I know getting your photo taken can stress you out! It's nerve-wracking at times. There's a camera in your face, you want to look your best, and your photographer can feel a bit like a stranger. So instead of feeling like I'm some weirdo with a camera pointed at you, I'd like us to get to know each other. So you can feel more comfortable and your photos can show the real you! So here's a chance to know some things about me, to make it less awkward.
1. I'm a photographer and a data analyst! One of the first things a lot of people wonder is whether photography is my full time gig? And my answer is, kind of. What I mean by that, is I definitely devote full-time hours to it, but I also have another full-time job. I work at Veterans United as a Marketing Data Analyst. Both jobs allow me to learn technical skills and to be creative. I'm also a complete math nerd, so spreadsheets and data visualizations are kind of fun. I'd love to know what you do, so please tell me all about your career, projects, hobbies, etc. when we meet at our session!
2. I am local to Columbia, but I wasn't always. A lot of people ask if I'm from here, when we meet to do photos. Just like many of you I was not born in Columbia, but once I moved here, I fell in love with this charming town, and settled down here. I was born in Kiev, Ukraine, and have lived a bunch of different places such as Haifa in Israel and Brooklyn, New York. When we meet, tell me all about where you're from, favorite sports you've traveled or places you plan go!
3. And I speak fluent Russian. Because I was born in the former Soviet Union, I speak fluent Russian. It's the only way to keep in touch with many of my family members.
3. I LOVE pets! Your pets are always welcome at KatFour Photo sessions in part because I love working with your furry friends, and in part because I believe they really are a huge part of the family. I have a fur-baby of my own, named Cookie. He's our snowshoe cat and he loves to snuggle, eat snacks and chase laser pointer dots. Whatever kind of furry friend you have, let's work out a way for them to be a part of your session.
4. I can't live without my to-do lists. To stay organized I write everything down and make to-do lists. Without recording everything, I'd be lost. So you'll often see me take notes while we're chatting. That's to make sure I don't forget anything!
5. I'm a night owl. My best hours are after dark, and I'm pretty much in auto-pilot in the mornings. So if you get an email from me at a late hour, feel free to ignore it until morning.
6. My husband and I got married on Valentine's Day! Partly for the romance and partly so we could never forget our anniversary we planned our wedding for February 14th. Now every year there are flowers, hearts and chocolate covered strawberries on our anniversary. Special dates and moments in your life? Tell me all about them!
7. And we honeymooned at Disney World! Disney is my absolute favorite, and we could think of no more magical and fun a place to honeymoon than Disney World. Not only did we have a great time, but I got some of my favorite photos from our vacation. I always love hearing about your favorite vacation spots too!
8. When it's chilly I love hot chocolate. There's nothing like a cup of hot chocolate on a chilly winter evening while watching the snow drift outside.
9. But in the summer it's Arnold Palmer's all day long. Lemonade and unsweetened iced tea are just the most refreshing combination for a hot summer day!
10. I'm a TV junkie while I edit photos. I love Psych, Murdoch Mysteries, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Better Off Ted, Xena (yes I was a 90s kid)! Have a favorite TV show? I'd love to hear your recommendations for what I should watch next.
11. I'm VERY into the Marvel movies! I know almost everyone loves the films, but to date I've seen pretty much all of them, and we own most of them in our movie collection.
12. Tomatoes are my absolute favorite food! People that know me well joke about how I will order a side of tomatoes with many of my meals. I even like to just snack on cherry tomatoes by themselves.
13. I'm only 5'2", so reaching the top shelf is hard. I actually have a step stool I have to use to reach the top shelf because my husband sometimes puts things up there I'll need. The up-side is I completely get how to photograph couples with height differences.
14. My car once got hit by a deer. I was driving along one evening and a deer ran out of the trees along the side of the road and ran into the side of my car. So just like on Gilmore Girls I can say I've been hit by a deer.
15. I stop to save turtles when I'm driving! If I see a turtle on the road, I will pull over, get the turtle and move it to the side of the road it is heading to. Sometimes I get weird looks, and sometimes I get thumbs up, but either way it's something I do every time I can.
So now it's your turn! Tell me all about yourself, because I'd love to hear all about your, your fun facts and your story. Then we can try to include your experiences in your next photo session!