an artist with a camera
[SELF PORTRAIT] MOTHERHOOD SERIES, 2025
about kim typaldos
AN INTERVIEW WITH THE ARTIST
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There's an Oscar Wilde quote I often think about, “Life imitates Art far more than Art imitates Life.”
The idea that once a painting or a film or a photograph shows us a certain feeling, we look for that feeling in our own lives. We see ourselves through it.
I believe the photographs we make have the power to transform how we see ourselves and how we live our lives.
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I grew up in Dallas, TX. I’ve lived here my whole life and I laid my roots here with my husband and two boys.
My desire to document life in a creative way probably started in high school. I loved creating scrapbooks for my friends. I would decorate the pages with colorful markers and fill them with photos and cutouts from magazines. It was a fun way to capture memories and show my friends how much they meant to me.
I continued my creative side in college. I majored in Visual Arts and explored various mediums like drawing, painting, and sculpture. Although I did take one photography course in college, it wasn’t until later in life that I fell in love with it. After having my first baby during the first week of the COVID shut down, I had to cancel our newborn photographer. I decided I would find my DSLR camera I used in college and attempt to do it all on my own. I quickly realized this was a new art medium I could explore while chasing my babies in diapers.
I use my artistic eye to create meaningful pieces that tell a story. Looking back, it’s clear to me that this journey was always meant to be. The desire to document memories in an artistic way, with the understanding of how precious time can be, it all came together to pave the way for my unique talents.
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The moments people don't think to document are the ones I keep coming back to. The way the light catches in your daughter’s curls, the family routine of homework at the kitchen island, the baby clutching her snack as mom wrestles her into a fresh outfit.
I also photograph people building businesses. Creators and dreamers who need brand imagery that actually feels like them, not just a polished headshot.
Milestones are wonderful. But it's the the little micro moments that happen during a session that can carry the feeling of a memory.
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I want my clients to feel like they can collaborate. I don’t want it to feel like I’m calling all the shots. A session is a dance between the two of us - we’re creating together.
Of course, I'll pose & direct you a bit but I'm waiting for [the plan] to fall apart actually. Those little moments where I didn't set it up, you forget you're in a photo shoot -- they are gold.
Like, I'm watching your partner lock eyes with you and laugh while your daughter is running around with a cookie in hand saying ‘my cookie!’ and ‘no photo!’ And we roll with it. Because toddlers are goofy. And you’ll want to remember the way he looked at you when everything was wild.
It's easy to write off those moments at the time but once it’s captured, you’ll be glad to have a snapshot of that time.