Life & Work with Kathleen Anes

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kathleen Anes.

Hi Kathleen, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
Let me tell you about the first camera I had, a Nikon CoolPix. It was this old small silver camera that fit inside my hand. I found it in my mom’s basement and immediately started playing around with it. The sound of the shutter when I pressed down to take a photograph excited me. I started taking pictures of my family when they least expected it and became Kathleen the “paparazzi.” I loved capturing the smallest moments in my life and family to me is the most valuable and precious thing. A moment could be gone forever with a blink of an eye so documenting it with my little camera was important to me. As I grew older and entered High School, I continued to photograph my friends. I would make them stop and pose for me so I could get the shot. My favorite part was going home and developing them to create small albums and naming them to share with everyone to see. My eyes would light up when I would see my family and friends enjoy going through them. I loved capturing true emotions and when you know just any small detail about them, you could capture a real photo. Once I graduated and went off to college, I started off studying Psychology. I loved learning about how the human mind works but It wasn’t my passion. All I could think about is photos and how long does it take to develop one, who invented the first camera, what was a F-stop, shutter or how can I print photos myself. My education in college slowly went from Psychology to Photography. I was scared to pursue it as a career because in most cases some would say “you don’t want to be a struggling artist” but I knew what I wanted. My mother was a big supporter of mine during making the switch in degrees. She kept telling me to do what I love, photograph people, and do it with passion! This is when I started finding my purpose and I studied everything photography and art. I fell in love. My husband also pushed me and helped me through this journey keeping me in the right head space and helping me study. Once I graduate with my Associate’s in Fine Arts of photography I didn’t stop studying, I loved learning. I joined more educational platforms, started working at a photography studio with an amazing Artist Michelle Cuppy and the rest is history. I started documenting the celebration of life, giving to people and photographing their journey, their families, and loved ones because that’s what I enjoyed the most. I loved making people feel beautiful, powerful, and loved. It’s a part of who I am and wouldn’t trade it for the world.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
This whole journey I can say has not been easy but I love the process, the mistakes, and the happiness along the way. When I said I wanted to do photography, I didn’t realized in order to make this a career of mine I needed to learn the business side of it. Learning that its not just about taking pretty pictures but also about learning your numbers and making sure you have systems in place and organized. There is a lot of time of being away from my own family sitting behind my own computer answering calls, sending emails, editing, putting in orders, driving around, and sometimes it could be a lot when being the one women show in your business that does this all. Investing in more education like Sue Bryce Education, learning from other great photography mentors, and being a part of a supportive community has been the best thing I could have done for myself. I have learned to not look at the whole big picture but to break it down into steps and to not get burned out. I’ve known always that this is something I wanted to do for the rest of my life so it’s important to me I understand to run a business correctly and still have my passion of creating art along the way.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I specialize in Motherhood, Maternity, Family, and Beauty styled portraits. Creating contemporary Fine Art imagery that is timeless and elegant. I would say my work includes a lot of fashion, lighting techniques, simple tones, and I get a lot of my inspiration from fashion books, shows, movies, museums, my clients’ stories, and more. I’m very passionate and proud of creating different setups, fabric gowns, and different lighting techniques designed specifically to each and everyone I photograph. What sets me apart? I would say it’s all about creating an experience one cannot forget. My work consist of careful preparation before, during, and after a photoshoot. I creating Heirloom prints, albums, and wall art handcrafted in Italy so my clients can have something to hold onto and pass down generations to come. There is nothing like holding an image we created together. Overall I consider myself an artist and the camera is my choice of expressing it.

What makes you happy?
Family makes me happy. Sharing special moments together, encouraging one another, helping each other through dark and sad times. Celebrating accomplishments, birthdays, milestones, and anything else you can possibly think of. Family to me doesn’t need to be blood but a shared love you have for one another and just caring for another. I love seeing others happy because I know what it’s like to not be. So, family is my happiness.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.kathleenlisbethstudios.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kathleenlisbethphotography/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Kathleenlisbethphotography 

Image Credits
Kathleen Lisbeth Photography