Pro Photographer Interview Kathleen Clemons

Skylum Team: Your images are often dreamlike and painterly what inspires you?

Kathleen: My images reflect how I see my subjects, my goal is to allow the viewer to see them as I do when they look at my photographs.

Skylum Team: How did you get started in photography and what do like most about it?

Kathleen: I started off shooting sunrises from my front lawn before my children would wake up. A limited subject, but I was busy with three sons and a teaching position and the sunrises taught me much about the quality of light and how quickly it changes. I had a strong sense of composition but didn’t understand the technical part until I took an online class, Understanding Exposure with Bryan Peterson (who is now my boss at BPSOP.com). He’s a gifted teacher, and definitely gave me a strong foundation in the basics.  

Photography has become a large part of who I am, it’s my passion, as well as my escape. It’s how I share the songs in my heart and ultimately how I found my voice.

Skylum Team: Can you share with us a little about your creative process (from initial capture to finished image)?

Kathleen: There’s not one formula for me, sometimes I shoot with a particular subject in mind and a specific vision for the photo. Other times I just grab my camera and head out for a walk or to a nearby garden to see what catches my eye. I can only go a couple of days without shooting, and I see photos everywhere. Once I get home I’ll have a quick look at the images, discard any that don’t work for me, and usually there are one or two that I want to play with right away. Sometimes I do very little to my photos in post-processing, other times I’ll add a texture to the background, play with filters, or convert to black and white. It’s fun to try different effects and I do enjoy that process.

Skylum Team: Do you have a favorite photo subject?

Kathleen: I love photographing nature in general, and specifically flowers.  When I look at a flower I see softness, I see curves and color, often I see a dance. I am fascinated by the patterns, lines, textures and designs in the natural world, especially the macro area. I also like to do portraits, especially of my grandchildren.

About Kathleen:

Kathleen Clemons is a New England based professional photographer, living on the beautiful coast of Maine. She is known for her creative use of natural light and unique, stunning compositions. She has a passion for making photographs, and loves to teach others how to improve their photography skills. Her work is represented worldwide by Corbis and Getty Images. She is also a photography instructor at The Bryan Peterson School of Photography where she teaches five online classes. You can see more of her work here.