We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kelley Mathews a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Kelley , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

Sometimes life can become very mundane and repetitive. As a stay at home mom of three, our schedules can become predictable, especially throughout the school year. We are beyond blessed for me to stay home and raise our children and with that, to be able to break out of the lull of our routine every now and then. My husband and I love to take our boys to new places and explore, learning history or sometimes new cultures. While doing so there are so many opportunities to capture magical moments all around us. Working a regular nine to five I may not be presented with the opportunity of being able to break away at the drop of a hat.

Kelley , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am a stay at home mom of three smart and vivacious boys. My husband and I have been married almost 17 years. We reside in Florence, South Carolina. Florence hasn’t always been home though, we moved from Ohio shortly after we were married in 2007. We always said when we had children we wanted to give them the chance to experience and learn different places and history, while they are growing up. After having our boys that is exactly what we have been trying to do any chance we get. We enjoy taking the opportunity to go on adventures, to immerse ourselves and teach our sons, really experience all we can. I have always had a passion for photography. Ever since our boys were tiny I’ve constantly tried to photograph their lives as they grew. Being able to look back at their milestones and growth is so special and a true treasure.
Photos to me are all unique and one of a kind, making time stand still so you are able to remember back to that moment.
So when I picked up a camera I knew I wanted to capture photographs that people could get lost in, something that they could feel like they were actually there in the moment.
While we are adventuring you can find me snapping away, whether it’s a breathtaking ocean scene, a serene tree draped in Spanish moss flittering in a breeze or a sunbathing alligator, I will capture it all and be eager to share it.
I am one who wants to include everyone, uplift and inspire each and every person. In reality that’s impossible.
A few years back I tried to think of a way to do just that from my little corner of the south. I decided I would start an instagram page and share my views from my travels. There are so many people who aren’t given the chance to ever go to the places that we are blessed to be able to visit so I wanted to share that experience with others. I’ve had followers from all over the world connect with me through my photographs and I’m so grateful they enjoy just a small slice of the beauty I’ve captured.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect of being a photographer is there really isn’t any limitations. You are free to have as much creativity or as little as you would like. I’ve photographed everything from portraits to wildlife, from exquisite landscapes to historical statues.
In photography you aren’t pigeonholed into one certain genre.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My goal with my photography will always be to share joy and bliss. We are all battling something and there is a lot of negativity that can seep into anyone’s life. I hope that if someone is going through a trial or having a bad day if they happen upon one of my photographs that it uplifts them and brightens their day. That in that moment they can sense the surroundings that are captured within the image without physically being present and it calms them. Almost, like when you smell a certain aroma and it takes you back in time to a happy memory. I want them to feel the warmth of the sunshine as the sun is setting over a rippling ocean and it gives them peace. I want them to smell the delicious scent of a fresh bloomed rose and it brings a smile to their face.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @kelleymathewsphotography

Image Credits
Kelley Mathews