My name is Kimberly Taylor and I am the photographer behind Kimberly Taylor Images. I also have a blog that I love called Mimi Charmante (charming mimi en francais). I have a vintage airstream that I use as my studio. Her name is Mabel and she is really the only thing around me that is pink. I have four boys + a husband and we live outside of Seattle on Chestnut Farm. Our menagerie of animals includes chickens, a horse, two dogs, and various cats. My home is surrounded with beautiful flower gardens, various vegetable gardens, as well as raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, grapes, and an espalier asian pear tree.
I am a daydreamer. I spend much of my day being inspired by the wonderfully creative, talented people around me and then dreaming of ways to inspire others. I love pretty things, but I also love a bohemian/ industrial edge to them. Completely random things catch my eye - pink ruffles, chippy paint, fabulous baked goods, old mirrors, farm equipment from years gone by, sheep.... I always carry my camera - Ruby - with me so that I never miss a shot of something fabulous or magical.
When I am not shooting photos, I love to cook and bake - right now I am working on perfecting the french macaron.
How long have you been a photographer? What made you become a photographer?
I have always carried a camera - my grandfather was a photographer and I always loved the candid shots he had of my dad and aunties when they were children. I have boxes and boxes of photos from my own childhood packed away somewhere. When digital technology became available, I feel in love with how easy it was to work with photos that never had to be processed. It was heaven! Over the past few years I have become far more serious with regards to my photography and spend a lot of time trying to find the perfect niche for me. I never do anything half-way and really can't settle for shooting something unless I am passionate about it. That being said, some days I am passionate about shooting the seedpod of a giant poppy.
What inspires you in your everyday life?
Honestly, what inspires me most is what I find online. There are blogs that blow me away - designers and stylists that I would *love* to work with, photographers that make my heart flutter, writers whose words I could lose myself in. What I have learned over the years about myself is that I can appreciate their art, I can admire it, but I don't have to be able to do it all. I used to want to re-create anything that I found beautiful - now I want to improve my own art and simply enjoy other's through their eyes. Photography really is my passion and focusing on that gives me such a sense of accomplishment.
Most of our readers are papercrafters and wish they could take better photographs. Can you give them advice? What can they do to capture that memorable photograph? What advice can you give our readers about looking through the lens in a new way?
My best advice for shooting comes from how I love to shoot (of course). GET CLOSE. Decide what you want to shoot and make it the primary focal point in your shot. It certainly does NOT have to be centered, but make it what you notice. If you are too far away, often times things get "lost" in the shot - but if you move in for the shot, you really notice that one special thing.
I also never shoot with a flash. If there is any way to adjust the settings on your camera so that you can let enough light in, I would highly suggest it. I love natural light and a flash can really change the look of a photo.
Finally, practice. If you are shooting on a digital camera, take a number of photos of the same thing - you can simply delete them later. The more you take, the higher the chance that one will turn out for the paper project you are working on!
Kimberly Taylor can be found at her blog, Mimi Charmante and website Kimberly Taylor Images. Kimberly also has an Etsy shop called, Mimi Charmante - Home of Lovely Things. Check out her latest images at her Flickr Gallery and follow her on Twitter.
Create Well: My best advice for shooting comes from how I love to shoot (of course). GET CLOSE. Decide what you want to shoot and make it the primary focal point in your shot. If you move in for the shot, you really notice that one special thing.
