Seven years. That’s how long it’s been since KimberLens Film and Photography was born. Some of you have been following this journey since the beginning, and for that I say, “Thank you!” And, to the newbies: “Welcome!”
How Did I Get Here?
Despite KimberLens being around for 7 years, it never took off like I’d hoped it would; but I can only blame myself for that. While I had hoped it would turn into something full-time, it always ended up on the back burner. Various jobs over the years took priority; and why wouldn’t they? They were paying me regularly (which, in turn, allowed me to pay my bills); I had health insurance; and the routine was comfortable…. Maybe a little too comfortable.
I had fallen into a rut and didn’t even realize it until it was too late. At one point, I was working two jobs to make ends meet, which meant I was working about 60 hours a week. When was I supposed to have time to focus on KimberLens?
After a while, KimberLens became more of a hobby than an aspiration. I kept looking for other jobs in my film-degree field; but as soon as I found one, COVID hit and layoffs started. So, I did what I knew how to do best: find a job that allowed me to pay my bills. People weren’t doing anything that required professional photos or videos anyway, so KimberLens wasn’t even a thought at this point.
My hobby continued after the pandemic; but I was comfortable in my full-time job, so KimberLens stayed a hobby. But then the unthinkable happened: more layoffs.
I started putting in job applications everywhere but didn’t have much luck. I had managed to pick up a few freelance opportunities, but nothing overly consistent. Finally, I thought that maybe this wasn’t a coincidence. Maybe this was God and the universe’s way of telling me that it’s time to make my first dream a reality.
Looking Ahead
In January, I promised myself that I would do more with KimberLens this year than I have in the last 7 years, and so far, I’ve kept that promise. Of all the marketing and promotional steps I’ve taken, this is probably the biggest one!
After working with a few clients, I started to realize that I wasn’t taking my own advice. I love working with and helping others so much, but I kept putting off the changes I knew I needed to make to my own business. Special thanks to Lisa Hess for inspiring me to finally make this big (and long time coming) website overhaul.
Welcome to the Blog!
I hope to use this blog for a few different purposes:
First, I hope to provide some tricks of the trade—advice for other (budding or professional) videographers, photographers, editors, and other media professionals. I learn more with every shoot, session, and consultation, so I’d like to share what I’ve learned.
This leads me into my second point—I’d like to start documenting my work better. I’ve been sharing videos and photos from each session on my social media accounts, but now I'd also like to discuss the process. Just like life, video and photos sessions don't always go as planned. We all want to grow in our crafts, right? What's a better way to do that than to talk about navigating the bumps in the road?
Finally, blogging keeps me engaged. We all go through lulls between bookings; why not blog to stay active? As an added bonus, I can blog even when I’m away from my desktop computer; so, I can blog from anywhere! As I’m typing this, I’m sitting in my backyard with my dog enjoying the beautiful weather.
What Comes Next?
Going forward, my blog posts probably won’t be quite this long; but with this being the first post, I thought it could use some extra love and attention. To start, I’m aiming for one or two blog posts per week. Hopefully, that number will start to increase soon!
I also welcome discussions; they help us all learn! Drop a question or comment and let’s start talking!
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