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brigid | west windsor newborn photographer

While I get asked time + time again if I have children of my own, especially at newborn sessions, my answer is always the same. Not at this time, but maybe one day. Parents + grandparents are always shocked to hear this, as I’m not afraid to hold, sush, calm, soothe, + pat a baby’s back/bottom until they are comfortable. I spent many years as a nanny + I feel like I have the magic touch. 🙂 I can almost always get a babe to sleep at our session!

At this newborn photo session with sweet Brigid, she was so content the entire time. I don’t believe I heard her cry one time. While I just realized that each image that I picked for this blog post has a wide eyed Brigid, she did actually sleep during our session! Many thanks to Heather + Jason for opening up their home right before the holidays!

Kim Schmidt Photography is an on location, natural light photographer, focusing on newborns, child + families, in the Princeton, Hopewell, Lawrenceville, West Windsor, East Windsor, Hamilton, and Bordentown areas. If you expecting, please reach out before the babe arrives, as my schedule is quite booked.

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ymca

From the fall of 2014-spring of 2015, my constant prayer was for God to open up a door for us to get a job. Oh my, I realized I should have been a tad more specific in that request! Towards the end of April, I was approached by the Princeton YMCA to be a co-coordinator in the wellness + fitness department. It was a strange time, as A had learned that he wouldn’t be graduating in May + he didn’t have a job for the fall. When had also learned that we wouldn’t be able to stay in our married student housing. We were scrambling to figure out what to do, with paying the bills, figuring out how much we could afford for a new place, where we would even live. It took me a weekend to realize that this was the door God was opening. He was making sure that we would be okay. And guess what?! Almost a year into the position, I know He weaved this into the fold.

When I spoke about a different life trajectory in my last post, this was part of it. The job is part-time, I’m able to work around teaching fitness classes at other gyms, as well as continuing to run my photography business. The fall was insane. I’m not sure I want to do all that again, but at the end of the day, it was exactly what I needed. Anthony was working round the clock on his dissertation + teaching part time at a small liberal arts college in Pennsylvania. If I wasn’t so busy, I would have gone crazy!!

      My co-workers at the YMCA’s annual Centennial Celebration!

I have thoroughly enjoyed running the wellness department, managing group exercise classes/instructors, bringing in new programs, growing an established department into something to be proud of.

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happiness abounds | princeton headshot photographer

Jan + I spend every Thursday morning, bright+early (7:00am early!!), together at a BNI meeting. When she mentioned wanting updated headshots for social media sites, I was 100% on board. I knew Jan would be photogenic (even if she told me she wasn’t!) – boy was I right!

I always tell my clients to bring multiple items to their photo shoot with me. Within 15 minutes, I had a variety of photos for Jan due to her changing out scarves/wraps! Another bonus is that I was able to teach her how to switch up tying a scarf.

If you are looking to update your professional headshot photo in the Princeton area, message me to schedule your session today!

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twin cities in april

Anthony was selected to present at a conference in Minneapolis last April. It happened to land on the weekend of my birthday, so we made a to-do of the weekend. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed Minneapolis. You could tell that it was one of the first weekends of really nice weather, as everyone was super chipper, sitting outside, riding bikes, eating ice cream. Of course, we hit up Mall of America, to say that we at least have been there. In my head, it was much bigger than it really is. The normal mall stores surrounded the “theme” park in the middle. It would have been fun to have my FitBit at the time, to see how many steps we got in walking each level!

We felt like we were riding the Tube in London!

He’s my favorite travel partner.

Fortunately for us, izzy’s was right around the corner from our hotel. We had no shame walking there two nights in row for some yummy ice cream!

 

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hello again blogosphere

I’m sadden that it’s been almost an entire year since I’ve posted over here. I’ve missed this place, to share my thoughts, the going on’s in our world. I’m making a resolution today that I will get back to it.

2015 was a hard year – emotionally, physically, + mentally. When my mom went into the hospital on February 25th, I had no idea the trajectory my life would take over the course of the next few months.

I have to back up to 2010 to get to the point where I am today. See, on March 1st, 2010, my parents gained temporary guardianship over my nephews whom were newly 3+1 years old. Rylan had fallen off a chair + cracked his skull. While that wouldn’t have caused alarm, the boy’s mother C, had lied to the pediatrician. When they did a scan, they found the crack, immediately called the Dept. of Human Services, + they removed both boys from the care of C + my brother M. Rylan ended up being transferred to OU Children’s, while my mom was rushing around trying to get everything in order to have two little boys live with her for the interim.

On that day, in 2010, my entire family’s world changed. My world changed. My mom had been my best friend, I was able to talk on the phone for long periods of time with her, she was my confidant when things were rough with the life transition of moving to Nashville, then to Princeton. March 1st, 2010 I basically lost my best friend. My mom was in survival mode. From that day until today, the boys have been in + out of my parent’s custody, with my brother getting clean for several years, then falling back right before my mom went into the hospital.

I had no idea how bad things were in Oklahoma. My mom refused to tell me how she was really feeling emotionally + mentally. She was in a really bad spot, having to deal with my brother + the crap that he continued to put my family through. She was ready to give up, to succumb to leaving this earth. When I learned this, I lost it. I lost it because I was unaware, because I couldn’t do anything to fix it, because I thought being a good daughter was enough but it wasn’t, because my brother took a terrible turn in high school + was continuing to cause my family so much pain. When she was starting to get ill, she allowed it to overtake her.

Almost losing my mother has changed the way I view the world. I stopped investing time + energy into social media groups. I was done with drama online + in real life. I didn’t have the energy or mind space to deal with it. Which at the end of the day, I don’t regret closing all that off for one minute. It was the right thing to do. My goal was to focus on loving my family, friends, + Anthony with everything that I had.

Not only did my view of the world change, but I also felt I was alone in the struggle. I turned away from God, my faith. At a time when I needed it more than ever. I was hurt. I was broken down. At my core, I know that I’m not alone, but it sure has felt that way over the past year. I know that I have my husband, who has been incredibly supportive. But at the end of the day, his life experiences are so different than my own. He has a very functional family unit. He has two brothers that are making something of themselves. I have one sitting in jail.

Y’all, that is a tough pill to swallow. My oldest brother is in jail. He’s been there since December 23rd. The reason he is in jail is because he was arrested the night before my mom got out of the hospital, then he failed to appear for court twice. He will receive his sentence next month, which will take into account everything that is on his record. He has two amazing, healthy, beautiful, loving boys. Addiction sucks. That power is so strong, stronger than staying clean, at least for my brother that is.

I am a well-rounded, well-adjusted, normal(ish) adult. How is that, compared to M? It’s a blessing + a curse that I live over a thousand miles from my family, from where I grew up. It’s a blessing that I found Anthony in college, that we have been married for almost 11 years, that I have a career (or two) that I love, that I am able to love on my nephews every chance I can get. It still sucks that I lost the person that was my confidant on March 1, 2010. My mom + I still talk regularly but it will never be the same. She is exhausted from raising round two of children, when she should be enjoying grandparent life. She has other things on her mind. I understand, but it still sucks.

Whoa is me, huh? More to come on 2015, the good, bad, + ugly.

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ymca » kim schmidt - March 15, 2016 - 9:49 am

[…] I spoke about a different life trajectory in my last post, this was part of it. The job is part-time, I’m able to work around teaching fitness classes […]

home is wherever I’m with you | princeton child photographer

The lyrics to “Home” by Edward Sharpe + The Magnetic Zeros pops into my head when I think about this at home family photo session.
Ahh, Home
Let me come Home
Home is wherever I’m with you.

Carrie, Jon + the entire family embarked on a journey 2ish years ago to renovate their Princeton home. They moved out to allow a very close to complete gut of the home. Earlier in the fall, they moved back into their gorgeous home. It really is their forever home. I can see it on Carrie’s face every time I see her, how much this home is exactly what she wanted. We rescheduled our session together multiple times due to both of our crazy fall sessions. When we finally picked a date late in December, it seemed perfect to do the photos in their home, all decorated for Christmas.

Carrie entrusted Krissi Farrimond, a wardrobe stylist, to style her family for this shoot (which doubled as their Christmas dress too + then tripled as every day outfits!). If you are looking for someone to do a closet edit, your personal shopping, a whole new wardrobe or a personal styling for your photo shoot, reach out to Krissi. She does beautiful work!

I would be honored to be chosen to photograph your family this spring. I’m currently booking for March + April. Reach out soon to get on my quickly-filling up calendar.

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Carrie Patterson Besler - November 5, 2016 - 11:02 pm

Kim, I didn’t see this earlier this year! Oh friend, your talent in photographing and showing the best of our family is only surpassed by your lovely words and giant heart. Can’t wait to see this years!

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