Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristen Norman.
Kristen, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
I’m a freelance photographer based in Edgewater. I became interested in photography in high school after taking a film photography class. I knew I was interested in going to college and studying journalism and decided to add photography to the mix. I attended Ohio University and majored in Photojournalism. After college I worked at a small daily paper in Ohio and after almost three years there, I moved to Chicago to pursue freelancing. I’ve now been freelancing for 3 years in the city. While figuring out how to run my own business was a learning curve, I love being my own boss.
My work ranges from editorial, newspapers and non-profits to weddings and commercial clients. I’ve worked with clients like the Chicago Tribune, The New York Times, The Washington Post, ESPN, Honda and Uber. I’ve worked professionally across the United States as well as Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam. I love having creative freedom having the time create images for myself.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
While I photograph many different subjects for a wide variety of clients, my heart is always in documentary work. I use photography as my tool to show how I view the world. With documentary photography I am able to share stories and connect with people on a deeper level. It’s a such an amazing thing when strangers let you have a glimpse into their lives and agree to have photos taken of their most intimate and personal moments. I hope people view a story with fresh eyes and remember to be compassionate towards others. It’s easy to generalize about a subject – politics, religion, race, etc., but seeing a face with a story, I hope, brings empathy and maybe a new understanding.
What do you think it takes to be successful as an artist?
I would define success as a photographer as creating a body of work that matters. Hopefully making images of people that they cherish forever and love to look at over and over. I feel that as a photographer you have to share things about yourself with the people you are making images of – be genuine, honest and open. They are giving you the chance to document their lives, so give something back. Always remember that it’s never about you or your ego.
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
You can take a look at my documentary work here: www.kristenlnorman.com and on Instagram: @kristenlnorman
My weddings a portrait work: www.kristenlnormanphoto.com and Instagram: @kristenlnormanphoto
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kristenlnorman.com
- Phone: 419-290-8669
- Email: kristenlnorman@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristenlnorman/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kristenlnormanphoto/
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/kristenlnormanphoto/
Image Credit:
All Images ©Kristen Norman 2018
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