Meet Kris . . .

You miss 100% of the shots you don't take."  ~ Wayne Gretzky 

Ugh, how apropos is that??? It's so true, Mr. Gretzky; I totally agree with you.

Name: Kris Fulk
City, State: Houston, TX
DOB: March 27
Husband: Adam
Animals: Maxie and Aries, my lovely cats.

Contact Info:

Photography: http://www.krisfulk.com

Illustration: http://krisfulk.daportfolio.com


Facebook: http://facebook.com/krisfulk
Twitter: @krisfulk
Skype: mari-kris
Linked In:
Email: marikris@marikris.com

What's in your bag? (if you are building your bag, what do you desire for your bag?)

Canon 5d markII gripped + battery pack, 24.70L, 135L, 50.14, 580EX (2), Sekonic 308S, radiopoppers studio JRX trans + receiver (2), umbrella bracket, 12 Eneloop + 6 Energizer rechargeable batts. Those are all in one bag and go with me to every shoot, then I carry my light stands, tripod, softboxes, White Lightning 1800/ABR800 Ring Flash as it suits the session. I'm saving up for a 70-200L 2.8 IS and 35L lens, but more importantly, I need a second body if I want to start shooting weddings.

What's your favorite editing software?

Lightroom + Photoshop. I archive and make collections through Lightroom. I love that the digital footprint is so small and I can even output straight to Smugmug or Facebook. Batch edits are done here too. Then I export the special images to Photoshop and do the more extensive retouching there.

Favorite Food:  Anything with chocolate.

Favorite Color:   It changes every so often because I love so many different ones. I grew up loving yellow and being derisive of pink because of my favorite TV show in the Philippines. It was similar to Mighty Morphine Power Rangers if that explains it better. In the summers, I love white. More year round, I love gold, orange, red and some yellows. I'm the fiery type of girl, I suppose.

Zodiac Sign:   Aries. Maybe that explains my color choices.

A few of your favorite things:  Puffy sleeves, pencil skirts, floral/feathery head bands, Copic markers, Prisma color pencils, football, Mechanix gloves, peacock designs, Disney's The Little Mermaid movie - to name a few. Honestly, Mechanix gloves are awesome! I have really tiny hands, so I have had to order special sized pairs. But they come handy (no pun intended). Like when you're changing your tire in the middle of the night while a bucket of Cold Stone ice cream is melting in the back seat. Or when you're trying to open a door on the wing of an FA/18 Hornet and the person who had screwed it closed had over-tightened the screws. Mechanix gloves, trust me on this one.

What inspires you? Art inspires me a great deal. I graduated in Studio Art and do illustrations when I'm not behind my camera. Mucha, Klimt, Van Gogh...I love their decorative style and their choices of color and composition....Fashion inspires me. I started out as a fashion design major in Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC a long time ago. I love to look at editorial photos and own several books, a few of which are David Lachapelle's surreal collections. Ana Gaskell inspires me. Her images are haunting, though the narrative is oft-times dark and strange. Her Alice in Wonderland series was the most influential factor in my photography in my senior year in college.

Name something you just have to have everyday:

I have to have my daily serving of twitter and facebook, and various forums I troll. It's almost ritualistic how I get up from bed, crawl my way to the computer and click through the various tabs. I'd like to add, "As I sip my coffee," but unfortunately, ever since I developed chronic insomnia when I was in the Navy some years back, I'd had to give up coffee. Hot chocolate is an awesome alternative, though, and I like to think of myself as a connoisseur of gourmet hot chocolate. Ever heard of Frozen Hot Chocolate? Absolutely yummy.

Tell us all about your journey into the world of photography. When did you realize that this is what you wanted to do and why.

My senior year in college, I realized that I was the happiest behind the camera. My college only offered a very cumulative degree in Art. There were no specialties, but you can "focus" on something, and I started out with my focus on Illustration. Right around my senior year, I changed that to photography and illustration, but my college didn't have a very extensive offering in terms of classes. Technique wasn't emphasized.

Questioning your intentions and your influences were: who were you as an artist? These were the things that shaped my start in photography. But you might also be wondering why I seem to have chosen the camera over my color pencils. Actually, I love using markers, but I suffer from a terrible artist's block. Blank paper terrifies me. It's something I can circumvent when I'm photographing something or someone. I can work with reality instead of creating from a blank page.

If you already have a photography business please tell us the name of your business, type of photography you do, how long you have been doing it, website address and blog information.

I started Kris Fulk Photography last year. Mostly I am doing portraits and lifestyle. Recently, I've branched to boudoir. I love the idea of boudoir. A few years ago, I saw a special on TV where a therapist in NYC was helping a teen age girl love her body by showing her how beautiful she was through a boudoir session. This was before boudoir was popular, maybe before it was even given the term and definition as we know it today. But don't quote me on that. Anyway, that's something that I've thought long and hard about. I want to help other people see how beautiful they were. To love their bodies.

On a different note, I'd love to one day shoot weddings too. It's the happiest day of a couple's life, and I want to be there to document their smiles, how in love they were. I know, I know. I get pretty sappy - every time I see The Notebook, I bawl my eyes out. I was still in the Navy when I got married, and we had to route a chit to ask permission to go to the court house. We didn't have our family present, just Adam and me and a couple of our sailor friends to stand as witnesses. We had two disposable cameras between all of us. While I treasure these snapshots, I wish I had someone who was there capturing our story. I want to be that person for others. I want to give images that will make you smile and remember how beautiful that day was 50 years from now. I'm a big romantic: I believe in forever.

What are some of your other hobbies and/or things that you like to do besides photography?

I like to read. A lot. It started out as an obsession with the Baby Sitter's Club when I was in the 4th grade. I didn't really start to like reading till then. Now I'm a big fan of fantasy and romance (romantic fantasies/paranormals are my favorite). I love to draw, too, as you might have surmised. It just takes me a very long time to finish a drawing sometimes. I write when I can. My writer's block is even worse than my artist's block. But usually if I'm not reading (or with my camera), I'm on photoshop improving my skills with retouching and post-processing. I really enjoy that aspect of the workflow. It speaks to the illustrator in me, I suppose.

Do you have any other businesses that you are incorporating and/or combining in your photography business or that is separate other than photography?

I'm thinking about incorporating my illustration somehow, but I'm not really sure how yet.

Name three things you would like to do before you die:

I would like to travel with Adam. He's been everywhere, been to so many countries, especially while we were both serving in the military. I would like to see these places with him because I didn't get to travel; I "held down the fort," so to speak. I would like to go to the Superbowl (especially if the Giants are playing). Also, I would like to write an Epic Novel. Or my memoir. I really dig writing.

List three goals you would like to accomplish in 2010:

Right now one of my main goals is to start shooting weddings in the future. I also need to market myself better, to generate more excitement in what I'm doing. Lastly and most importantly, I'm working on my branding. I have a logo in the works from a graphic designer, and I already have a list of things I want to put that logo on (i.e. product packaging etc).

Please tell us about the photos you are submitting and why they are your favorites.

Portrait of Elizabeth

This was from one of my first sessions. I love the way it's very editorial, illustrating

Elizabeth's personality and her chic-ness. This series remains one of my most favorite.

Virginia

This was my first time working with a model in a studio setting. It taught me a lot about photographer-model interaction, as well as interacting with other photographers. I was also still fiddling a lot with Photoshop, so when I look at this picture, or this series, it's accompanied by a lot of other things than just the image itself.

Traci 

I love this image. Traci wanted to build a portfolio, and she emailed me when I first moved to Houston. Not only was she awesome to work with, but the geek in me was totally tap-dancing with joy when she let me experiment with lighting. To me, this isn't just a head shot; it's a photograph of a beautiful friend.

Lisa on her walk down the French Quarter

Sometimes you're just in the right spot at the right time. I was second shooting for Jessica (of JVallecorsa Photography) for Lisa and Jay's wedding. It was not your traditional wedding: there were no guests, just the couple and their maid of honor and best man. The ceremony was held at Oak Alley plantation and took about 15 minutes. Then we walked down the French Quarter for a few hours. I was trailing behind the company when Lisa saw this horse-drawn carriage. It just seemed like a magical moment.

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Thank you Kris for sharing your information with us!  I love your passion for life, photography and

illustration.  I wanted to include some of your illustration work too.  So without further ado...

To see more of Kris's illustration work, be sure to visit her website at

http://krisfulk.daportfolio.com/

Please note:  All images and illustrations are protected by copyright laws.