Meet Renee Kaufman of Northern Michigan/Traverse City

Today we’d like to introduce you to Renee Kaufman

Hi Renee, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
After moving to Traverse City, Michigan 30 years ago with my husband and 4-month old daughter, I quickly embraced the slower pace of life of Northern Michigan. Being surrounded by beautiful natural areas, parks, and bodies of water, I found myself hiking regularly and being awestruck time and time again by the beauty of my surroundings – an area I am now lucky enough to call “home.”

As my family grew, I, like so many parents, enjoyed capturing the wonder and growth of our children. Having some informal photographic training in Jr and Sr high school, I found that joy of photography creeping back into my life. It was about this time that my husband bought me a Nikon, and later a camcorder. They became staples in my beach bag…the boat bag…the backpack. No matter the place or activity, the camera and camcorder came with me. Our lives with two daughters, 13 months apart in age, were joyous and busy, and the initial seed of a budding photography hobby had been planted and was beginning to grow.

Surprise! Our third child was born in 2002 – a beautiful girl like her sisters, but with challenges we had not yet begun to understand the depth of. Diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy on the one-year anniversary of 9/11 – I’ll never forget that day or that date – our lives changed immeasurably. The realization that the setbacks we were witnessing would not be “out-grown” was pretty consuming. The next years found my family navigating through life with a child with severe disabilities. With love and grace, and a lot of help from family and friends, especially that of my husband’s sister and brother-in-law, who moved (from Oklahoma) into a house just down the street from us, we continued to provide as much normalcy and stability for our older daughters as possible.

Over the years, we watched our older daughters flourish – each unique and wonderful! We missed very few opportunities (sporting events, plays, award banquets, recitals etc). My husband and I weren’t always able to both attend events together, but our family was almost always represented. We also made a point of including our youngest daughter, now wheelchair bound, as often as possible. Our lives, though both physically and mentally difficult, were filled with love and laughter – with happiness. There were setbacks, and surgeries, more doctors and specialist visits than I can possibly count, but there was always positivity and the push to keep moving through life with joy. As the years went by, our oldest daughter graduated from college, secured a great job and moved out of state. Our middle daughter followed suit, and was prepared to move out of state with her fiance when Covid hit. Like so many of us, the isolation from family and friends as the world struggled with the Pandemic, found me once again reaching for my, now VERY old, Nikon and heading for the woods and shorelines. Unfortunately, I found that my hand tremors, a condition I was diagnosed with several years prior, were overpowering my camera’s stability system.
Many would have given up, but if nothing else, working through the complexities of raising a severely disabled child taught me perseverance. I worked with the local camera shop to find the best camera for me, explaining my physical condition and setbacks,. They recommended a new smaller format, lighter weight camera system with one of the highest IBIS (in-body image stabilization) systems. They also suggested some adaptations to my equipment and my photography process to make it easier for me to take great photographs. Fast forward a few years – my camera and equipment are once again staples in my beach bag – the boat bag – and my backpack. Learning all the features of my new equipment is ongoing, and part of loving the challenge of photography. I also decided I’d rather be a person who says I tried, and at worst failed, than to be a person who was too afraid to try – so I formally took the leap into professional photography. Again, my family and friends have been most supportive! Our youngest daughter, now a young adult, joins me on many of my photographic adventures. We oftentimes seek out “accessible trails,” but have a wheelchair with larger wheels which has found it’s way down many a backwoods trail as well. So I’d say we’re continuing to balance a difficult situation the best we can – with grace and love – and I’m still shooting for the stars (literally sometimes – haha). Next steps for me? – Learning how to branch out to that next business tier to solidify my initial efforts – to challenge myself and get outside of my comfort zone. I’ve got to say though…the reward of seeing my prints and specialty art being given space in a client’s home has been so very satisfying!

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The biggest challenge to starting my business I’m sure isn’t unique to just me – it’s been about making time and prioritizing my photography. But for me, it’s a little more challenging because I’m trying to prioritize my photography, while still working within the confines of my unique life situation.

Having champions in my corner has really made the difference in my success so far. My husband is an incredible man! He really gets how happy photography makes me feel. He’s been so very supportive, even on those nights when I venture out late in the evening and don’t return until the early morning hours because I’m out doing astrophotography (star trails and capturing the Northern Lights!). He really shares in the care of our youngest daughter – giving me the freedom and time to grow my passion. A few close friends also inspire me and support my endeavors in so many ways – they truly show up for me with positive comments and suggestions. It’s not a cliche – Surround yourself with people that love and support you and you’re half-way there!

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am drawn to the beauty and ruggedness of nature’s landscape. It’s so calming to be in nature – feeling the mist of the waves crashing onshore; listening to the birds and animals early in the morning in the woods; feeling the glow and warmth of the sunrise on your face. Yes! Landscape photography is what makes me tick.

I’m really proud of the fact that I’m making “giving back” a priority in my business. I want to contribute to my community which has been so supportive of me, and also support causes that are important to my friends. I’ve set a goal to host a couple charitable events each year – giving a percentage of the event sales to the organization I am supporting. I just had a successful event supporting a friend and a charity near and dear to her heart – the Hydrocephalus Association – whose mission is to find a cure for hydrocephalus and improve the lives of those impacted by the condition. I also have an event planned this fall with Step Up Northern Michigan, a 501 ( c ) 3 that focuses on helping At-Risk youth in our area. The Founder and President of the organization is a good friend and one of my “champions!”

We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
When the Covid-19 Pandemic occurred, I was employed part-time in Munson’s Urgent Care Clinic. My Manager asked if I would be willing to start registering patients remotely for Covid testing. Within a few weeks of organizing the Clinic’s test site, the clinic was scheduling tests every 10 minutes every day of the week. My day was filled speaking with sick people – scared people – angry people. It was during this time that I realized how altruistic my co-workers were. Everyone did their part – worked together as a team – offered the community compassion, empathy and support – and gave everything they had in an extremely stressful situation. I was, and still am, so very proud of each and every one of them! They poured every ounce of energy, heart and soul into helping our community. I learned that the best in people truly comes out in difficult times.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.photographybykauffee.com
• Instagram: @cupofkauffee and @access_michigan