I was wondering if I should advertise in my local Costco Store ad. I thought it worth giving a shot. I’ll try anything once. Liz called me because of that ad and we had instant phone repour. I liked her very much over the phone and so we decided to meet in Chico rather than have them drive all the way to my studio we met at Starbucks. They called me a few days later and I was booked. We met in Chico again and photographed their engagement session at Bidwell Park. It was their I took one of my favorite engagement photographs. Ian and I covered their wedding in June it was such a beautiful day, beautiful ceremony and beautiful bride and groom.

She asked me if I would photograph her with her mother and sister in their favorite style.

I first saw her at a wedding I was photographing. I caught her eyes sparkling with my camera while she was looking at him. I thought, I have to shoot this wedding when it happens there was such great chemistry between the two of them and she’s stunning.

I photographed them in Chico’s Bidwell Park with all the props from her mother’s shop The Plant Barn. I had so much fun!

Vintage grunge with a little country added…..

I met Kelley when she was in the 3rd grade and I helped plan her wedding and because I was planning it I brought my camera and I shot some of it. This is what she wrote on my facebook page:

” I have known Kim for many years now, as I went to school with her oldest son. When I got married in the summer of 2007 I asked Kim if she would help with the organizing part of my wedding since I already had chosen a photographer. Kim took some pictures anyway because she was just beginning to build her business. I wish now that I had chosen her to do all my wedding pictures as the ones she took were ten times better then the others. Since then, Kim has only continued to grow in her creativity. I have used her for family photos and pictures of my little girl. She is such a talented woman and I highly recommend her for any line of photography beause she has the capability to adapt to anything!”

I spent dusk at our local park with her and her children.

When it occured to me it would be a good idea for me to be a wedding photographer I ran my business plan by my lovely friend Molly. She thought it was a good idea too and asked her brother Jimmy if I could help shoot his wedding in Tahoe. Their main photographer Kurt Andersen was so generous and kind to allow me to photograph with him.  It didn’t have to be and he was.

It’s been an honor and a priveledge to be included in Jimmy and Elena’s family and their process as a family ever since.

This was Mia’s mama before she arrived

Lady in waiting

 Here is Miarose this morning!! She is so smart, engaging, charismatic and funny. I guess I love shootin babies too!!!

Miss MiaRose

I got a call  from Katherine to come out to her summer house and photograph her family for their Christmas card. This shoot, the poles, the  boat,  were all her concept and she prepped it all. So I have to say it was collabrative and fun.  I enjoyed our short time together with this really cool family.

I have captured 12000 images in the last  4 weeks. Many jobs, many personal. This set is from a Sonoma Chic Wine Tasting and Dinner gathering at the Imagery Estate Winery in Sonoma owned and operated by the Benziger Family who also have the  Benziger Family Winery. The Gathering was the first of three events that I covered for Alison and Paul’s  wedding, which ended a week later in Manhatten.

The Imagery Estate Winery has a wonderful Art Gallery and exceptional wine shop. It was visually stunning. The lighting was interesting and challenging dusk, ceiling canister lights, gallery lighting ARG…trying not to use on camera flash too much to wash people out. I shot with a 50mm 1.2:8 with my aperture wide open. 

The most memorable part of the evening for me were the speeches. It was obvious to me that Paul and Alison were equally loved and adored by friends and family. I love the speeches because I get to hear about the people I am photographing from the people that have known them and loved them the most and the longest. It is another way for me to get to know them and it is an intimate opportunity to tune into their emotions and relationship connections. When the speeches start my ears listen intently and my eyes open wide. I am looking for the  reactions to words and if I look deeply enough I see them.

I covered this wedding useing my photojournalism skills and style.

For a glimps of more of this event www.kimjamesphoto.com under Images under Paul and Alison at  I M A G E R Y.

The Drink

While I was at City Model Management in San Francisco, I had a team of test photographers that would test my models. I picked them based on the quality of their work. Lisle Taaje, the owner, has an amazing eye and he taught me what to look for.

Michael Davies was one of those photographers. He was also a breath of fresh air. Tons of great energy, fun and super funny. He was also at my wedding and photographed it as well. Flash forward 16 years introduce Facebook and I find Michael Davis, except now he is a bad ass working photographer, check him out www.michaeldavisphoto.com.

Michael contacted me after seeing some of my Trinity River images and asked to put one on his web site for photogrpahers. It is www.fotoseen.com

About Fotoseen:

Fotoseen is a unique collaboration revealing the world of photography.

We are a creative mélange of commercial, editorial, journalistic and intimate imagery.

Fotoseen showcases photography in an effort to not only inspire but also educate.

As an online community, Fotoseen.com is updated daily to continually archive the work of the photographers and allow them to investigate their work publicly.

In the Fall of 2009, we are anticipating the launch of our first national series of traveling photography exhibitions. This group of shows will be showcased across a variety of U.S. cities. Some of the featured cities will include: New York, Carmel, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles. A percentage of the sales of artwork will go directly to our Artists Education Fund.

Our mission is to create an educational fund for disadvantaged children. This fund will allow them the opportunity to learn the art of photography and equip them with the tools to do so.

Thanks Michael!!

I love this time we get on the River.  For 33 years, most summers I have gone to this place, always with family or extended family. I threaten to write a Stand by Me ish novel about my youth here…I suppose not while we are all still breathing. It was so very wild as a child, but the years coming as an adult have been calm for the most part. This place I dream of and the waters actually make me feel renewed. My children love no other place better. I have only brought one love here and that is my husband Ian when we were dating back in 1988. We went in March when it snowed and the apple tree had blossoms on it.

This place is remote as remote gets and A L L provisions, including water, have to be  hauled in. It took 7 weeks to pack and 3 days to unpack. We brought home a scorpion. Liv got a super bad sting on her bum, just after I finished her make-up of the fairy shoot, and I think it was a scorpion as well. I have never seen a bee sting so big and painful and last so long. She was such a brave champ and let me finish the shoot. 7 images only, but we will remember them as the bad sting.

Ian and I ate like it was our job and we brought home extra weight to prove. Back home to protein drinks. BLEK. Jane, Tristan and my nephew Jake swam all day everyday. Most days the swimming holes were all ours. Lots of growers there now and cell service, first time ever, now if there is a rattlesnake bite we can call for our own helicopter with a hospital about an hour and half away by car.

My mom camped with us and it was really nice to have her. Micheal met us there and my sister and her family camped just down the road. Ryon didn’t come and he was missed.

I read the book THE HELP, first time I’ve read for sport in 2 years and I loved it. It was  brilliantly written and I only wish I could write like this women. Ian read The Shack, which he says has forever changed the way he looks at life, religion and God.

It was a real nice, slow, quiet, very healing and so green of a camping trip. I loved it. It was worth all the work. And now for the pictures.

Ians Blueberry pancakes...Thinking of John

A happy man

River Watching on the Trinity

Watching me watching him

Two of my favorite creatures

Lovin the River missing Ryon

Ian and I had the honor and privilege of going to Manhattan this last weekend to shoot a wedding in the  Old Con Mansion, on the upper East side, it’s now Sacred Heart School .   A super stunner of a place.  Alison went to school there as a girl. Paul’s mother also attended school there. Only Alumi may marry in the chapel. I felt like I had entered the Age of Innocence really. Visually I felt as if I had walked into another age. I will never forget it.  Thank goodness I don’t have to put down discription words because I have pictures.

I don’t really write too much about the characters I encounter or their impressions on me. But I must say I will miss this lot.   Paul has swagger, there are only a few on the planet that get this magical gift of charisma and he is truly one of them. Every word is wit and jest. I feel inept in his presence and would like to learn a little from  him about people skills. Alison is the personification and balance of grace, grit, style and beauty. The whole experience was  fun,  fast  and  magical. I hope the pictures touch how much  I  LOVED NEW YORK and more so how much Alison and Paul love it. They are the quintessential New York couple and it shows. 

In no particular order I am  dropping in a few of my favorite Images from the day. There will be many more on the wedding site  under Images under Weddings Under Alison and Paul.  The body of works from Sonoma and New York will be posted on Pictage in about 8 weeks as well. 

Getting Ready in The Ball Room

Adjusting

The Make-up

The Mother

The Staircase

The Groom

The Courtyard at the New York Palace Hotel

Take Two, The right guy

The Accesories

The Beauty

Father Chris The Priest and NYFD 's Chaplin

NYFD Chaplin

The Ceremony

The Location

The Families

The Kiss