Today we’d like to introduce you to Kali-Marie Thomas.
Hi Kali-Marie, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I have always been that stereotypical girl that has loved taking pictures of anything and everything. In 5th grade on our school’s Washington DC trip, I remember filling up an entire memory card on my Kodak point-and-shoot camera of every statue and tree that moved something within me. I always put so much value into photos. Growing up in the prime of Myspace really instilled a passion for having interesting photos to share with anyone who would look. At 18 years old I left my small town in Wisconsin to join the United States Army. While stationed in South Korea in 2015, I met my husband Cameron and we have been following each other around the world while serving our country since. In 2021 we find out we are having a little girl, and I decided to take a leap of faith and leave the service to be able to be home and raise our daughter. The military was the only thing I have ever known and now being unemployed and a homemaker was incredibly foreign to my stubborn militant self. My passion for photos hadn’t dwindled for one second through the years.
I was always telling my husband I was going to invest in a camera, but the price tag was very intimidating. Christmas of 2021 was not long after our daughter’s birth, and being a stay-at-home mom was still fresh for me. My husband had found a “professional” camera on Facebook Marketplace and gave me one of the most heartfelt gifts I had ever received on that holiday. And from there just like wildfire, my passion grew. In a matter of weeks and never putting my camera down, I was able to learn everything I could about the ins and outs of photography. I started making public posts begging anyone and everyone to model for me. And then it clicked, I could still be a mother and chase my dreams. I found a way to run my own business, doing something that sparks a fire in my belly, all while raising my daughter the way I had always dreamed of. My husband is still in the Army, and we are still following him all over the world, but now my business Kali Thomas Photography is also along for the ride.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Picking up and moving can be a really big challenge when owning your own business, but the Army tells us where we get to live so having to reestablish myself and build a clientele, I would say is a huge challenge.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a photographer! I specialize in lifestyle photography, which I would consider a general umbrella term but would include things like Family, Maternity, Couples, Engagement, Milestone, Branding, and Creative. I am most proud of my maternity sessions- there is something so magical about the glow of an expecting mother and I adore being able to hone in on it and hopefully amplify! I think that my genuine passion for the work and authentic interest in the subjects I’m photographing is what sets me apart from others.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
My family is what matters most to me. Waking up each day to my husband and daughter is a joy I will never take for granted. There is an overwhelming sense of security and power to know that there are people in this world that are not only connected to you by family ties but by love and appreciation. I feel like I can accomplish anything I want to so long as my family supports me.
Contact Info:
- Website: kalithomasphotography.mypixieset.com
- Instagram: @kalithomasphotography
- Facebook: @kalithomasphotography
Image Credits
Valerie Detter Photography Kali Thomas Photography
