Jessica Kelley

Back in 2002, when I started keeping an online journal I wrote the following in my bio…

“I’ve been told I’m quirky, opinionated, and and sometimes rather intolerable.”

I’m sure, to some extent, this is still true. Many years later, I would add that I’m a 40 something year old stay at home mother to three awesome kids. I haven’t worked outside the home since the birth of our oldest son in 2010 and I have a varied work history that merits some review.

I’ve had a job of some sort since I was 14. In high school I cleaned offices and a veterinary kennel, wrote freelance pieces for the local newspaper, and even had a short stint in fast food. In college I worked in various food service positions. Upon graduation, I ended up working in automotive engineering environments.

After my move to New York in 2003, I hired in with a retail security device manufacturing company, and was laid off due to the failing economy in 2007. In 2008 I took a contract job with a large energy corporation. Through that job, I discovered just how much I enjoyed photography. I would take photos of the construction progress, always trying to better the angle, improve the focus, or just make the photo more interesting.

My husband saw that I was passionate about photography, and purchased a Canon Digital Rebel XSi for my birthday. It’s been a love affair ever since. The challenge of learning the camera and mastering new lenses has kept me interested in the craft. I added a Canon 7D to my collection, along with a couple more prime lenses in 2011.

I’m constantly looking for ways to improve my work, and I love the feeling of seeing that I captured a moment and did it artfully. Anyone can take a snapshot — it takes an artist to take a photo that leaves an impression and conveys a message.

I come from a family of creative types. My mother is a freelance artist who works in acrylic, watercolor, pen and ink, and she has a paying career in graphic design. My father has an incredible ear for music, and can fix/repair almost anything. My brother can draw, play multiple instruments, and sing. I was unable to master any of these talents as a kid, but as an adult I realized I do have an artistic eye.