Kimberly Witham
About
Kimberly Witham (www.www.kimberlywitham.com) an award-winning fine-art photographer and teacher. Her photographs are strongly influenced by her studies in art history and her interest in the natural world. Her work has been featured in Color Magazine, PHOTO+, BLOW Photo, FOTO Magazine, The Photo Review, and Wired (online), in addition to being used as cover illustrations for books internationally. Kimberly’s work has been shown in solo and group exhibitions in the United States and abroad and is held in numerous private collections; she is represented by Klompching Gallery in New York, Soren Christensen Gallery in New Orleans and Gallery Kayafas in Boston. Her awards and honors include a fellowship at the Center for Emerging Visual Artists, the Feature Shoot Emerging Photography Award, and the Lindback Distinguished Teaching Award.
Gallery
LACP Interviews Kimberly Witham
LACP asks Kimberly Witham ten questions about her background, career in and beliefs about photography.
Los Angeles Center of Photography: What kind of photographer are you?
Kimberly Witham: I am primarily a still life and studio photographer. Much of my photographic process revolves around my other interests – cooking, gardening and collecting objects and ephemera from the world around me as well as a wider interest in the natural world.
LACP: How long have you been shooting?
KW: I’m not exactly sure exactly when it all started, but I would guess around 20 years ago. I became intensely interested in photography right around the time I dropped out of graduate school in art history..
LACP: Where did you get your training?
KW: I earned an MFA in photography from the University of Massachusetts -Dartmouth. As an undergraduate, I studied Art History at Duke University. When I started out, I was completely self-taught as a photographer. My art history background was really helpful believe it or not.
LACP: When did you know you wanted to devote your life to photography?
KW: I don’t think it happened as any sort of revelatory moment. I found I was spending more and more time making pictures and that I really loved working in the darkroom. At some point, it just happened.
LACP: Did you ever come close to giving up?
KW: No. I may be the most stubborn and determined person on Earth.
LACP: Have you sacrificed anything by being a photographer?
KW: As I am always on the other side of the camera, photographs of myself with my husband, son, friends and family are rare!.
LACP: What have you gained by being a photographer?
KW: I am very fortunate to enjoy what I do. I love constructing images, working in the studio, editing, printing, all of it. Through photography I have met lots of fascinating people and made many great friends.
LACP: What classes do you teach at LACP?
KW: Creative Still Life
LACP: What do you love most about teaching?
KW: Teaching for me is about giving students the tools to execute their own ideas. It is fascinating to teach technical and aesthetic concepts and then to watch students interpret and use the information in unique and individual ways. Although it sounds cliché, I find that I learn as much from my students as they do from me.
LACP: What advice would you give someone who is thinking about making a career in photography?
KW: Have a thick skin – take criticism when it is valid and ignore the rest. Don’t obsess over equipment – cameras don’t take pictures, people do. You can do quite a bit with minimal equipment.