—Kelly O'brien, coastal click photography
Not all photographers are created equal! Some photographers live and breathe photography and art. Some photographers just pick up a camera, take photos, and collect a paycheck. I'm definitely that first one.
When I was in high school I needed one more elective, so my dad convinced me to take photography. He lent me his old Minolta film camera, and I went in not too sure what to expect. I ended up falling in love with photography and took every class I could. I was the yearbook photographer, started a photography club, and always had a camera hanging from my neck. I even had my own darkroom at our house that I pretty much spent all my free time in.
One day a photographer came to our school to take portraits, and I started asking him a million questions. Much to my delight, he invited me to work for him as an assistant. I really just carried his bags, set up lights, and loaded his cameras (yes it was film days!). But eventually he let me take photos too. At that point I was hooked! I knew I wanted to be a photographer.
I decided to go to college for photography and got a scholarship to Savannah College of Art and Design. I made it through the first year, but it was a tough road. So I ended up going back to West Palm Beach to get a dual bachelor's degree in Marketing and Management at Northwood University. I took a little career detour and worked as an alumni director, planning large and small events throughout the US and connecting with alumni. It was fun for a while, but my heart just wasn't in it.
Eventually I decided to take a leap of faith and step away from the corporate world. In 2011 I started my photography business, something I probably should have done years before. My heart always belonged to photography.
All the trials and tribulations, all the twists and turns, all the highs and lows brought me here ~ with a vibrant photography business, finally doing what I love!
When I'm not lugging around camera gear, you'll find me scouring the beach for seashells, sipping sour apple martinis with my beautiful wife, and cuddling our two dogs....or I'm neck deep in a craft project or two.
Also I love cake (but with real frosting, not that gross whipped topping), my favorite color is lime green, my favorite animal is a flamingo, and I pretty much live in Lilly Pulitzer outfits.
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