Today's Guest: Kristen Wheeler of KH Photographics in Groveland, Florida
Today's Host: John Bentley
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Kristen Wheeler Transcript Page
Kristen Wheeler Expert PageANNOUNCER: This VTalk Radio Photography Spotlight is sponsored by morephotos.com the online photo sales solution to professional photographers worldwide. Welcome to the VTalk Radio's Photographer Spotlight with your host, John Bentley.
JOHN: Today on VTalk Radio's Photography Spotlight, we have Groveland, Florida, photographer, Kristin Wheeler, of KH Photographics with us this afternoon. Welcome to VTalk Radio's Photography Spotlight, Kristin.
KRISTIN: Thank you.
JOHN: Well you've been doing a little photography down in Florida. You got your start in Michigan. Tell us what you've got going on there as a photographer down in Florida.
KRISTIN: Well I've got quite a bit going on actually. I do mostly event photography. I do a lot of performances and all kinds of events down here. I do weddings, portraits. Pretty much, you name it, that's what I do.
JOHN: Ok, are you doing strictly on location, or do you have a studio?
KRISTIN: Both. I have a home studio where I can set up lights and do anything. I also have a hole studio set up where I can take it on location anywhere, but mostly I do on location photography.
JOHN: Now you are a little bit of a different photographer. You have an art background, don't you?
KRISTIN: Yes. I do. I have an illustration and painting background.
JOHN: So you're photography is a little more on the artsy side. You're looking to do something more than just a straight forward portrait session, aren't you?
KRISTIN: Yes, yes. I spend a lot of time in Photoshop. I do a lot of stuff by hand as well, and my husband is a graphic designer, and he helps me out. So we try to take it to that next level and kind of make it to a place where you can pinpoint exactly what it is, but it's very different than any other photographer. So I think that's what makes us stand out from the rest.
JOHN: Now what is the bulk of your business right now?
KRISTIN: The bulk of my business right now is definitely dance photography and also portraits and model portfolios. That's definitely the big thing. The dancers especially and really big into the belly dance community. So we've got a lot of dancers that set up portrait sessions. We go to all the different beaches and locations around central Florida and outside of Florida portraits and all kinds of stuff.
JOHN: Ok, so what's the Big Belly Dance Photo Shoot?
KRISTIN: The Big Belly Dance Photo Shoot started last year. I had a long list of requests from belly dancers wanting portraits done, because the photography style is so different, and so artistic which is kind of the same for them compared to other dancers. It's very different. It's a little more artistic and costumey, etc. So I decided I would try shooting it all in one day as opposed to setting up many, many, many different photo sessions. So I pick a kind of unique location, and we shot about 12 models in probably about 5 hours or so, and it became so popular, almost immediately we did another one in the spring at the beach, and I had about 20 models at that one, and I just recently did another one this past April, and we had about 21 models at that particular one, and I shot 20 models in 4 1/2 hours. It's just kind of this big thing that I do twice a year at different locations each time.
JOHN: Well that's fun. That's just plain fun for sure. Ok, now you also mention models. I would imagine there's a lot of modeling work down in the Florida area. How big are you into this?
KRISTIN: Yes. Pretty big. I travel all over Miami, Fort Lauderdale. I've been traveling there quite a bit to do model shoots and dance portrait sessions. There's a lot of professional dancers down here so they're always looking for unique portraits to set themselves apart from everyone else. Definitely a lot of that going on.
JOHN: Now you also mentioned you do family portraits.
KRISTIN: Yes.
JOHN: This you do mostly on location, or are families just coming into your studio on occasion to do that?
KRISTIN: It's mostly on location. Families especially with children, I always recommend you take the children to a place where they're comfortable. Usually it's like a local park or someplace where they've been before, or their home. A lot of times we do both. Most families want to do some kind of indoor studio type shot and they also want to do outdoor shots. So we offer both of those, and we usually do it in one or two sessions, and make them real comfortable and shoot with them all day.
JOHN: Kids are so fun aren't they?
K; Yes, they are. Yes, they're a lot of fun.
JOHN: Now you also do pets, huh?
KRISTIN: Yes I do a lot o pet portraits. Actually it's been more recently. A lot of people are really getting into that. And not a lot of photographers around here offer pet portraits. Especially the way that I do them. And I'm an animal lover so kids and animals I'm really, really good with, and they are drawn to me. So we usually get really good shots that way, and I don't do the normal portrait. I follow them around, I get down on their level, I'll crawl on the ground with them and shoot them that way and get that other unique perspective.
JOHN: Yeah, a perspective from their angle so to speak. Yes, that's a good idea, I like that. Now you also do some more business oriented stuff. You're doing architecture. Is that true?
KRISTIN: Yes, there's a couple of design firms. There's one called directions and design out of St. Louis, Missouri, that I work for. I do a lot of interior shots for them. I get architecture firms, real estate agents, that kind of thing that really need someone who is professional and who knows lighting. Not every photographer is familiar with studio lights especially in a architecture type setting. Most of them are familiar with lights with portrait type sessions, but it's a lot more extensive lighting when you're lighting a whole room or a whole architecture piece. So I get a lot of requests for those as well.
JOHN: Now obviously you'd be doing products if a business had products they want to sell too?
KRISTIN: Yes, definitely. Like I said, I have my own home studio where I can take it anywhere. I can take it to their business and do it there as well. So if they have a lot of products that they don't want to carry out of their facility, I can go to them.
JOHN: Now we are speaking with Kristin Wheeler of KH Photographics out of Groveland, Florida. Krisin before we take a break for these important messages, will you give your website address and contact information quickly?
KRISTIN: Sure. My name is Kristin Wheeler, phone number is (407) 446-5600. The website is www.khphotographics.com. And you can contact me any time.
JOHN: Great. With that in mind, we'll be right back with Kristin Wheeler.
ANNOUNCER: This VTalk Radio Spotlight is sponsored by www.morephotos.com the online photo sales solution to professional photographers worldwide.
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ANNOUNCER: Did you ever wonder why the groom is supposed to carry the bride over the threshold? What does the saying something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue mean? Visit www.weddingdetails.com and click on the lore and tradition section. We've got culture and tradition information from around the world. Visit www.weddingdetails.com tonight. We now return you to the VTalk Radio's Photography Spotlight with your host, John Bentley.
JOHN: We are back in the studio with Kristin Wheeler of KH Photographics out of Groveland, Florida. Welcome back to the program, Kristin.
KRISTIN: Thank you.
JOHN: Now we've been talking about the kinds of photography that you do, and you have a broad perspective spectrum of different types of photography you do. Let's talk a little bit about weddings, because I know almost every photographer does weddings. Some do them more than other. How much is that part of your business?
KRISTIN: It's a big part of my business. I try to say that I limit the number of weddings that I do a year, because I'm such an artistic photographer, I spend a lot more time on the images. I really like to devote my time to that particular wedding. I don't like to just concentrate on that when I'm doing weddings every single weekend, because then you would never get your pictures. So I really...I try to keep them to about 12 a year, once a month where I can really spend time with the bride and groom by doing complimentary sessions with them.
JOHN: When you do a wedding, do you take anybody with you? Do you have an assistant?
KRISTIN: Sometimes I do. It depends on the size of the wedding. Sometimes I will take an assistant with me if it's a large wedding party or a large guest list just so that I can get maybe set up on the wide angle shots or something like that. I have a couple of assistants that work with me that I've trained in kind of my styles. I'm still the only one who touches the images as far as Photoshop and the computer is concerned. So everything is very consistent. You would never be able to tell who took what picture.
JOHN: Now you've got a special event going on in Italy in March, don't you?
KRISTIN: Yes, I just talked with a bride. She is going to have me come and do her wedding Maritea, Italy, in March. So we definitely travel have passport, has camera, will travel. So I will go anywhere that it takes me.
JOHN: Now one of your most favorite places to shoot is New Orleans. Tell us a little bit about New Orleans and why do you like to shoot New Orleans.
KRISTIN: Well New Orleans has a special place to me, because my husband is from there and all of his family, but they were greatly affected by Hurricane Katrina, and it's a place I've always wanted to go, and I never went there until I met him, and it's just one of those places that you go and you just feel it right from the start. It's just part of you, it's part of your heart, it's part of your being. And every time I go there I get amazing shots, and I meet amazing people, and I'm actually working on a book that I'm trying to get published of all the unique photography that I've done in New Orleans and have that be a charity to Louisiana Children's Museum. So that's something that I'm trying to work on them with.
JOHN: That sounds like a wonderful project.
KRISTIN: Yes.
JOHN: Now let's talk a little be about the community that you service in the Groveland, Florida, area. What are some of the cities and communities that you work out of?
KRISTIN: Well pretty much all of central, southern Florida. Like I said, anywhere, but some cities in particular definitely Orlanda, Doctor Philips in Windermere, Winter Gardens, Maitland. I've done several events at the Maitland Art Center. I do model shoots and weddings there. I have a wedding there in October actually. Sanford, Lake Mary, Disney area celebration, Kissemmee, all of those areas. Lake County which is where Groveland is. Definitely Mount Dora I shoot quite often there especially downtown and at the Lake Hyden. Clairmount also downtown, several events at the Lake Ridge Winery. I've also done art shows with them too. That's been quite extensive. Howie in the Hills. I've shot at the Mission Inn Resort that's been a pretty big one, Groveland, all of the Lake County area really. Rock Tower Gardens is another one. Surrounding beaches. I've done events in Tampa, Newport, Richie, obviously Miami and Ft Lauderdale. I just did an event there last weekend at the Cinema Paradiso, New Orleans and the surrounding areas, West Banks, Louisiana, that kind of area. Western Michigan which is where I'm originally from. I've done quite a few weddings up there. I did three last year alone. That's been quite a bit.
JOHN: It's nice when you can get paid to come back to your home town.
KRISTIN: Yeah, it works out well. Then I stay with my mom and dad and make them happy, makes me happy and it's all good.
JOHN: So will do weddings or events in Michigan. Sounds like you've got a lot going on down there.
KRISTIN: Yes. A lot going on.
JOHN: Now that's not the only thing that you do. You also are the in house photographer and digital artist for Walt Disney aren't you, Kristin?
KRISTIN: Yes, I work for Walt Disney Imaginary right now. I do all of their in house photography of all the attractions and everything. All the professional writing and marketing shots everything for them. I do a lot of their digital art and story boards and things like that too.
JOHN: That's a nice gig.
KRISTIN: Yes it's nice. Good people.
JOHN: How long have you been a photographer, Kristin?
KRISTIN: I've been doing photography probably ten - eleven years. I started in film actually. Went to Kendall College of Art and Design when I was in Grand Rapids which you guys probably know. And studied a little bit of photography there, and I was actually was not my major. Illustration and art history were my majors, and when I moved down to Florida, I actually graduated with a degree in 3D animation and somehow ended up back in photography again, and something just clicked and it brought the art and the 3D into it and here I am.
JOHN: Now you offer a bunch of products for your clientele. Could you briefly go over some of the different things that you offer?
KRISTIN: Oh sure, we have design services. Our wedding is a big thing right now. When my husband and I got married you get a photographer and a graphic designer getting married, they want to do their own wedding. And a lot of the things that we did other brides and grooms were interested in so we decided to market that. One of the big things that we're doing right now is custom movie posters. We actually design full size movie posters from your engagement session. We do text at the bottom just like movie credits, and we do credits to all of your wedding party and everybody involved, and we also take those designs or new ones, and we do invitation designs as well. So we'll do custom pretty much anything. We also do custom model portfolios and things like that that you would need so that it's a little bit more edgy. It's a little above the rest.
JOHN: I love the movie poster idea. That's great.
KRISTIN: Yeah, it's very cool. A lot of people are really excited about it. We also do custom wine labels. I actually have a friend that I work with that does homemade wine, and we'll actually take those designs that we've done for your movie poster or your invitation and do custom wine labels to go with it as well.
JOHN: Let's briefly talk about photo organizations. I know that you are involved in a number of the PPA organizations. What are some of those?
KRISTIN: Yes. I'm a member of NAPP which is the National Association of Photoshop Professionals. That's the big one for me especially be on the artistic side of things, I definitely have to keep up on the latest techniques and everything. I'm online all the time on the NAPP website, and I go to all their Photoshop conventions. Obviously, PPA which is huge Professional Photographers of America that's a big one to stay involved in, and they also work heavily with Photoshop so there's a lot of events that I go to for that as well. And also FPP which is Florida Professional Photographers since I work a lot in this state, that's definitely something to have and something new that I have is the WPPI which is the Wedding and Phototrait Photographers International.
JOHN: Well Kristin I want to thank you for joining us today on VTalk Radio's Photography Spotlight.
KRISTIN: Thanks so much.
JOHN:
JOHN: Before I let you go let's get your website address and contact information one more time.
KRISTIN: No problem, it's www.khphotographics.com. The phone number is (407) 446-5600.
JOHN: We've been in the studio with Groveland, Florida, photographer, Kristin Wheeler, of KH Photographics, and you've been listening to VTalk Radio's Photography Spotlight. I am your host, John Bentley, and with my engineer, Damien Allen, we're going to sign off from here in the studio. Have a great afternoon.
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