Today we’d like to introduce you to Carol Kotlarz.
Carol, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I would say that my love of photography stemmed from my love of travel and capturing all the beautiful places and special people I saw and met along the way. I took my first big trip to Italy with my grandparents when I was 13 and they bought me a small 110 pocket camera. Before the age of digital, I went through hundreds of rolls of Kodak film for that little camera and documented each trip in photo albums which I still have. While the quality of the photos sure has changed, my love of documenting my travels has not. I have replaced those magnetic page photo albums of way back with beautiful hard cover books which I look at frequently. To me, a picture is far more precious than any souvenir and can bring back that moment in time sparking memories of the sights, smells, sounds, and even tastes of that location.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
Photography is my passion and art and it changes forms as fast as technology does. Personal growth is also something I strive for…. learning every day. This involves keeping up with the latest in trends, photoshop and editing software and techniques, I spend countless hours attending workshops and watching YouTube videos and tutorials on safety, posing and lighting. Through all of this effort, I would like to think that I create timeless memories…tangible keepsakes for families. That to me is what is so amazing about portraits–They help us to slow down, freeze time and capture those moments of joy. They make you feel. Long after people are gone, photos are the one thing that can bring back those memories. I started my business Blessed Bee Photography out of this love and this is my way to give back to the world, to make others feel happiness, warmth, love–to provide parents with memories encapsulated in beautiful artwork–to give quality, heirloom photographs that 10 years down the road a child can look at and understand the depth of love their parents felt for them. So that clients can have gorgeous portraits with their children to put on their walls so every day their children could see them and be reminded how loved they are and how happy they made them.
Artists rarely, if ever pursue art for the money. Nonetheless, we all have bills and responsibilities and many aspiring artists are discouraged from pursuing art due to financial reasons. Any advice or thoughts you’d like to share with prospective artists?
Well….I still haven’t been able to “quit my day job”. And yes, it is a struggle to do both and requires some long hours and a bit of frustration at times. I just try and focus on the light at the end of the tunnel, squeeze in as much of my photography as I can in the hopes that one day I can transition to doing it full time. The income from my full-time job however, has allowed me to purchase props, equipment and the things I need to start up the business and provide the best possible experience to my clients.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
I have two places my work can be found. First, I have a travel blog (which has been a little neglected lately due to the start-up of my business). That can be found at www.athousandplaces.com. Secondly, my business Blessed Bee Photography can be found at www.blessedbeephotography.com. Both also have Instagram and Facebook pages. Following me on social media would be a great way to support both of these.
Contact Info:
- Address: 415 East Main St Rd., Cary, IL 60013
- Website: www.blessedbeephotography.com, www.athousandplaces.com
- Phone: 847-370-6172
- Email: murphy.schroeder@comcast.net
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Blessed_Bee_Photography/ , https://www.instagram.com/journeytoathousandplaces/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blessedbeephotographycaryil/
Image Credit:
Carol Kotlarz
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