Meet Kelly Simmons | Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kelly Simmons and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kelly, what’s the most important thing you’ve done for your children?
When deciding to put the majority of my time and energy into beginning my own business, and growing my photography brand, one of the biggest factors was my child. I wanted a way to do what I love and provide for my family, but I also needed to be able to have time with my daughter. I realized, when she was fairly young, that there will only ever be one first day of Kindergarten, one 7th birthday party, and one last day of elementary school. I didn’t want to miss any of those chances to be there, both for myself and for her.

I was already working as a photographer as a fun side-gig, but had not taken the leap into doing it full-time. I was working two day jobs, which meant that my daughter was going to school, then to after school care. I would pick her up, and we would have maybe 2-3 hours before she needed to be in bed. I realized how much time I was missing with her, and decided to put the energy I was putting into the day job into my own business instead. I thought, “I have food and bev experience, retail experience, and social media experience, and I can always go back to one of those jobs if this doesn’t pan out.” I never jumped without a net, because I knew she was counting on me, but I knew that switch from working all day, every day, to being able to mostly set my own hours was going to be crucial to my being able to simply be there for my child.

Now I can block off days that will be important to my daughter. I can make sure I’m not working on her first day of school, the night of her school dance, or the day of her after-school program. I am able to be flexible, while still providing food, shelter, and all other necessities. I am also there every morning to get her up for school, and am generally able to be that emergency call if she is sick at school and needs to come home.

I believe that there is no such thing as a perfect parent or a perfect situation. I know there are things I could have done better in my past and that I could be doing better in this moment. That being said, I do think that the fact that my child knows that I will be there, that she can look into the crowd of parents and see her mother smiling back at her, offers a sense of security and the knowledge that she is loved, she is important, and she is a top priority. Those feelings help her know that she can depend on me to be there when she needs me, and she can be confident that she will never have to feel like she is a burden, but like she is someone who makes my life better.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
When I started my photography journey, I was in high school. I was placed in a photography/yearbook class, against the wishes of the instructor (because I was a freshman and it was an upperclassman class). I had always loved taking pictures with a polaroid, disposable film camera, or pocket-sized camera as a child, but never thought of it as more than documenting my life and recording memories. By the end of high school, I was photographing the football team at every Friday night game, and contributing heavily to our school’s yearbook and publications.

In college, I chose to pursue a degree in Fine Art with a focus on photography. My goal at the time was to continue photographing sports and other events for newspapers, websites, or magazines. Although I did intern at the school paper, and I did do some of that kind of work, I was soon approached by family and friends to photograph their weddings, families, and engagements. Figuring I could make a little extra cash, I began working more with portraits, but never really got away from the journalistic approach.

Fast-forward to a few years ago, when I decided I was going to make my photography a full-time job, and not only a side passion project, and my style of photography is desired by those who don’t want the stuffiness of a basic pose in their wedding portraits. Yes, I am completely capable of doing formal photos, and I do those with most sessions, however the photographs that most people love, and come back for, are the in-between moments. The moments where a family is sitting together and just starts laughing at each other, or the moments when a cute couples’ twirl turns ends with falling into each others’ arms, are the moments that clients love and want more and more of.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Charleston, South Carolina is a city full of history, Southern scenery, and good food. There are so many places that I would recommend for friends to come and experience, that it is really hard to narrow down, but if I had someone who wanted the essential Charleston experience, I would be able to make some recommendations.

There are lots of historic properties in the area, and while many are wonderful, I would recommend visiting Magnolia Plantation. There are tours of the property and the house, but the gardens themselves are so beautiful, and a person can take a self-guided tour. There is something for those who love history, and for those who just enjoy a beautiful stroll through a Southern garden.

If someone is less into history, but loves a good love story movie, I would probably shift the recommendation to Cypress Gardens. Movies have been filmed there, most notably the Notebook, and you can take a rowboat out into the waters, or walk along the paths to take in the scenery.

The beaches are always a huge crowd-pleaser, especially to those who don’t come from beachfront areas. Folly beach is great for those looking for shells, sharks teeth, etc. One end has a wildlife preserve, and after a 1/4 mile walking path, you will cross the dunes to a small beach area filled with driftwood trees, rocky inlets, and a view of the Morris Island lighthouse.

To get all of the true Charleston vacation photos, I would recommend taking a walk from Waterfront Park in Downtown Charleston to White Point Gardens at the Battery. It’s not a short walk, but you will be able to get a great view of the harbor, pass the iconic pineapple fountain, walk a cobbled street, cross in front of Rainbow Row, then end up at the Battery where you will find huge live oaks and trees hung with Spanish moss.

If you want to experience some of the city’s best saltwater activities, book a shark tooth hunting excursion, fishing boat, or stay on the docks with Casual Crabbing with Tia who will teach you different ways to catch and clean blue crabs!

As far as food goes, it is incredibly difficult to choose a favorite. Burwell’s is quite possibly the best steakhouse I’ve visited in my life, and sits at the end of Market St, which is home to the Charleston Market, where you can buy all kinds of local gifts and treats. Breakfast (or just a snack) from Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit will never disappoint, and is owned by a local who started the business with her mom’s biscuit recipes. Magnolia’s restaurant has some of the best crab soup on the peninsula, as well as lots of upscale takes on traditional Southern food. If you’re willing to spring for the price tag, you will not be disappointed at Peninsula Grill, located in the Charleston Place hotel. Finally, you can’t turn a corner in Charleston without seeing or smelling some great barbecue, and while I love a few for different reasons, Swig and Swine is one of my absolute favorites across the board.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to give a shoutout to my husband, Brandon Simmons. He has supported my decision to go out on my own as a photographer. He is also self-employed, and understands the difficulties, but is my main supporter and hype-person when it comes to my work. Small things, such as comments about how he has noticed my hard work, to things like promoting my business within his, by using photos I have taken and providing credit, or recommending me when someone is looking for a photographer. If I had been in a different situation, or had a less supportive partner, I would have never been able to have the confidence to take that leap when I did, and I would not be where I am today.

Website: pbkpix.com

Instagram: instagram.com/pbkpix

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Image Credits
The Runaway Photographer Photos By Kelly