach in the summers and all that stuff.
Speaker 1:
And so I realized like I really, really like being on the other end, like I don't mind getting in front of a camera, but I really, really enjoy being behind it. Um, and so, looking back, like it all kind of connected, um, even as a little girl, like my grandfather always had a camera around, uh, same with my grandmother, so I think there wasn't like a definitive moment, I think it was like multiple things that kind of connected over time, and so I realized that the same passion and love that I once had for track was now replaced. Like, I picked up a camera, I never put it down, so in a roundabout way, when I no longer became an athlete, it kind of allowed that space for photography to find me.
Speaker 2:
And you've been doing it for 12 years now. Yes, wow so.
Speaker 1:
I love it here.
Speaker 2:
What do you find most rewarding about photography?
Speaker 1:
Lots of things. I love seeing my clients cry because um happy tears right.
Speaker 2:
Happy tears right.
Speaker 1:
Especially when I get like moms and family members who there are certain moments that they look back at over the years and they're like Whoa, I had an idea that you captured, like, oh, look at my baby. And so I love moments like that. But also just helping people feel confident. Um, I'll often say and I joke around and say that all my clients are liars because they come to me at first panicking, freaking out, like I don't know what I'm gonna do, I'm not really comfortable around the camera, I don't know what to do. Like how are you gonna pose me? I'm nervous.
Speaker 2:
I'm like, don't worry and so once we get into the shoot.
Speaker 1:
I'm like you're lying because you've done this before I don't know where, who, but from their image they're like what.
Speaker 1:
So I love seeing, like the expressions when they come in a little bit maybe not as confident, not as sure what their images are going to look like and so being able to provide that wow factor. I love, from the family and lifestyle side, really just seeing my families grow. I have some families where I work with them and they were pregnant with their children and so seeing their kids out into the world, running towards me and talking in full sentences, I'm like I remember photographing you in your mother's stomach or as a newborn and so things like that growing, of course, a family being a part of the family. I consider my clients' babies like they're mine, so I love just seeing them get older and seeing the cool things that they do. So, yeah, there's a lot of things that I love, but I think definitely growing with families for sure, and just being a part of those pivotal moments in someone's life.
Speaker 2:
Absolutely. It's rewarding.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, capturing those moments that are going to live on long past. Play on the name yes, no pun intended. That was everything that I wanted it to be. I wanted it to be a place where people just value documenting their family's legacy. Where do you see the future of your company? I would love to open up a studio. I'm not in a rush, but in the next like five years, I definitely foresee that happening. Rush, but in the next like five years, I definitely foresee that happening. And I think that's the biggest thing Having my own space. I think initially I didn't really care for it too too much because I do a lot of on location work. I love outdoors, but of course, when it's cold and when there are other things, I think like there's a lot that goes into constantly renting out places. I would love to have my own place to call home, especially for my newborns right, like I do newborns in home. But there's nothing like having everything already set up. You just come to me, it's done so. That would be a bigger dream of mine.
Speaker 2:
A pipeline dream down the road. Yeah.
Speaker 1:
Absolutely.
Speaker 2:
What are you doing for advertising and marketing these days to get people in?
Speaker 1:
Yeah, so word of mouth, for sure I these days to get people in. Yeah, so word of mouth, for sure. I love that. It kind of does it for me. Email marketing so I have an email list going, definitely leveraging social media Instagram and Facebook, tiktok. I'm slowly getting into A little bit of SEO, so a little bit of all of the above, but I think majority of my clients come to me. Either they're continual clients, they're referrals, or they find me through social media.
Speaker 2:
Wonderful. Tell me a little bit about what would you say to the next generation wanting to get into photography.
Speaker 1:
Know your why. I think that photography is a growing field and I love that, and some would even say it's getting oversaturated. But I really think, knowing your why, I used to get a lot of pressure, especially in college, because the core of what I do is family lifestyle, and so in college I went to a pretty fun school where there was constant events. There was fashion shows, there were campus-wide events, and they were like why don't you bring your camera? I'm like that's not really my niche, and so sometimes people will think that because you're a photographer, you just photograph any and everything, and that's not who I am.
Speaker 1:
I'll photograph any and everything because I really love what I do. But what brings me the most joy is not photographing an event on campus. It's going to be photographing someone pregnant and having their first child, or having their first set of family photos. Those are things that really really make my heart warm and fuzzy. So really finding that thing that drives you and why you got into the field because one thing that I learned in the last few years, because I do love all facets of photography, like even when it comes to doing grad shoots, I did that a lot in college because those were more of my clientele.
Speaker 1:
Also, I was very, very young. I still am young, right so I think my markets have changed, but really I think if I could have found my niche a whole lot sooner. It's like a two double-edged sword. On one hand, I would have wished I found my niche a whole lot sooner, because I could have just marketed to just that audience. But I also appreciate being not as narrow because I was able to travel with all of my people. And so now, maybe like 10 years ago, I had a client. I was taking their grab photos, but now they're coming back to me for their wedding Now it fits.
Speaker 1:
So to any other photographer I would say definitely find your niche, find your why and really trust the process. I think that we're in an era where people want success so fast and that is so detrimental. Because you're used to doing things fast, you bypass all the other foundational skills and so I think I've learned to just be patient. I had no choice right. I started at 15 years old, like I don't know what the heck LLC was, I didn't know anything about taxes and all those things, and so I think, trusting that all the things I needed to know as a business owner, I've learned along the way and not getting frustrated because where I was at 18, wasn't the same as someone who had been shooting for the last 10 and they were in their 30s and 40s. So really trying not to compare yourself to other photographers and really just trusting your own journey as an entrepreneur.
Speaker 2:
Sure, did you have anyone that helped you? Yes, that was going to be my next part Get a coach, get a mentor for sure.
Speaker 1:
So my mentors have changed over the years. I think different people have been monumental to the seasons of business that I've been in. My very first mentor, at 15, was someone that was connected to the school that I went to. She worked at one of the places I would volunteer at, and so she was very much family lifestyle photography as well, and so any type of equipment I wanted to get, she was my 911. Like, hey, amanda, I'm thinking about getting this camera. What do you think she's like? Girl, get that. She was the one to teach me how to shoot in manual and doing like all learning about you know, iso and aperture and shutter speed, like that was. She was truly my holy grail in the first I want to say five to six years of me starting off, so about again 15 to around 1920. Um, when I got to college, of course I moved away so I wouldn't connect with her as often but definitely still kept up with her from afar.
Speaker 1:
Um, then looking at studying other people's work. So there were a lot of people whose work, like I would just study the heck out of it. Of course, like I believed in my own creative, like abilities, but I really liked, um, how they did their composition and their lighting and all that stuff. More recently, I'm now in a fabulous coaching program that I love, and so I think, really never stop learning. I also think that sometimes with photographers, you can get to a point where you could feel like I've got it, I'm good, and that you're too big to continue to get coaching. And that's not true. Photography is such an ever-changing field.
Speaker 2:
There's something always shifting.
Speaker 1:
So, okay, 10 years ago the thing was dslrs, 20 years before that it was film, now it's mirrorless, like there's something always going to shift, and so I'm really big on having people that are smarter than you, um, and so I like that. At every stage in my business I've always been connected to people who were a little bit more advanced. They can kind of, you know, show me the ropes of things I don't really know as much, so that has been helpful. Definitely had a lot of mentors over the years.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, mentors are everything.
Speaker 1:
Everything, yeah.
Speaker 2:
Learn from other people and grow. Yeah, you said you had some events coming up.
Speaker 1:
Yes, yes. So I am hosting Spring and Mommy and Me, minis. I'm very excited about it. They'll be taking place Spring Minis April 27th. And then Mommy and Me, April 28th, that's Sunday.
Speaker 2:
Wonderful.
Speaker 1:
So I'm very excited Are there any last parting words?
Speaker 2:
you'd like to leave our listeners with this afternoon?
Speaker 1:
In terms of audience, right. If you're looking for quality maternity photos, family photos, any wedding needs, then definitely check me out. Um, my website is capture, the moments. That is capture spelled traditionally T, h, e, e moments with the Scom, um, and just in general, like making sure that you find the right photographer for you. I think that it's um such a good feeling when photographers have chosen me like as their solidified, their certified family family photographer, and so I think it's important to find that person for you. I think so often that families they rely on their iPhones to capture everything and, wow, that's great. Like technology is changing right. An iPhone will do it right every single time but it's not gonna, it's never gonna be the same right, um, and just finding the right person.
Speaker 1:
Um, I get a lot of people that sometimes you know will just choose a photographer on the whim. They look back at their images and they're a little bit confused. But I'm like you have to study the people that you work with, so really knowing, um, and doing your research ahead of time who you would like to work with, what is their price point, what things do you value, and how does that value align with the photographer that you want to choose? And so, um, yeah, I think that would be my push to people as they're looking for family photographers.
Speaker 2:
As they're deciding. Well, it was lovely to meet you. Thank you for coming in today, thank you, thank you, it was a pleasure.