Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristen Kidd

Hi Kristen, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.

In my life I have had two over arching career paths. One as a social worker and one as a photographer. They both began in the tiny rooms of a senior living long term care facility in southern, central, rural Virginia, where my mother was a geriatric nurse. There, my earliest memories were of myself going from room to room visiting the tenants that lived there. They lived two to a room, in a space no larger than a typical dormitory. I was fascinated to see what made the cut of the museum of their lives; keep sakes on shelves and heirlooms passed down. Yet, most often it was a simple collage of photos. Their entire lives on a poster board nearly as big as myself. Weddings, kids, grandkids, beloved pets, trips taken, hobbies and achievements all on humble display and visually abridged. In this space began my love of the human experience and how we carry and honor that experience. Here began my journey as a care giver and photographer, before I truly understood what either was.

At the age of 11 I read an article about the Rwandan genocide accompanied with a portrait of child with a machete scar across his face. He had hidden amongst the bodies of his massacred family and played dead. The image and story solicited a visceral response within. I felt connected in a global sense and wanted to create change. I understood that change began with facing the issue at hand. Photography makes us face the world around us and within. I wanted to create the images that create change.

Coincidentally, my father owned an Olympus film camera. He didn’t use it often. At the age of 15, I picked it up and began to play. Flowers were an innocuous place to start. They were an uncomplicated and pleasant subject. I challenged myself to photograph humans, but felt self conscious and vulnerable turning the lens in their direction. I did it anyway, sloppily, but never the less bravely.

I began college and despite a stellar performance academically in grade and high school, I found myself failing miserably at the beginning of college. I left the massive college I was enrolled in after a year and a half. I moved to Philadelphia at the age of 20, much to the fear of my family and began paying my way through a small, community college. Eventually I was thriving academically and graduated with an associates degree. I planned to continue on to a four year college and earn my bachelor’s degree. During this time I began a career as a social worker while in school. I started at the entry level and by the time I resigned 13 years later to fully take on my career as a photographer and open my studio, I’d worked to the my professional ceiling becoming a case manager with a case load of over 20 individuals and families I supported with several staff that I supervised. In this field I grew a thick skin, learned boundaries, how to supervise, manage, organize, structure, care deeply, let go, lean in an so much more.

All the while I remained curious about photography. I pursued it, took only a couple classes, started second shooting on the side for a wedding photographer, and all along the way there were mentors and learning moments that slowly over the course of years fed into building up a professional portfolio and a small clientele of portrait clients. I thought I wanted to be a conflict photographer and working with NGOs, but every time I turned my camera on, my lens found joy, love and celebration. At some point I had accept that this was truly what was inside of me, helping people step outside of themselves to see their best, beautiful, most authentic selves and those they love. I leaned in. All of this was nurtured while my primary career was maintained as a social worker.

In 2016 a push from a trusted photographer friend to invest in mentorship with an up an coming educator was the thing that showed me what I needed to see in order to make the leap from my career of care giving to fully dedicate myself to giving care to my photography clients. Kristen Kidd Photography was launched. Since then we’ve grown to a team of three and rebranded to Lux Summit Studio. Our studio provides family, pet, branding, headshot, boudoir and interior/exterior photography services. Through fundraising efforts such as our coffee table book series as well as hosting event and campaigns, our studio has raised over $50,000 for non profits. Since the launch of the studio in 2017 I have also bourgeoned a career as a public speaker, author and mentor. The capacity to grow and serve personally and as a business continues to evolve daily.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?

Being an entrepreneur is not for the faint of heart.
We’ve had droughts in business. The need to continually generate new or returning clients is daunting. The risk and vulnerability of taking leaps with no guarantee of success can be overwhelming. Life doesn’t stop happening when you’re running a business. So when a loved one passes away or depression sets in, there’s still work to be done. It never stops being scary in some way.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?

Lux Summit Studio provides family, pet, boudoir, personal branding, headshot and interior/exterior photography services. I am personally known for my pet photography. I’m most proud of bringing everything I loved about being a social worker into owning and running a photography studio. Helping individuals, couples and families to step outside of themselves and see themselves and the love in their lives shine through the imagery and artistry we help them create in their photo sessions is transformational for themselves and for myself.
What sets us a part is the discovery process that leads us to understanding what is most important to each of our clients. We won’t pick up our cameras until we discover with them the intention and unique inspiration behind each session.
I’m also proud of the philanthropic work we’ve done as a studio to raise over $50,000 for worthy causes through our photography.

Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?

Philadelphia is a great city rich in culture, diversity, history and soul.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.luxsummitstudio.com
• Instagram: @lux_summit_studio
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LuxSummitStudio
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCW6N1n5Cn3Q6gcEQesLaXmQ

Image Credits

Lux Summit Studio, by Kristen Kidd