Meet Thelma Kelly | Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Thelma Kelly and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Thelma, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I never purposely intended to have an artistic or creative career, but early on in my childhood I knew I wasn’t a scientist or a mathematician. I loved to color, draw and also read books about history and adventures. These things literally transported me to magical and exciting places that I longed to be in. My first ever introduction to photography was in college. My dad took me to a local camera shop and bought me my first ever “professional” camera, a Pentax MV1 film camera with a 50mm lens which he could barely afford. I took a variety of photography and darkroom classes which I thoroughly enjoyed, but at the time I didn’t think about it as a career in part because even though my dad had purchased the camera, he didn’t believe it would lead to anything. After graduating from college and working in a law office and for an insurance company for several years, I got married, moved overseas and started a family. Photography as a career was still not in the forefront of my mind but I was happy taking photos of my family. It wasn’t until many years later, with the children almost grown, that I rediscovered photography, and taking baby steps in the new digital world, learning and relearning through a variety of classes and workshops I found it to be quite rewarding.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
This platform has given me the opportunity to look into myself and answer questions that I had never asked myself before, so thank you.

It’s been a winding and interesting road to get to where I am today. I’ve taken numerous workshops with talented well known photographers over the years. It’s interesting how different they all are in how they approach their own photography and it gives me confidence in knowing that I must pursue my own vision and not someone else’s. This is not to say that I’m done learning, growing, observing and experiencing the things I feel are necessary to continue to grow in my art. It’s challenging in a way because I put my family first. Even though my art pulls me in the direction of the outdoors, I also photograph my family a lot… it satisfies the urge to press that shutter button!

I also try to enter juried art shows regularly and am pleased to say that I have won various awards. It’s a bit scary to participate in these shows as I always have self doubt as to whether my work is good enough to be judged alongside photographers that may have more experience than me. That being said, the recognition from members of the photographic community is personally satisfying and I’m grateful that others appreciate my work.

My approach to capturing images has evolved over time. In addition to photographing the natural world, I’ve found that there are great possibilities in capturing the man made world. There is incredible art that can be found in the form of abstract angles, multiple exposure, ICM (in camera movement) techniques that add a whole other dimension to how we view a city. Connecting my voice and experiences to the images I take, instead of just having that perfect composition, I think, allows my viewers to have a meaningful connection with what I’m portraying in the image, whether it’s a memory, a feeling, or a sense of place.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would definitely take them to Chautauqua Park for a hike and to see the Flatirons up close and personal. Maybe lunch at the Boulder Dushanbe Tea House, a gift from Boulder’s sister city in Dushanbe Tajikistan. A casual stroll through the Pearl Street Mall with lots of small shops too.

Venturing about an hour and a half northwest is Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park. The town of Estes is very quaint with a Main St. and there are many hikes and vistas in the national park that are scenic and breathtaking. Trail Ridge Road (open only summer season) is a beautiful drive along the Continental Divide that takes you to the west side of the park.

Of course there’s always Denver with big city vibes and entertainment, the revamped Union Station is a fun place to visit along with the museums and also Colfax Avenue (considered one of the longest streets in the US), a commercially nitty gritty area of the city is quite interesting too.

South of Denver, in Morrison, is Red Rocks my absolute favorite place for outdoor concerts. The venue is spectacular being surrounded by enormous red rock formations. Also, Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, just a little bit further south is a fantastic place to explore and contemplate life itself. The hikes here are pretty easy too!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
First and foremost the unlimited love and support that my husband has shown me has truly given me the confidence to continue to pursue my photographic career. Through my many ups and downs he has encouraged me when I really needed it, and has stepped back when he knew that a lot of times I should have to figure things out for myself. I was really grateful for that because it did give me a confidence boost in knowing that I was on the right track. Thank you honey!!

Can there be more than one?!

A big shoutout should also be directed to Andy Cook, of Rocky Mountain Reflections Photography. Andy was one of the first photographers that I took workshops with to not only learn the technical side of photography but also the creative part… how to look for compositions, and how to tell the story with your camera. I’m very appreciative of the time Andy took not just with me but with all his participants to guide us in our photographic journey. Thank you Andy for being a great friend and mentor!!

Website: https://www.thelmakellyphotography.com/

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