So who am I?
I'm a freelance photographer in San Francisco -- by way of NYC, by way of Princeton, New Jersey. I shoot weddings, events, portraits and travel (and sometimes all three at once). I'm still fairly new to this bay area, but I've spent the last year falling in love with everything SF has to offer. Seriously, the people, the landscape, the weather. Love it.
What do I do?
I started taking pictures when I was fifteen. So I can now say I've been shooting for half my life :). I started out shooting, developing and printing 35mm b&w film in high school and even though I've moved on to digital, I still miss the smell of fixer.
I started shooting weddings when I was still in college. The first wedding I shot was for a friend in need. I didn't want to do it. I was completely terrified. I told her this. I begged my lovely friend, find someone with experience, I don't want to be in charge of capturing your biggest moments! But she said, no, I want you to do it. So I did. And the funny thing is once I got going the fear receded and I absolutely loved it. (And I'm happy to say so did she and her husband!)
After I graduated I started shooting with an established photographer in central New Jersey. We shot over thirty weddings together that year. I moved back to New York and took a break from photography as my primary income, but kept it going as a side business. But a couple of years in a gray corporate cube (even in fancy-pants Manhattan) was enough for me and I left my job to pursue photography full time.
I've been lucky enough to work with some really amazing couples and families. Photo is my passion, my calling. And I'm gregarious enough that weddings suit me perfectly. My goal is to create images that speak to people and capture these moments that just go hurling past us. Because if there's one thing people will tell you over and over, it's that it all goes by so fast. I want you to look at a snap of your cousin Fred laughing his trademark guffaw and think, "That's Fred! She got him!" And most of all I want you to look at pictures of yourselves and see the joy you felt that day and know it's all there.
I graduated from New York University's Gallatin School of Individualized Study with a concentration in creative writing and photography. My thesis centered on the interplay of image and memory, a theme that I am continuously investigating with my wedding and portrait photography.
My work is personal but with a documentary feel. I believe my job is to tell your story. I try to be an unobtrusive spectator where you can forget the camera. Wedding photos should have a dialogue. They should document the subtle but striking moments of your day. It's such an awesome privilege to be able to photograph some of the most magical times in peoples lives. I love what I do. I absolutely do :)
If you're interested in booking, I'm running several great rate packages for 2010 and I'd love to hear from you! K
917 412 9324 kelly@kellyhoffer.com
