My passion for photography began when I was a young child living in NJ.  My father had a high-pressure job in "the city" (NYC), and loved to decompress by immersing himself knee-deep in nature.  On hikes during those get-a-way weekends, my dad would hand me his 35mm Pentax camera.  Even as a child, I knew that was a BIG deal!

I learned to see life through my father's eyes. We wrote letters on bark peeled from birch trees; berries were our ink.  He taught us names of constellations and told ghost stories around the campfire. Dad taught us to 'lick rocks' to preview the beauty that would become reality, once they were polished in our tumbler!  In between licking/gathering rocks, we collected strings of frogs eggs.  Later those buckets of eggs swarmed with tadpoles, and eventually yielded frogs for our yard.  

Once home, I could hardly wait to see my images spring forth as the paper agitated in our basement darkroom. Dad would critique my images, and gently encourage me. As you can imagine, I flourished. My childhood was magical. I am blessed to be able to say my father is alive and well. He is still my greatest teacher.

I use "H" for Henderson, (my maiden name) in tribute to my Dad whenever I work in photography. My Mom was the friendliest person you could ever meet, and gave me an insatiable desire to get to know folks who cross my path.   I'm not sure she ever met a stranger. I would like to think I am a bit like mom in that regard.

And as far as a little about me?  I am married to the man I fell in love with at first sight!  We met when I was a teller at a credit union. Because he was shy, he asked me out by writing on the back of a deposit slip!  We were 'married' (pretend!) in Westwood, by a mime on our first date.  Engaged 10 days later, and married on that same date as our 'street corner wedding', one year later!   My husband  says,   rather than making a deposit on that day in 1981, he made a withdrawal for life!

We are blessed to be the parents of two adult sons. They are my heart.  In addition to photography, my passions include cooking, gardening, and volunteer work.  I granted 26 wishes, while a Wish Granter  for Make-a-Wish.  I have been the event photographer for camps in Alabama, North Carolina, California and Canada,  and have traveled to Kenya twice, to capture images of folks living in the slums of Mathare Valley.

My background includes time as a commercial hot-air balloon pilot, and work in the financial industry as a mainframe computer operator and facilitator for Business Continuity.   Even with a variety of different careers, my greatest joy still comes from capturing the beauty all around ... in nature, during special events, and in the interactions between family and friends.

Tender glances between people in love (at weddings and during engagement sessions), first smiles of a newborn, and wise weathered faces are among my favorite subjects. I am driven to create images that will become the treasures in a family 'time capsule' .

Please contact me if you would like to schedule a portrait or headshot, family sitting, event or wedding coverage.  I offer classes year-round: beginning, intermediate and advanced photography classes for groups and individuals.  Popular topics include camera settings, composition, nature and vacation photography. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Kelly H Williamson

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