Recently, I (Anthony Crosby) was hanging out with my two-year-old and ten-month-old daughters. It was a normal day full of chores and Netflix kiddy shows with songs those that get stuck in your head for days. It was all the usual stuff…except for the fact that we had some leftover cupcakes from a birthday party looming in the kitchen. “I want a cupcake!” my two-year-old chanted. Sometimes, I try to be the cool dad, and what’s cooler than a cupcake before lunch? I agreed to her demand but under one condition; she had to eat it in the kitchen because I had just vacuumed the floor. She accepted these terms. I focused my attention on the TV for two seconds (I had to find out if the cartoon character found his missing letters yet or not) and I turned back to see crumbs of smashed cupcake all across my freshly cleaned living room. My toddler is covered in frosting and my baby is crawling along the crumb trail, scooping as much as she could into her mouth.
Babies can be so fun sometimes.
Furthermore, nobody knows this quite like Kandi Anderson. Kandi is the owner and operator of Kandi Anderson Photography, a photography business that focuses (pun not intended) on some very unique clientele…newborns and infants! I know some people who shoot weddings, senior pictures, nature etc. Kandi herself even photographs industrially, commercially, and even aerially…but to specialize in newborn photography? This was very interesting to me.
So, Kandi and I met for coffee, and we began talking about her story!
It turns out, babies hadn’t always been front and center when it came to her day-to-day life. This thirty year Carlin resident actually spent twenty years of her time as a high school secretary. But after she retired from the school, her skill and passion for photography begin to develop (again, pun not intended). She explained to me how she started out taking senior pictures and thought maybe she could find her niche going about photography in that way. She began working to cultivate her craft and even decided to attend a photography conference and attend some classes. However, it turned out, the only break-out she could get into the day of her attendance at this conference was on newborn photography. So, she figured, why not? It was a good thing, everything just “happened” to turn out that way. It was in that very seminar room where her love for taking pictures of little ones was born (pun not intended). From Atlanta to Spokane, to even Canada, she began traveling, learning, and growing her skills under the tutelage of some of the best infant photographers in the world. And she would bring her knowledge, experience, and passion back to our very own Carlin, Nevada.
Her story was great! However, in my mind, taking pictures of infants all day must be rough; it’s not like they exactly show up ready to strike a pose like some GQ model. “What exactly does it look like to work with babies in that type of setting?” I asked. With a smile and a very calm and gentle demeanor, she explained. Through her hands-on training and personal experience, she walked me through how she had every little detail already thought through and planned out before the families even arrive for their appointment. The temperature of the room where the pictures take place, to the fact that she comes prepared with a wardrobe all set and ready to provide the child with for the shoot, to even having a space dedicated just for newborns where she works her magic all was taken into consideration. I could tell she had thought of it all. “I’d say I’ve had only maybe two children in six years of business that may have been a little much.” She laughed and celebrated with me.
“The hardest part of owning a business like this isn’t even the infants, it’s in the fact that as a small business owner, you have to wear so many hats. You have to do it all, from advertising to taking the pictures themselves. I’d say the photography business is ten percent taking pictures and ninety percent doing the actual work of running a business.” She joked.
“What specifically about being a photographer in the Elko area? What’s that like?” I inquired. “I have never done it anywhere else!” She explained. “I would say the biggest thing would be working with people’s schedules and knowing how to flexible.” With our community being a mining one, not everyone who wants to make an appointment has a nine to five job; this really was something I could understand. Furthermore, Kandi expressed how much she was encouraged by doing business in our area because we’re still “small town” enough where one business owner could reach out to another and offer advice and support. “It takes a village!” She insisted.
As we wrapped up our conversation, and my caramel frappucino reached the bottom of the cup, I asked Kandi if there was anything she wanted you (those reading this feature) to walk away knowing about her and her work. Her response? “I want people to know that when I take pictures, I’m documenting love. And I do this by treating my clients’ babies just like I would treat my own.” And I could tell, through the sincerity of her words and tone, she truly did mean what she said. It was a real delight to zoom in on what she is doing in our community (this time, pun intended).
You can see all the amazing things she is doing by checking out her website: Photography
You can also read the amazing piece she wrote on Anthony Around Town on her photography website, here: Meet Anthony Around Town
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Kandi is such and inspiration! Not only is she a a skilled newborn photographer but she has a desire to be a successful and professional business owner in your community. The families in your area are blessed to have her talent and love for the tiniest souls among you.
Thank you for reaching out to me and sharing my story, Anthony! Our communities are lucky to have you! You are such a gifted writer and your love for people shines through.