Karen B. Kelley Photography

“So quietly profound, so exquisite …” – Charles Uibel

“Karen has an incredible talent of capturing the moment! Whether pictures are being taken in a studio or outdoors, the best pictures are those where you are just being you without the poses. Our home is full of Karen’s photos and we are constantly being asked who took them. My favorite photos are my bridals where Karen captured me with my passion. I love that she captures each person’s uniqueness.” – Melissa Engelbrecht

“The best way I can describe the pictures Karen took of my girls and I are tender, angelic moments. She was so patient with us and we felt very relaxed. It was one of the best moments I have had with my girls and the results are my treasures. I enjoy looking at the pictures everyday.” – Amy Jo Summers

“Karen's photography is magical. It's as if it speaks to you, asking you to look beyond the image into your imagination. You don't just see it, you can actually taste it, smell it, feel it, hear it. As you look at her work, it begins to move . . . and a story plays in your mind.” – Gigi Russell

“I am deeply grateful to Karen for her expert portrait work with my Father. Dad is the most difficult person I have ever known to get a natural picture of – a picture that captures his essence as the Family sees him and not as he thinks the world like the world to see him. He is the proverbial “deer in the headlights!” Never mind that the photos we expertly composed, exposed, lighted and printed. Karen was able to tap into that something inside Dad that made him be himself. Karen mastered a daunting subject to be sure! She is a talent indeed.” – Tim Smith

“I wanted a photograph for my parents' 50th anniversary that would somehow symbolize their lifetime of devotion to one another. Karen not only created a family keepsake, but more importantly, in one single frame she captured the essence of a marriage that has remained constant through joy and laughter as well as heartache and tears. It is a magical photo – just what I had hoped for.” – Kathy Whitehead

“There are so many times that we see ourselves. But how do others see us? Can we even know? Karen B. Kelley is my photographer. But Karen doesn’t just click pictures. She is a true artist, for she is able to capture the essence of a moment, of people. She sees them as they are. Karen set to print, for all time, my husband and me. We asked her to do a couple’s portrait. I expected the usual “click…a pic!” But what I got astounded me. What was before me was a giddy, loving couple, who were fun, vivacious, youthful – in love. I’d always known that my husband loved me, but I was never privileged to actually see the way that he gazes upon me, to see him…When I saw the result of Karen’s work, I cried. I always knew that he loved me, but that adoring look of timeless love was before me, set to paper in a few precious moments of time, where we will forever be…And behind our success as a seasoned married couple, there’s still that young couple who met twenty-five years ago…What a gift. If it is true that “a picture paints a thousand words,” then Karen is a master at her craft, an accomplished artist. We will be eternally grateful for the way that she brought out the very spirit of us as individuals melded into one.” – Barbara P. Emanuelson

“My father suffered a massive stroke and survived about three years ago. My mother struggled to care for him at home and continues to do so. With the amazing load mom carries, my friend Karen Kelley suggested that I not wait to get pictures of Mom. We scheduled a session for my mother, myself and my then thirteen year old daughter. Mom and Megan share a special interest in playing the violin. What happened in that photo session was touching and incredibly special. It was amazing to see Karen work with all of us but especially with my daughter and her grandmother. It was an uplifting moment in time for all of us and when we were done, we gave the photos to Mom for Mother’s day. I could have never captured what Karen captured between my mom and Megan. I now have a treasured album of that special little time for all of us and am so glad that we stopped and took Karen’s advice not to wait any longer.” – Karen Leonardi

“We are always at ease with Karen because she wants us to be ourselves - no matter if we are silly or serious. She captures our true selves on camera and makes wonderful memories for our family.” – Connie & Hal Slaughter

“Be yourself - that is when your true self shines through and there is no doubt in my mind that God gave us all those individual characteristics that blend together the best to make us who we are.....we shouldn't try to fool the camera, but rather let it capture all that we truly are!” – Mary Moore

"Thank your for capturing the beauty of my daughter for me to share with others.." – Gigi Russell

“I haven’t seen anyone who lets you be yourself more in front of the camera, and your personality shows right through. She doesn’t make you try to be someone else or act like someone else. Each picture has different emotion or a timeless capture of that moment that’s unforgettable.” – Kristi Vine

"There is an enormous amount of beauty in our daily lives that is often not noticed, overlooked or creates no impact. Most of us only see the obvious, but you narrow in on something deeper, less obvious to us, further from our focus — you see emotion. You find the beauty in the ugliest of things. What I see goes through a sort of metamorphosis for you to see. You bring to the surface what isn't seen by most, or what might have been forgotten. Emotion is powerful, but often only lasts a moment. Your work allows that emotion to occur again and again, and to be shared with others. You are amazing. In your photos I see everything, not just beauty. I see warmth, laughter, compassion, peace ... I see so much. I often don't see the picture at all — instead I am taken back to a vision of my own, an experience, a dream, or a thought - something forgotten until your photo reminds me. Your eye and your abilities are wonderful! Keep it up!" – Gigi Russell