Talk about it Tuesday - Interview with Kristen Clabaugh
/It’s important for me to use this as a space to lift up and promote other women, so today I am featuring my first interview!
Kristen Clabaugh is a local photographer that has taken some of the most beautiful images I’ve ever seen. The way she captures the light and the beauty of the mountains that we live in…I knew I wanted her to take out family photos this year.
When Kristen called to talk to me about the vision for our shoot, I realized that not only is her photography unique, but her approach to her work is truly one-of-a-kind. A shoot with Kristen is an experience. She is dedicated to making your style come to life. From choosing your clothing and location… to helping you find the perfect place to display her work in your home…she helps you every step of the way!
I can’t wait for you to learn more about Kristen and I know you will fall in love with her work just the way I did!
Tell us a bit about yourself!
My name is Kristen Clabaugh. I have a wonderful husband and I am a mom to two amazing kids - a three year old son and six year old daughter. I am a ETSU graduate with a degree in Graphic Design.
How did you get started in photography?
I've had a love for photography for as long as I can remember. My grandfather was a photography enthusiast and invested in the high-end cameras and lenses of his day. I guess the gene is hereditary :)
When I was a teen, I would buy disposable cameras (pre-digital camera era..not to mention that's all I could afford at the time), and I would drive down the two-lane roads of Scott County, VA looking for something interesting to photograph. When I had my daughter, I was constantly dressing her up for "photo shoots" and wanting to document every milestone through photographs. I purchased a hobbyist DSLR camera (a Canon T-Rebel is what I started out with). With my background in graphic design/digital media, I figured I could pick it up pretty easily, if I took a few classes.
Before long, my family members were asking me to do photographs for them. I had always dreamed of owning my own business - especially a photography business - but it was a scary thought. My motto is “you only live once”, so after talking to my husband, we both decided I should just go for it!
How has being a mother impacted the way you work?
Being a mother has not just impacted the way I do my work...it has honestly created the way I do my work. Because I’m a mother, I have witnessed how fast our children's lives go by - those precious moments that seem little at the time, turn out to be not-so-little after all! I think about my daughter's grin when she lost her first tooth, the way my son dances to any song by The Killers, and the way he pronounces certain words. Since my daughter was born, I've been trying to find ways to preserve these memories, because let's face it - sometimes us mamas are literally just trying to survive! It's so easy to forget those sweet moments that we will love to look back on and remember later. I became so dedicated to preserving these moments of my little ones that I knew I wanted to give the same gift to my clients...not just in photographic form, but video and text as well.
Explain your personal philosophy on capturing images.
My personal philosophy when capturing images is to create real expressions and emotion in a magical way. I love photographing outdoors in God's beautiful creation (I do in-studio photography as well). I love vivid colors, magical light and candid moments. I always speak with the families beforehand to get a jist of what they like to do together and what type of emotions they want captured.
You offer some unique sessions that most photographers do not. Tell us more about those.
When I started my photography business - it was just that - photography. But I wanted to do more. Video and journaling are so special to me, I wanted to share those elements with my clients as well. I journaled my children's cute phrases and the way they pronounced certain words - it was just so precious and I never wanted to forget it. So now, when someone books a full session with me, I automatically send them a journal in the mail with just a few easy questions to answer every couple weeks about their kids. I then create a Keepsake Album for them with their photos and the text from their journals.
The unique sessions that I offer are my milestone sessions (I now offer a milestone package that includes a First Year Video and First Year Album), Farmhouse Sink Sessions, and Day in the Life shoots, where I go into the clients home to capture “mundane” moments of their kids/family together in an artistic manner. Some clients have used these sessions to document Saturday morning traditions, game nights or their bedtime routines!
The videos are really sweet and are always tear-jerkers! This was another idea that came to me because I’m a mom! I had taken some video classes in college and absolutely loved them. When my daughter was about to turn one, I wanted to make a video to surprise my mom and mother-in-law with for Mother's Day. I compiled the videos I had taken of her during her first year - her first steps, first bites of real food, first time Daddy fed her, etc - I added a few sweet songs and our year of memories were preserved forever! I made one for my son as well, and our family absolutely cherishes them.
Tell us about the Kristen Clabaugh “Total Experience”.
As a mom of young children, I know how hard it can be to focus on ourselves. I wanted my sessions to not only be enjoyable for the moms, but a little bit pampering as well! That's why I offer the add-on services of a fashion stylist who consults with my clients to come up with outfit selections for the whole family, and an in-home makeup artist and hairstylist on the day of your shoot!
Because I am passionate about my images being up on my clients' walls - not just stored on their computers - I now offer the service (free with my full sessions) of gallery wall design. I take a photo of my client’s wall and use software to put canvas collage options together for them to view in virtual reality. It takes the guesswork out of where to print (I offer high-quality prints and canvases), what size to print (the sizes are all calibrated to my clients' walls in the software I use), and where to hang them. It's been a very helpful service!
What is the biggest challenge (or challenges) you have had to overcome in building your business?
The biggest challenge I've had to overcome in my business is myself!! I have been guilty of letting myself get in the way of my own success - by being scared of things such as "What if it doesn't work?" or "What if my idea comes across as silly?". What I've learned is that if we don't get out there, take the risk and try it, we will never know. The key is to step out of your comfort zone. There is a quote that says "Nothing great ever came from a comfort zone" and that is oh-so-true when it comes to all aspects of life, not just business. This business has taught me so much about myself. I believe that we're all given a talent by God, and if we pray to Him, He will show us what that talent is and help us to use it to our full potential for His glory!
What do you hope to give your clients through your photography?
I hope to give my clients an experience of a lifetime, keepsakes of their children that they can hand down to them 20 years from now. However, my main goal is to use my business to do God's will - to spread the gospel to others. 10% of all profits from my business go to support a non-profit I founded called Raising Faith Warriors, which gives parents literature on how to raise Godly children in a faithless world. Visit us on Facebook or Instagram!
You can learn more about Kristen and see examples of her work at her website. Be sure to like her Facebook page and follow her on Instagram! Click here, to sign up for Kristen’s bi-monthly newsletter (full of AMAZING and practical tips for taking our own photos) and receive her What-to-Wear Style Guide for free!
Let me know if you want to be featured in a “Talk about it Tuesday” Interview or have a suggestion for someone you would like for me to interview!
