We were lucky to catch up with Kimberlee Peterson recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Kimberlee thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Covid has brought about so many changes – has your business model changed?
Covid didn’t change my business model per se, but it inspired me to dive deeper into portrait photography. I had only had the camera in my hand for 8 months prior to covid. My business was brand new and focused solely on headshot photography. With the world shutting down and my work coming to a halt, I knew that I needed to find a creative outlet to keep the heart beat of my business alive. Thus my series “brokeN,” was born. Through a therapeutic lens, I was able to capture the raw emotions of 62 subjects. The experience for me was life changing. It allowed me to connect with people during a time of isolation and also served as a crash course in photography. Being brand new to the business, there was so much I had to learn about my camera, along with photoshop and simply how to interact with clients. I had a short amount of time with each person, and I was asking them to bare their souls before my lens. It truly was an honor that they trusted me to capture their pain and turn it into art. Those 62 individuals transformed me as a person and also a photographer.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I started my creative journey in Los Angeles as a child actor. My first big break, was starring opposite the legendary Anne Bancroft in a film called “Homecoming.” From 13-30, I guest-starred on numerous TV shows, such as Criminal Minds, NCIS and CSI. I traveled to Egypt, Mexico and Canada for films. I was lucky to have gotten a taste of success in this industry. In 2010, that all came to an unexpected end. I was diagnosed with an auto-immune disease (sarcoidosis) that quite frankly, kicked my ass and took me out of the acting game. As difficult as it was to go through, I believe it ended up saving my life. I had been secretly dealing with an addiction to prescription drugs for years prior. Initially after being diagnosed, that addiction spiraled out of control, as I didn’t know how to cope with my health issues. I numbed myself for the next 3 years and completely checked out of reality. I woke up one day and knew that if I didn’t stop, it was going to kill me. Had I not been diagnosed with Sarcoidosis, I don’t think I would have ever gotten a handle on my addiction. So for that…I am grateful.
Mentally, physically and spiritually, there was a lot to heal. No longer having a creative outlet through acting, I was in search of something to make me feel whole again.
I met a photographer at a wedding and slowly over the next year I could feel my heart begin to beat again. Working behind the camera was never something I had considered. It by far has been the most fulfilling and therapeutic part of my journey. I can’t imagine my life without a camera in my hand.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
I am hustling to make up for the decade of my life that I lost to health issues and addiction. There is a fire that burns within to prove to myself, that I am capable of succeeding on the other side of the camera. While this wasn’t the direction I thought my life would go, everything I have been through has shaped me and brought me to this very moment. Because I have been “broken,” I now see beauty in places I wouldn’t have before. I am so eager to learn, grow and create art. It’s an added bonus that I get to meet and work with so many talented people. All of whom have inspired and propelled my love of photography forward. The possibilities are endless with where this journey may take me, and I am ready for the ride!
Leaving my mark on this earth, is the ultimate goal. I hope my photographs touch and inspire people.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
Having 20 plus years experience in front of the camera has tremendously helped me along as a photographer. I can relate to my clients because I have been in the trenches along side them. I also have so much love and appreciation for this industry. I think when you love what you do, it shows, and I hope that comes across in my work. It’s so important to me that my clients are happy and at ease when we shoot. I do my best to read the energy and accommodate accordingly. It also fills my heart to know that I am contributing to someone else’s journey, even if it’s just taking the picture that gets them in the room to be seen. I recently had a client reach out and share how many auditions he is getting because of his new headshots. I’m like “that’s just your face man!! You are doing all the work!” But it made me so happy to hear his excitement and gratitude. He also shared that to prep for an audition, he watched me in an old episode of “The Practice.” It allowed him to emotionally get to where he needed to be, and he booked the job! Brought tears to my eyes to hear it. I think the very simple fact that I care about my clients, has helped build my reputation in this market.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lotta.photo
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lottaphoto.kp
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lotta.productions?mibextid=LQQJ4d
Image Credits
Lotta Photo