The Travels of Kara Keeton
About Kara Keeton
My passion with photography began when my parents gave me a small instamatic Kodak camera for Christmas. Soon after learning to load the film and snap on the flash, I set out to capture the world on film.
This early passion was not fully appreciated by my parents. Complaints soon arose over the endless images of flowers and family that arrived when the film was developed, and quickly the rationing of film became commonplace in the Keeton home. Finally realizing that photography was more than a hobby for me, my Mom finally broke down and gave me a Cannon AE-1 for my thirteenth birthday.
I incorporated photography into my art studies in high school. After graduation I had the opportunity to take part in a National Geographic summer seminar in Washington DC sponsored by 4-H and Kodak. Working and learning under photographers like Cameron Davidson and Sam Abell were an inspiration. I went on to study both art photography and photojournalism while pursuing a degree in agriculture communications at the University of Kentucky.
The passion that drove me to take an entire roll of photos of my neighbor’s flowers in different lighting almost thirty years ago is still alive today. The only difference is that the old Kodak instamatic has been replaced by a Lecia R-9 with a digital back. Now, instead of worrying about the cost of film I have to make sure I have enough external hard drive space to store all of my images.
Travel & Personal Photography
I never go on a trip without a camera in hand. Even if it is just on a weekend get away with friends to a Kentucky State Park, I always have my camera to capture the memories for the group.
To view recent photos from my travels alone and with friends and family visit my Flickr site.
Commercial Photography
I began my commercial photography career over fifteen years ago working part-time as a photographer for a college events company. I quickly learned that there was nothing quite like shooting fraternity and sorority date parties to gain experience in taking portraits under extreme conditions.
After that experience I moved on from the party photo scene, and worked for several years in a small studio. Ed Boden, owner of Boden Studio, took the time to teach me the basics of studio lighting and gave me the opportunity to learn more about the world of wedding and portrait photography. This inspired me to start my own photography business, focusing on wedding and family photography.
Today my commercial photography business is a part of Keeton Communications and is focused on capturing the beauty of daily life in rural Kentucky. From horses in a bluegrass field, to fresh produce at the farmers’ market, I offer a wide selection of farm and rural scenes to fit any of your Kentucky photography needs.
