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 use Macromeda Fireworks8 for scrapbooking and have been playing a little with CS3 but have yet to master that program. Kim is such an artist, I can only dream of producing such art:)
I follow Kim on Facebook, I subscribe to her Newsletter,, I have taken her Class. I am new to Textures very new and Kim’s Video’s have been an inspiration to me. I am using CS5. I love her artistic use of textures with flower and teacups, etc.
Kim is a gifted Artist and shows through in everything she does. I am thrilled that I found her and now learning to use her beautiful Textures with my own photography. I use a Sony A550 and my len of choice for Wildlife is a Sony 70-400mm. Thanks for all you do Kim.
I use CS5 and love using textures with my photographs. Kim has taught me such a lot.
I use CS5 and LOVE Kim’s textures…
Liked Kim’s FB page
I use Elements 9 mostly but have CS5 and use that sometimes
I like kim;s facebook page
I like everyday elements facebook page
I’m following kim on twitter @lisadphotos
I use LR3 and PS7
I like Kim on FB
I like Everyday Elements on FB
I follow Kim on twitter (@fotomommy)
This is sooo super exciting! I use PSE 6 🙂
I so want to make enduring items like Kim, AMAZING!
I liked Kim’s fanpage! 🙂 Left love as well!
Already like the Everyday Element’s Facebook page, but left a little love! 🙂
Now following Kim on twitter! 🙂 Woo!
I use PhotoShop Elements 8 and “like” Everyday Elements.
I use CS 5! Enter me in the contest! I would love to win a texture from Kim… she is a great artist!
I “Liked” Kim Klassen on FB!
I already “like” everyday elements 🙂
I use PSE 8 for most of my work; I also use Picasa.
I “like” you on Facebook Kim!
I subscribe to Kim’s Newsletter!
Following you on Twitter!
PSE 8!
What a great competition – and interview! I use PSE 8 for photo editing 🙂
I have liked Kim’s FB Page 🙂
I am following Kim on Twitter 🙂
I already like EE’s FB page 🙂
I already subscribe to Kim’s newsletter 🙂
I just acquired PSE9! I love Kim’s textures and would love to have them for my floral photography!
I just “Liked” Kim’s FB Page!
I just subscribed to Kim’s Newsletter!
I have just started using Elements 9. Still trying to learn and remember everything.
I like Kim on FB
I edit with PSE 7–but might have CS5 next week?
I use PSE &.
Everyday Elements I’ve liked for awhile. 🙂
I liked Kim Klassen on FB–not sure HOW I had not done that before!
I am now an official subscriber to Kim’s newsletter.
I happily followed Kim on twitter!
I liked Kim’s facebook page.
I get K Klassen’s newsletter 🙂
I already LIKED Everyday Elements on FB
Subscribed.
I am using (learning) PSE8. I was introduced to Kim’s work by a dear friend, and have purchased several of her textures (which I lost in a crash! remember to use a back-up system!). I am a “liker” of EE & Kim’s facebook pages. Thanks so much for all you share and for the creative community you nurture!
I use PSE7
I use PSE 8. Thank you!
I already like EE on FB. 🙂