GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED.
Thank you to all who entered and for the wonderful love and support you showed to Kim! Love you all!
Winner 1, comment #177 was Marcee.
Winner 2, comment #61 was Kim.
Winner 3, comment #528 was Kathy G.
Winner 4, comment #363 was Jacqueline.
Today I have a real treat for you! Kim Klassen, texture creator extraordinaire and workshop leader, has allowed me to ask her a few questions regarding her photography and texture creations. Plus, she is giving away a slew of things, so make sure to read through to the bottom!
If you are not familiar with Kim, pop over to her site, Kim Klassen Cafe and see all she has to offer. While you are there, make sure to sign up for her newsletter because she gives away a beautiful, FREE texture each Friday. Really!
I have many of her free textures plus have purchased some and they are all top quality! You know I am a textures addict, right? Kim’s textures are really beautiful and I have thoroughly enjoyed using them.
Alright, on to the interview….below are a few questions I sent Kim, ones that I have been wondering myself. I hope they help you “get to know” Kim as I have.
How long has photography been a passion for you?
I started taking photos in September of 2009. So it hasn’t been that long. I always had a good camera on hand, so I could take pictures of my artwork. For many years I worked as a licensed artist. My art was and still is offered as prints, as well as licensed for calendars, stationary, and giftware. Anyhow, one day I decided to take my Nikon on the trail…. I just started to snap some pics… I came home, uploaded them and let’s just say… the rest is history. 🙂
What camera do you use and your two favorite lenses?
I just recently bought the Nikon D700. I also have the D300s. I honestly love them both. Oh dear, my 2 favourite lenses? Let’s see… that’s so hard. But I’m in love with my Nikon 24-70 f/2.8. I keep it on my camera most of the time. It’s fabulous….creates beautiful blur…. it’s also fairly versatile. Before the 24-70 I used my Nikon 50mm f/1.4 the most.
When did you start creating textures and how did that come about?
I started making textures last winter. Because I am an artist, I have a studio full of incredible art supplies…many of which the companies send to me for free. So I thought, hmmmmm why not give it a try. I wanted to come up with a way to combine my photography and my art. Making textures really allows me to do both. It’s a great combination of getting messy and digital…which I LOVE.
Your work is beautiful and evokes feelings and emotions. Is that how the textures are begin to take shape, you have an emotion you are trying to convey through the texture?
Oh, my… thank you for that beautiful compliment. ‘sigh’. I would say my mood just comes through as I’m creating the textures. I often start out with one step and it just flows from there…building on the layers… creating depth as I add paint, paper, medium…. is a fabulous process. I have always loved anything old and worn…peeling paint, rust… good stuff like that. So making textures is a wonderful outlet for my art style.
Typically, how long does it take for you to create a complete set of textures, where you are very pleased with them and ready to share with the world? A week, a month, three months?
Hmmm, that’s a tough one. I often make just a few textures at a time and offer them in sets. That can be done in a day or so. The Studio Collection began as a month long challenge. I decided to make 30 textures in 30 days. And I did it. It took me about 5 weeks to create the entire collection. I would create several, then scan them in and get to work in Photoshop, which allows me to tweak and perfect the texture. I sometimes layer several together to create a totally different piece.
I also had several fabulous photographers/artists test the textures as I created them. That was incredibly helpful and very exciting…. seeing the textures on other’s photos motivated me to keep going, keep creating. It was fabulous.
Interested in seeing her make a texture? She made a video showing her process and it is amazing!!!
You need to know something else….she is just as sweet and sincere as she seems at her site! I have had several phone or Skype conversations with her, plus many email messages over the past few months and I think she is just an extraordinary woman! I want to be her when I grow up, but seeing how she’s only a few years older than me, I don’t think I’m going to make it.
Now, remember I said something about a giveaway, did I not? I have to tell you that Kim has pulled out all the stops here. She knows how I like to have multiple winners for giveaways and she has really made me a happy blogger because we are going to have FOUR winners, each receiving different prizes. How fantastic is that!! She has a new set out, The Studio Collection, and the textures being given away come from that collection.
The prizes being given away are:
- One Studio Collection – the full set, $60 value
- One Studio Collection – squares and overlays only, a $45 value
- One Studio Collection – rectangular only, a $20 value
- One 4 month membership to the Test Kitchen, a $25 value
To enter the giveaway simply leave a comment telling me what editing program you use (PSE 9, CS5, PSE 7, CS3, LR 2, etc.).
For extra entries you can do one or more of the following things, making sure to come back here and leave a separate comment for each and every one. Please.
- Like Kim’s Facebook page
- Like Everyday Element’s Facebook page
- Follow Kim on Twitter (@kimklassen)
- Subscribe to Kim’s newsletter
The giveaway will end on Friday, March 18th at 11:00 PM EST. Winners will be chosen with Random.org and announced Saturday at the top of this post.
Winners have seven days to claim their prize, after which a new winner will be identified.
About Amanda
I have PSE8. And I love it. : )
I use CS4 and LR2. Thank you!
I have pse8 and lightroom.
Hi Amanda, I use PSE8
I already like Everyday Elements facebook page – it’s AWESOME!
Hi – I use PSE9 & LR3. Thanks so much! 🙂
I have just liked Kim’s facebook page – thank you 🙂
I use PSE9.
I have subscribed to Kim’s newsletter 🙂
I am a subscriber to Kim’s newsletter – they have great info.
I use PSE 6 for all my work…
PSE9
I “liked” Kim Klassen’s FB page!
I have already “liked” Everyday Elements page on FB quite some time ago! That is how I found out about this contest and read the interview! Does it still count? 🙂
I have subscribed to her newsletter….this is an awesome contest…thank you so much!
I use PSE8 & I’m liking all these textures! great giveaway! =)
Liked Kim’s FB page! go me!
Liked EE FB page too! thx a bunch!
following Kim on Twitter too! =) have a good nite!
new subscriber to Kim’s newsletter. looking forward to Fridays!
I’ve been using Paint Shop Pro forever. I bought PSE8 a short while ago because texturing seems so much easier with that.
I have PSE 7 and I just got LR3. I am loving LR3 even though I really don’t know what I’m doing!!!
I already subscribe to Kim’s newsletter, and use her textures. They’re great!
I follow Everyday Elements on Facebook, too.
I use PSE 9 (and wish I could create actions)…
I “like” Kim’s FB Page
I “like” Everyday Element’s Page
I follow Kim on Twitter
and am subscribed to Kim’s Newsletter!!!
Thanks for the fab giveaway!!
I use Photoshop Elements 7
Thanks for the giveaway!!!
I have PSE 9 and I’m so in love with it! 🙂
I “like” Kim’s facebook page! 🙂
Cs5
I have PSE 8 and still have so much to learn…. these textures are superb!!!! Thank you
I like kim on facebook
I subscribe to Kim’s newsletter and love it, plus I adore her textures!!! 🙂
I like everyday elements
I subscribed to the newsletter
I “like” Everyday elements facebook page! Ok, you know I “love” you Amanda!
I Like Everyday Elements on FB.
Meg
I subscribed to Kims newsletter
I like Kim on FB too!
Meg
I use CS4…. love my photoshop and love everyday elements!
Just went to Kim’s webpage and subscribed to her newsletter! And I “Like” Kim’s FB page and “Love” her art and photography!
I have CS4 and love these textures….amazingly talented she is!!!!! Thanks for sharing her with us, perhaps we’ll all grow up to be like her….:)
Great interview, it’s nice to get to know the woman behind all those beautiful textures a bit more.
Right now I’m using PSE7 but I’m in the process of upgrading to CS5 (just bought a D7000 and the PSE7 can’t support its raw files).
———————————–
My photography is available for purchase – visit Around the Island Photography and bring home something beautiful today!
I already like EE on FB (as Around the Island).
———————————–
My photography is available for purchase – visit Around the Island Photography and bring home something beautiful today!
I like Kim’s FB page too :).
———————————–
My photography is available for purchase – visit Around the Island Photography and bring home something beautiful today!
I use PSE9 🙂
I like Kim’s FB page!
And I love Everyday Elements! 🙂
I have PSE9
Im also Everyday elements FB page too
Huge fan of Kims FB page !!