It is not just the actions I have to take, it’s the mental shift in my thinking and in the the thinking of those around me.

Each step I take gives me a new and profound way of appreciating my life and the people in my life.

Last Saturday night, I had a celebration of my life in Minneapolis. It was SO much fun and helped me feel okay with leaving later this week.

My new friends and my friends from years back were there, and it was simply perfect!!

Thank you everyone for being there for me! I am blessed to have you in my life!

I’m changing everything. No, really. I’m changing everything.

I’m moving West. At the end of May, I’m leaving my MPLS and moving to Portland, Oregon.

When I move, I’m quitting my corporate job and the career I’ve had now for over 10 years.

I’m taking my small, but mighty part-time photography business and all my big, big dreams of a successful, full-time photography business, and I’m going to go and build it in Portland.

Why Portland? Well, why not Portland, the land of the weird? Hello? Have you seen Portlandia? So fun!

(There are so many AMAZING things about the Portland area. I can’t wait to learn all about them!!!)

It’s for that yes, but it’s because I have family there. My sister and her family are in that area.

Plus, my mom will be making a move out that way eventually too.

As I near 35, I’ve been reflecting. Not like a little but a whole damn lot.

I feel like I’ve replayed my entire adult life, well my entire life, over and over in my head more times than I can count.

I’ve asked myself ‘why’ and ‘for what’ I don’t how many times. But, it’s really been ‘how did I get here’ in my life.

What I’ve come to realize of late is that I have been telling myself stories my whole life. I guess we all do.

Some of the stories I’ve created of my own free will and some I’ve let come to be from those around me or from the situations I’m chosen to be in.

Some of these are very positive and have helped me become who I am. And, some have been negative and have equally made me become who I am.

The hardest part of this whole reflection thing is realizing and accepting the story you’ve

told yourself about ‘who’ you are and ‘what’ drives you for so long isn’t really your true story, your true self, once you peel back all the layers.

Instead, it’s the stories where you’ve let money, in excess, what others think and what society thinks make your life the one you thought worth living.

The frickin’ coolest part though of all this reflection and awareness is the power to choose and to change and to become what you’ve always desired deep down when you’ve finally gotten the courage enough

or

just plain pissed off enough to make change.

Not to say I’ve been pissed off for the last two years. But rather sitting in a pool of discomfort. Stirring and restless and scared and weird.

So finally I told myself to listen to all that and make some decisions. To put on my big-girl pants and take control of my life.

So that’s exactly what I’m doing.

Hence, I’m changing everything!

I’m moving locales. Moving by family. Quitting my career that has defined me for 10 years. Simplifying my lifestyle.

Moving in with my sister and her family instead of living alone like I’ve done for it seems forever. Growing in my faith. Living a healthier, more stress-free life.

Becoming a dedicated entrepreneur.

(And, perhaps a bartender/server or contractor on the side for a bit).

On May 24, I’m going to coax my extremely sweet (to me), but severely temperamental 14-year cat into a carrier, and I’m taking a three-to-four day road trip across the states with my oldest brother who graciously offered to drive my Uhaul across over 1,700 miles to make a new state my home.

I’m not sure what will all play out when I get there. (I’ve got my best laid plans). I’m not sure how long it will take me to build up my business. (I hope only three years. Fingers crossed). I’m not even sure if I will make friends. (Oh, I hope find lots of great, positive,  loverlies).

But, I do know one thing is for sure, this will be my story, my choices, my successes, my failures, my everything. It will be bucking all those other stories and going after what I am truly meant to do in this life.

I’m changing everything. YES EVERYTHING.

This year I will make things happen! And, I’m stoked beyond belief!!!!

#MTH2013 #MakingThingsHappen2013

I am a tattoo girl. Always have been. Always will be.

Ever since I can remember, I’ve been attracted to tattoos, people who don them, and have always wanted some of my very own.

The art. The mystery. The individuality.

Yes, it’s all of those things that attract me to ink. But, it’s more than that.

It’s the stories behind the tattoos. It’s what brought a person to make the choice to get a tattoo. It’s the courage one exudes in making a life-long commitment to placing art on one’s body.

This is my new half sleeve that I am uber in love with and SO proud of!

(It’s not my first one nor will it probably be my last. Sorry Mom!)

It symbolizes a turning point in my life. A very significant one. This tattoo was my first step in a long list of  ’next’ steps to a life I’ve always wanted to live.

It is empowering me to live bravely and boldly.

It’s an everyday reminder to always fight for what I believe in, always nurture my uniqueness, and to go after what my heart desires.

After all, we only get one chance at this life, now don’t we?

Thank you Kurt Melancon of Leviticus Tattoo and Piercing for the amazing art, experience, kindness throughout my four sessions, and yes, that shot of bourbon!

Thank you G  of photography by g for creating this amazing image!

Watch for more of my ‘ink-unveiled’ images here soon, and YES, I will be posting more about all my next steps soon!

This year is going to be my BEST year yet! This year I am MAKING THINGS HAPPEN!

One in three women will be raped or beaten in her lifetime. ONE IN THREE! Think about that. Think of how many women you know? One is too many, and one billion is an atrocity!

On February 14, people across the globe gathered to speak out, to strike, to dance, and to rise up against this current reality.

ONE BILLION RISING IS:

A global strike.
An invitation to dance.
A call to men and women to refuse to participate in the status quo until rape and rape culture ends.
An act of solidarity, demonstrating to women the commonality of their struggles and their power in numbers.
A refusal to accept violence against women and girls as a given.
A new time and a new way of being.

This year, I went to one of the several local, Twin Cities events to RISE and, of course, brought my camera. This event was in Powderhorn Park and organized by Mili Dutta and Tracy Pyscher and featured many,

including the dancers of Bolly Twin Cities and FyreSnake Shirvana. Albeit quite cold, the event was exhilarating and drew many who braved the elements to RISE!

Here are a few videos as well… the overarching One Billion Rising video, and  two videos from the event I attended Bolly TC Maan KE Manjeere and RiseUpWomen!

I hope you RISE with me to be aware, educate others, raise strong, confident daughters and respectful sons, notice the signs, and step in to end violence against women!

Tea is the infamous lead singer of L’Assassins, wickedly awesome bartender at my fave hangout Muddy Waters in Uptown and most gracious kgj vintage bride wearing a 1920′s satin wedding dress from Andrea’s Vintage Bridal!

Andrea’s daughter, the stunning Nikolina, greeted me when venturing in for the first time and helped me find the most perfect 1920′s gown for Tea. Later, Tea and I went in for a fitting, and I snapped these photos of the shop. Although the shop is focused on bridal, don’t discount this place for your vintage accessories to make any outfit pop!

I’m so grateful to have spent the day with you two! Congratulations again, and welcome back from Fiji!!!

Enjoy!

Want amazing senior portraits, and an amazing deal on your senior portraits? Then, I would love to have you be a  kgj photography 2013 Senior Representative.

What is a Senior Representative?

A kgj Senior Representative is a spokesperson for kgj photography. You get your senior photographs taken by kgj photography and then go and tell your friends/classmates about kgj photography. kgj Senior Representatives get their photos taken before others in the senior portrait session season and a FREE photography session and referral credits.

In order to be a Senior Representative, you must:

Be graduating in 2013.
Like your photos taken.
Have a fun sense of style.
Live in the Twin Cities area.
Be willing to share your senior photos with your friends/classmates and promote kgj photography.
Post a kgj photography-watermarked photograph on your Facebook and Twitter until August 2013.
Be willing to sign a spokesperson contract with kgj photography and not have your photos taken with any other professional photographer.

What is in it for Senior Representatives? What do Senior Reps receive?
A free senior portrait photography session – Unlimited outfit changes, Up to 3 locations.
Online gallery of images for viewing/purchasing prints for six months
10-15 web-sized watermarked images for posting on social media (not suitable for printing).

This is an incredible deal for seniors. Plus, you will be able to receive additional savings with referrals!

Referral Incentives
3 Referrals: $25 Gift Card* and $25 print credit
5 Referrals: $25 Gift Card* and $35 print credit
10 Referrals: $50 Gift Card* and $50 print credit
15+ Referrals: $100 Gift Card* and $75 print credit

*A variety of gift cards will be available (e.g. iTunes, Gap, Old Navy, Visa)

How do you become a Senior Representative for kgj photography?

Please email me directly at kimberly@kgjphotography.com, and I will email you the application. I will be choosing one girl and one guy from each school district to represent kgj photography. School districts include, but are not limited to: Minneapolis, St. Louis Park, Edina, Bloomington, Minnetonka, Richfield, Burnsville, Prior Lake…… I will consider other schools so please feel free to apply even if you attend a school outside of the above school districts.

i look forward to looking with you!

kimberly

The design is tattoo inspired and has a tribal-tattoo design in the background. Brown is my favorite color, and the teal is a fabulous accent. I’ve added the kraft color to the packaging this year and have an additional gravel accent color that I will use in the future. The new design is simple, yet is infused with the tribal that can be symbolic of many things….a ritual to belong, a commitment between two souls, milestones as in a passage into adulthood. These symbols are so perfect for what I want to focus my business around in the future. So, more to come on that, but for now…here’s my new look!

New cards!

New packaging!

Hope you love it as much as I do! Of course, I would love to hear what you think!

Cheers, Kimberly

]]> http://www.kgjphotographyblog.com/?feed=rss2&p=290 2 http://www.kgjphotographyblog.com/?p=264 http://www.kgjphotographyblog.com/?p=264#comments Thu, 29 Dec 2011 22:08:41 +0000 admin http://www.kgjphotographyblog.com/?p=264

Dr. Lance Silverman needed some new headshots for his website/marketing collateral. When Kevin Burkart of StepStoneGroup referred me to Dr. Silverman, Silverman Ankle & Foot, that’s all I was expecting to photograph. I met Lance at his Edina office, created a lighting set up in the office’s lobby, and we took some headshots. Lance was great to work with and photographed easily. Then, we discussed other photographs of him working with a patient. I was game for that, so I met him bright and early another day at his Apply Valley office. We took some of him reviewing X-Rays as well as during an examination with a patient. Then, Lance mentioned, “It would be great to have some of me in the operating room!?” Well, now, I’d never photographed someone in the operating room before, but I thought it would be super fun! Afterall, I love taking on new photography adventures! Quick to find a patient that would allow for it, Lance arranged a time for us later that same day. So, I met him at Southdale Hospital where he was scheduled to operate on one of his patient’s ankles. I got all scrubbed in and made sure not to touch any of the blue, sterile surfaces. I had a great time with all the varying photos we created and was even more excited to see them now incorporated into Dr. Silverman’s website.

Thanks Lance (and Kevin)!The photos look great on your site!

]]> http://www.kgjphotographyblog.com/?feed=rss2&p=264 0