Meet Kimberly Johnson

We were lucky to catch up with Kimberly Johnson recently and have shared our conversation below.

Kimberly, first a big thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights with us today. I’m sure many of our readers will benefit from your wisdom, and one of the areas where we think your insight might be most helpful is related to imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is holding so many people back from reaching their true and highest potential and so we’d love to hear about your journey and how you overcame imposter syndrome.

I believe that even the most successful business owners deal with a form of imposter syndrome, and to be honest? I sometimes do too. However, with being in a career that is a literal art form, it is subjective. You create to your personal style, and you will find clients who either love it or hate it. I personally don’t think imposter syndrome will ever fully go away, but it pushes me to learn more and do more with my career as a Photographer.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

My name is Kimberly Johnson and I am a Lifestyle Photographer located in Southwest, Michigan. I am the proud owner of Three Ten Studios, where I strive to create timeless memories while living in the moment. It is my mission to capture the good, the unexpected, and the pure emotion between clients.

Photography has always been a passion of mine since I was a teenager, and I never thought I would turn it into a full-time career. I graduated with my Bachelors from Western Michigan University with an entirely different career in mind. It turns out there is where I feel the happiest; where I pour my heart and soul into my work.

Photography, to me, is not just forced smiles and poses looking into the lens of a camera. Photography is freezing those laughs that make you cry – that raw emotion pouring out of you while you interact with your loved ones – where you can tell a story just by looking at one image… Photography is my art.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Photography isn’t just about picking up a camera. Photography is about composition, lighting, editing, marketing, learning how to work with hundreds of different clients and becoming confident in your niche. One of my biggest pieces of advice is to learn how to work manual mode. Having that control over your session makes a huge difference in the outcome of your product. Second piece of advice is lighting and composition. I will forever recommend anyone to take a class or two on working with the different styles of lighting and finding complementary compositions for your clients. Lastly, marketing… A huge huge factor when it comes to getting your work out there for the world to see! Get a website or online portfolio, and learn about SEO – it will benefit you the most in the long run.

What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?

When I started taking EFE (Education for Employment) classes in high school, I was unsure about the path I wanted to go down. So, I signed myself up for Photography, Art and Interior Design. My father took it upon himself to purchase my very first professional camera. Even though the career path I went through in college was not Photography, that did not stop me from picking up my camera on the side and continuing to pursue what I loved doing. I still have that camera and even though I have upgraded to better quality gear, it inspires and pushes me to better myself. I will forever hold this piece of my childhood close.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.threetenstudios.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/threetenstudios
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/threetenstudios
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberly-p-johnson/

Image Credits

Three Ten Studios