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Award Winning Family Photographer | Babies to Seniors & Underwater Space Coast - Brevard County FL & Amelia Island FL Space Coast Underwater Photographer | Creative Underwater Senior SessionUnderwater sessions are like magic. It's such a different world under the water that brings challenges but also inspiration. Underwater sessions stretch my skills and creativity and I love them! I haven't done many senior sessions underwater so I was super excited for the opportunity to photograph this talented senior underwater this summer. She's a lifeguard and just swims so beautifully. And since I still want to capture my client's story, whether on land or under the water, we had a lot of fun with some of her interests too! She rocked the band t-shirt vibe, general swimmer vibe, and at the end we created a little extra magic, channeling our mutual love of the world of Harry Potter. She's super creative herself and it was so much fun collaborating with her for this session! Stay tuned for her on land senior session too!
First up, the band t-shirt vibe...
This next one feels symbolic of the high school senior... getting ready to cross over into the adult world. And then the magic... Miss L is a big fan of Newt Scamander from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them so she included his friend Pickett in her wizarding world images at the end of our session and I couldn't help but add in a little extra magic for one of them too! Thank you Miss L for allowing me to capture some of your story underwater! <3 Kim Owner/Photographer-Artist Kimberly Tank Art & Photography Are you ready to try something fun and creative? Do you want to capture this time in your life with a beautiful work of art to display? Do you have access to a pool? Contact me for information on scheduling an underwater session!
Behind the Magic - Creating an Award Winning Photograph | Cocoa Beach Photographer
In 2017, I received my first award in a NAPCP competition, the first NAPCP Inspired Gallery and Print Competition, and it was a first place. I was shocked and so happy to have met my goal! And to make it even better, I found out on my birthday that I had won. It was an amazing feeling. The print competition consists of three themed categories to encourage creativity. The top 100 images are displayed at NAPCP headquarters and judged for the final round that determines the winners, followed by a gallery event. I also had one image make the top 100 in 2018 and two images in the top 100 in 2019. But I still hadn't placed or merited in the digital competition, and I really wanted something in that one as well. Plus I hadn't placed again in the print competition so I couldn't help but wonder, did I just get lucky with that image or could I do it again? I was incredibly honored to find out earlier this year that I had received a Recognition of Merit in the child category for the 2019 NAPCP International Image Competition! This competition is designed to recognize the world's most successful child photographers in 9 categories; each image being judged by a panel of experts on impact, technical merit, composition, and creativity. And while I didn't place in the top 3, even a merit in this competition is amazing, especially in the child category which tends to be one of the toughest to place or merit. I know that all the years I've been submitting images and getting feedback to help push my skills to be better has helped so much. And I will still work towards a top placing image and continuing to elevate my art. When I push myself creatively and learn from the competitions I enter, I can see how it also makes my everyday work better for my clients. I thought it would be fun to show how I created this image from conception to reality as it is one of the times where I had an idea in my head and I wasn't there to just capture life as it is like I do much of the time. So if you're interested in hearing how this image came about and what went into creating the final image, keep reading!
Conception to Reality. In 2018, I started reading the Harry Potter series to my son. He fell in love with them, wanted to know what house he was in (he's a Ravenclaw) and then wanted to be a Hogwarts student for Halloween. I was also working on my 100 Day Project of photographing my son and his dog and wanted to do something fun for the final image. I photographed my son in his costume at a wooded park and used a photo of his dog running with some photoshop magic to create an image of my son creating a Patronus of his dog (you can see that image at the bottom of this post). Last year, he still wanted to be a Hogwarts student but to wear his quidditch robes. I had already thought about how fun it would be to create more Harry Potter inspired images, including one of him flying on his broom, so this was a great opportunity to create another magical image for him. For this, I knew I wanted somewhere with open sky to really create the feeling of flying. Other than the beach, I couldn't think of a great place to do this until I was introduced to an out-of-the-way park on Amelia Island on the river. It's basically a small open field with a small bench right in front of the water. It. Was. Perfect. I knew I could have him jump off the bench and shoot from down low to get him with just the sky behind him and give him the look of flying on his broom. He had a snitch with "invisible string" that I imagined my husband would just toss up from the side and I would be able to just capture my vision in one image, knowing I'd have to take a whole bunch of shots to get it all together. Well, that's not how it ended up happening. There was a tree on one side so we started with him jumping off the other side while my husband tossed the snitch. The light was to my son's back, though, so not the best. And the snitch was not ever in the right place. I did get a clear shot of the snitch that I knew I could easily cut out the snitch and apply to the final image.
I also noticed when reviewing the images on the back of the camera that I was really losing the beautiful clouds we had that afternoon since the sun was so bright and I really wanted to include the clouds and really help that feel of being high in the air. So I decided I would need to do the sky separately and do more in Photoshop than I had originally planned. I adjusted my settings and took a photo of the sky that captured the sky with the clouds.
I pulled the image into Photoshop and removed the tree branch and the bench and decided to crop off the bottom but leave the width to help portray the expansiveness of the sky. This was then the background for my final image.
Ok, so I talked about getting the sky set for the background above and mentioned the image I used for the snitch that I cut out and put in the sky. Since the sky in the image fo my son was mostly blown out, it wasn't too difficult to cut him out and put him on the sky image. Mostly. If you'll notice, the broom isn't solid like in the movies... it's actually made of sticks and being that I was taking it from a bright sky and putting it on a darker sky, this part was what took me the longest. I had to get out as much of the light sky around the broom sticks as possible without loosing the actual sticks. I also lightened that area of the sky a it on the background to help it blend in better. As a final touch, I added some wings to the snitch. I love how it turned out and am thrilled that it won an award. I also love that my son loves it too and asked for it to be printed huge for his room.
If you've made it all the way through, thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed reading how this photo came about and was put together. <3 Kim Owner/Photographer-Artist Kimberly Tank Art & Photography Want to preserve your child's or family's story with beautiful photographs? Contact me for information on scheduling a session!
Cocoa Beach Family Photographer | Sunset Beach Milestone SessionThe first year of your baby's life is a special chapter in your life. The days and nights often feel long, but when we look back, it's hard to believe how fast that first year goes, and often it feels like a blur. That precious little bundle of joy grows so much in that first year and by the time their birthday comes around, life has already changed in so many more ways. When we're sleep deprived and/or busy with older siblings, it makes it even more difficult to remember all of the little things in this chapter that we will want to remember later when those babies are grown. I don't know about you, but my son is 8 now and I sometimes can't remember what happened last week let alone all of the things I want to remember about his first year. I'm so thankful to have photographs that take me back to those memories so I can remember just how silly and snuggly he was (and still is) or how he fit in my arms and how small his little fingers and toes were. Without those photographs, my memories would be much more faded than they are. And some of the ones I cherish the most, are the ones with me in them. Sure, the others will help me remember him as a baby, but I also want him to see how much I loved him too and how much fun we had together (it wasn't always him and Dad!). This is probably why capturing the first year chapter with my milestone membership program is so special to me. Plus I love getting to watch these sweet little ones grow! We wrapped up this little one's milestone year with a family session. I honestly feel like this is the best way to wrap up the year, showing not only how much they've grown, but the relationships they've developed with their family members. One day, Miss E will look back at these photos and see how much she was always loved and how much fun she had with her family, even when she was a baby/toddler.
Thank you H Family for trusting me to document the milestones in this chapter of your life! <3 Kim Owner/Artist-Photographer Kimberly Tank Art & Photography I only take on a limited number of Baby Plan Memberships for each calendar year to ensure the highest quality of service to all of my clients and priority booking for plan members. If you're interested in becoming a plan member, I'd love to chat with you! Contact me here.
Space Coast Florida Photographer | Beach Maternity PhotographyA maternity session is a great way to showcase the beauty and miracle of pregnancy. I love helping mommas-to-be feel beautiful in their changing bodies as they get ready to welcome a little baby into the world. Pregnancy can often feel less than glamorous (ok maybe usually for most), and having this time documented helps moms remember how beautiful they really are as well as the connection and love they share with their spouse/partner and any old siblings. For this beach maternity session at the pier, mom chose one of the maternity gowns I offer for moms to wear and she was joined by her husband and 2 year old son. And as is typical of two-year olds, he sort of stole the show at one point! He is such a sweet and funny little boy and I loved capturing his personality and the love they all share. His new baby sister is so loved now too! The beach is my absolute favorite place to photograph sessions. One thing you can never estimate ahead of time is how much wind we'll have since it can be quite breezy at the beach. There was quite a bit of wind on session day but we didn't have much time left to reschedule before baby could arrive so we went with it. And despite the clouds, we were still able to capture beautiful images that this family cherishes. We captured some funny moments as well so make sure you scroll down to see what happened (and how Mr. 2 sort of stole the show!).
Ok, before you keep scrolling, you should know that the last time this family was at the beach (summer), Mr. 2 was afraid to go near the water so we figured he'd probably stay away this time too.... plus the water was cold...
Yep, he went in. And LOVED it. And kept going back in for more! So needless to say, he was soaked but had a blast.
Thank you H Family for trusting me to document these memories for you and preserve your story! <3 Kim Owner/Photographer-Artist Kimberly Tank Art & Photography Are you expecting? Do you want to capture this time in your life with a beautiful work of art to display to remember the beauty of pregnancy and the love surrounding you? Contact me for information on scheduling a maternity session!
Storytelling Photographer - Rockledge, FL | A Few of My Favorite ThingsHappy 2020! I'm super excited about this year and I know it's going to be a great one. I wanted to share with you all some of my favorite things from 2019, and some that are just general favorites that I've loved for a while.
Tea Nation Tea & Do Less by Kate Northrup If you know me, you know I love my teas, especially herbal teas. A couple of years ago, I discovered a local tea company, Tea Nation, that has a variety of lovely herbal tea blends and will make you a custom blend if needed. These have become some of my favorite teas and I always have several varieties in my tea drawer! (Yes, I have an entire drawer in my pantry full of tea.) This past year, I read Do Less by Kate Northrup and it was just so good. I can't even remember how I heard about it but it felt like exactly the book I needed to read so I got it shortly after it was released. I told all of my friends about it because it's one of those books that you want everyone to read after you've read it. It was part of what inspired me to choose the word Simplify as my word of the year for 2020 and I will be working on continuing to implement the approach in the book, with some help from the Do Less Planner, which I also ordered and should arrive soon. I've already noticed a difference in my ability to complete tasks when I schedule them at the most optimal times. This book is for all women, not just moms, and men can learn from the method as well (you don't need to be a business own either). I highly recommend it!
Photography Camp for Kids I have been feeling the pull in the last year or so to do more teaching. I used to be an elementary school teacher and am now homeschooling my son. I don't want to return to the classroom as I love homeschooling, so the question became, how can I teach more, and specifically in the area of photography? I already offer classes to adults wanting to learn how to use manual mode on their cameras but I wanted to reach more people. I thought about maybe brainstorming a class I could teach to other photographers, but then I remembered that I had been wanting to teach a class/camp to kids and that maybe it was time I did it. I found a curriculum and purchased it, only to be disappointed by it. So I put my teacher hat back on and sat down to create lesson plans for a 5 day summer camp for kids about photography. One where they could use any camera or even a phone and learn some basics and have fun taking photographs. I held my first camp session over the summer and it was so much fun! The kids loved it and were all sad at the end of the week that it was over. A colleague of mine suggested that maybe I should think about selling my curriculum since there aren't many out there, and the one I had purchased wasn't all that great. I'm excited to say, that I will be releasing my Photography Camp for Kids curriculum shortly for other photographers to purchase who want to teach a camp for kids! You can pre-order it now and use code camp25 for $25 off!
Play 4 Life Moms & Play by Stuart Brown My word for 2019 was Play. I sought out a few resources to help me with my focus for the year, starting with a texting service created by a dear friend of mine, Christy Thomas, with Play 4 Life Moms. The texts are short, inspirational or reminder messages to be more present with your kids, play more, and remember to take care of yourself too. I have really enjoyed getting these quick little reminders and I highly recommend them for moms with kids of all ages. I also read the book Play by Stuart Brown. I was pleasantly surprised that this book was not just about play for children but about the different types of play and the importance of play in all stages of our lives. It really went well with my focus for the year and I highly recommend this book.
Small Business Branding Sessions & Building a Story Brand by Donald Miller In 2018, I started offering Small Business Branding Sessions and it's something I have really enjoyed. I love helping small businesses tell their stories and capture imagery they can use on their websites, social media, and print marketing. I heard about Building a Story Brand by Donald Miller from another photographer and immediately knew I wanted to read it. I also started listening to his podcast (which is also really good!) I listened to it via Audible and then realized I probably should have bought the hard copy because it's one of those books I couldn't listen to in the car (where I do a lot of my listening) because I needed to stop and take notes all the time. I'm still working through my own Story Brand framework and I'm excited to use the information to help tell my clients' stories as well. If you are a business owner, I highly recommend this book.
Nature Anatomy by Julia Rothman & Audubon Bird Caller If you haven't noticed by now, I love books! I run a local nature group for homeschoolers and Nature Anatomy by Julia Rothman was one of my favorite books that I added to our nature collection this past year. It is beautifully illustrated and has a lovely variety of info about things you might see out in nature. One of the little girl's in our group brought this little Audubon Bird Caller on our bird week and I initially mistook it for an actual bird. Needless to say it ended up being a great stocking stuffer for Christmas! It's easy to use for kids and small enough to fit in their pocket.
This is one of my long-time favorites. I have several pieces of my own from Amber Dreams Jewelry that I love. Liz makes beautiful pieces from pure amber as well as other stones. I have a few custom pieces from her as well. The piece pictured above is for teething babies. My son wore one through teething and I could definitely tell a difference when he wasn't wearing it (took it off for sleeping).
Misfits Market When my son was a toddler, we had this awesome local organic veggie co-op and I've missed it ever since it ended. My favorite grocery store closed down late 2019 (Native Sun in Jacksonville) and now I often have to go to several stores to find what I need. Then I found out about this awesome fruit/veggie delivery box subscription by Misfits Market, and to say I was excited would be an understatement. We go through a lot of veggies in my house, and eat mostly organic when possible. This box is full of "ugly" or surplus organic fruits and veggies and you get them at a discount over the grocery store. All of the food pictured above was in the Madness Box which is just $35. I have mine scheduled to come every week and it has been fantastic. Last week's box had Jerusalem artichokes, which I've never tried before, and they were actually really yummy! I love when something like this gets us to try something new that I wouldn't normally pick at the store. If this is something you would love too (and live in one of the states where they deliver), you can use my referral code to get 25% off your first box: COOKWME-BJ5VOR. You can cancel at anytime.
This month, I am celebrating 7 years in business and I wanted to do something fun so I'm doing 7 days of giveaways and giving away my favorite things! The official giveaway will take place on Instagram (and Facebook) mid-month so be sure you are following me there! Official Rules: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. 1-Follow me on Instagram and/or Facebook. 2-Like the posts for the days you'd like to win. 3-Comment on the post and tag a friend who might like that item as well. 4-For extra entries, tag additional friends in the post, share the posts to your Instagram stories and tag me, and/or sign up for my monthly newsletter 5-Information collected for this contest will not be sold to third parties and will only be used by me in correlation with this giveaway. *All winners will be chosen on January 25, 2020 at midnight and notified by January 29th. This giveaway is not in any way connected, sponsored, or endorsed by Instagram or Facebook. Read eligibility requirements on each individual giveaway post as terms vary - most are open to US residents only (and the Misfits Market box is only available in certain states).
10 Things I Love About Fernandina Beach FL | Amelia Island Photographer
I have lived near Fernandina Beach, FL for almost 15 years now and it's one of my favorite cities. The beauty of Amelia Island and the wonderful community are top notch. There are fabulous beaches, history, nature, and so much more. There are so many things I love about Amelia Island/Fernandina Beach. Here's a list of my top 10. 1) The Beach! Ok, so this could probably be 1-10 because I LOVE the beach, but I also really love the beaches of Amelia Island. We typically go to the north end of the island or the south end of the island. In the summer, evenings are my favorite time to go to the beach. It's a little less hot and a little less crowded. We will often pack a picnic dinner or maybe grab a bite to eat on the island. I still love going in the evenings the rest of the year and catching the beautiful sunsets, but we'll go during the day too if it fits our schedule better. My son will swim/play in the water pretty much all year round. It's also the best place around to fly a kite!
2) Sunsets I already mentioned sunsets in #1, and I've always been a sucker for a beautiful sunset. It's one of the things that has had me carrying a camera around with me pretty much at all times since high school. The sunsets on Amelia Island are fantastic when you can catch them. You don't even have to be at the beach for them to take your breath away. This sunset photo was actually taken with my iPhone (because the best camera is the one that's with you!) on the north end of the island near downtown. I was on the island for a meeting and grabbed my camera before leaving in case I wanted to grab a photo or two and I ended up forgetting to make sure there was a memory card in it, oops! Luckily I never have this problem at a session because I have plenty of extras in my bag, I just didn't bring my bag with me this day. I was definitely kicking myself for that one!
3) Downtown Fernandina Beach I love to just walk around the historic downtown of Fernandina. There's such an array of shops and restaurants to peruse and it has such a lovely feel to it. Some of my favorite shops include: Color It Green, Villa Villekulla Neighborhood Toy Store, Pelindaba Lavender, Twisted Sisters, and The Book Loft. There are so many great restaurants that it's hard to pick a favorite, but 29 South and Amelia Tavern top my list.
4) Fort Clinch State Park We love to get outside and explore and we all love history too. Historic sites are great places to step back into the past while also getting outside. Fort Clinch State Park isn't just a fort though. There are trails you can hike or bike, camping grounds, a great shaded playground for the kids, and the beach where you'll have a good chance of finding a shark tooth and lots of shells. If you're a nature enthusiast, they have guided nature walks at the Willow Pond on Saturday mornings. If you really get into the history, go to one of the re-enactments on the first weekend of the month and see how they bring history to life. 5) Parks/Playgrounds Amelia Island has some really great parks for the kiddos. My son's favorite is Egan's Creek Park where there's a giant dome of climbing ropes. There's also great bird watching or fishing along the creek there too and a big field to play in. We also enjoy Pirate Playground behind the rec center. This park has something for a wide range of ages, from sand and water play, outdoor musical play, swings, climbing ropes, and more. And the best part is that it's fenced in so you don't have to worry about your littlest ones running off too far. They're been doing some updates to the other parks as well that are really great.
6) Nature Spots I mention already but we are big nature lovers. Being out in nature is actually really good for you too. I lead a homeschool group in nature explorations each week and I love having so many nature spots to pick from. One of my favorites aside from the beach is the Egan's Creek Greenway. It's a great quiet place to enjoy a walk and see the diversity of the salt marsh and all the plants and animals you can view there. On our last trip we saw several different species of birds, a marsh rabbit, crab, snake, turtles, and an alligator.
7) Farmer's Market Who doesn't love a good farmer's market? The Fernandina Beach Market Place is a great spot to grab fresh produce, local homemade goodies, my favorite herbal teas from Tea Nation, and more. It's another great way to support local small businesses and farms! My family and I love going on bike rides together and with so many biking trails, Amelia Island is a great place for biking. You can bike on the many paved biking trails or go rugged and bike on the beach or on a trail at Fort Clinch or Egan's Creek Greenway. If you love to bike, check out more info on bicycling on the island here. If you don't mind big crowds, Fernandina has some really great festivals and events. The Eight Flags Shrimp Festival is probably the biggest and there are always a ton of vendors and beautiful artwork, plus pirates! The Right Whale Festival was recently moved from Jacksonville to Amelia Island to celebrate the return of the right whales to our coastal area. For fellow book lovers, the annual Amelia Island Book Festival is something for you to check out. The Wild Amelia Nature Festival is another great one, and there are many others not on my list! I'd love to hear if you have another favorite that I didn't mention here. *Another of my favorites is listed below. 10) Christmas There's just something magical about the way Fernandina Beach does Christmas. The lights downtown are fantastic and the annual Dickens on Centre event is one of my absolute favorites and is on our must-do list every December. They have a great kid-zone, live entertainment, vendors (food and homemade goodies), and people dressed in Dickens era costumes adding to the atmosphere.
Is there something you love about Fernandina Beach that I didn't include in my list? I'd love for you to share it with me in the comments below! <3 Kim Owner/Artist-Photographer Kimberly Tank Art & Photography, LLC Stay up to date on blog posts like these and other happenings by signing up for my monthly newsletter. P.S. Ever wish you had someone to tag along with you on a family adventure to capture the fun you all have together? Contact me for more information on a family adventure session!
Magic of Childhood - Harry Potter Inspired Session | St Marys GA - Fernandina Beach FLThis young lady has a special place in my heart. Her Momma and I went to college together and she was a big part of why I started photographing children. She recently turned 10 and loves the world of Harry Potter (as do I) and so it was only fitting that this was her birthday theme this year. I'm sure she can't wait to get her Hogwarts acceptance letter next year! We had a blast creating these images and channeling the magical world. From casting a spell, to studying the Monster Book of Monsters, flying on a broom, and heading into the Forbidden Forest, we brought a touch of magic to each one.
Thank you for allowing me to create a little magic for you this year Miss C! <3 Kim Owner/Photographer-Artist Kimberly Tank Art & Photography Want to preserve your child's or family's story with beautiful photographs? Contact me for information on scheduling a session!
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© Kimberly Tank Art & Photography, LLC
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Kimberly Tank is an award winning professional photographer in Rockledge, FL, servicing Brevard County on the Space Coast in Central Florida (including Melbourne, Cocoa Beach, Merritt Island, Viera and surrounding areas) and traveling several times a year to Amelia Island - Fernandina Beach FL. Using natural light and custom on location sessions, Kimberly Tank specializes in photographing families from babies to seniors and commercial clients, both on land and underwater; providing an exceptional customer experience and helping save you time and preserve this chapter in your life's story. Kimberly Tank is a proud member and ambassador of National Association of Professional Child Photographers and member of Professional Photographers of America.
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