Meet Kara Capaldo | Fine Art Photographer

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

Hi Kara, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I’ve had a couple different careers in my life so far. I recently retired from local government and decided that it was time to pursue something I’ve wanted since college. At the time a career as a photographer seemed too daunting and difficult to achieve. In the time since, I’ve done odd jobs as a photographer and I volunteer for numerous non-profits taking photos and have enjoyed the time helping them.

The past few years I’ve had the opportunity to travel the world. I’ve been to Kenya several times, Svalbard, Norway, and Alaska to photograph bears. As I’ve built my portfolio, everyone has been so supportive. A couple years ago I started participating in the Santa Cruz Open Studios Art Tour where over 300 local artists open their home studios to the public. I’ve also been invited to show my art in local galleries and shops.

The success I’ve had recently has encouraged me to start teaching photography classes and I am now leading photo tours to Kenya and soon to Alaska. The process of starting my own business has taken decades. Part of that was gaining the confidence I needed to move out on my own. Part was gaining the skills needed. It’s a continual education and improvement process. There’s always something to learn. I hope to be doing this for many years to come.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My studio displays fine art from around the world. My passion right now is traveling and taking photos of wildlife and their local surroundings. It’s taken years to be able to spend the time needed to become a wildlife photographer. It was a hobby for a long time and only the past few years have I been able to turn it into a successful career. One of the main challenges was gaining the experience needed. I spent a lot of time volunteering with organizations like Little League, Special Olympics, and other sports programs to learn how to take action shots. I’ve probably taken over 500,000 photos in the past 10 years refining my skills.

One thing that I learned was that while I love making this my career, it’s just as important to keep it fun by taking photos that don’t necessarily bring in money. Even now I donate more photos than I sell. I’m thankful that I’m able to do that. It helps keep photography enjoyable and not monotonous.

The other thing that I do to help my motivation is teaching classes. I do individual and small group classes and teach not only how to use your camera, but inspiration and vision to get the type of shot you want. Anyone can take a photo these days. Taking the photo that you envision and making it art is a bit more difficult. I love working with people helping them realize their vision.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I live in Santa Cruz, California and we have the most amazing food, beaches, and marine wildlife. Our weekend would start taking photos during sunrise at the Santa Cruz Harbor overlooking the lighthouse, then breakfast at Harbor Café, where we would order the best biscuits and gravy and eggs benedict in town. The staff there consider everyone like family. After that we would spend the day whale watching in the Monterey Bay. My favorite boat is the Blue Ocean Whale Watch out of Moss Landing. Captain Kate Cummings is one of the few female boat captains in Monterey Bay and has the best instincts for locating whales. She’s been doing this for almost 20 years so, she understands their behavior and knows where to look to find them. She’s also a great photographer, so she knows how to maneuver the boat for the best photos. The Monterey Bay is a marine sanctuary and one of our nation’s most spectacular marine protected areas. It’s home to over 25 species of marine mammals including orcas, dolphins, sea otters, porpoises, sea lions, and my favorite, humpback whales. We have one of the largest humpback whale populations in the world. In the fall we could easily see over 100 on an afternoon trip. Photographing humpbacks is one of my favorite things to do. To finish the weekend, the next day we would go kayaking in the Elkhorn Slough one of California’s last great coastal wetlands. This is the perfect place to photograph California Sea Otters. Once almost extinct, Elkhorn Slough is home to over 100 otters, so you are guaranteed to spot them. In the spring it’s fun to watch babies with their mothers. No weekend would be complete without dinner at Vim, a dining experience with seasonal, locally-sourced California cuisine, creative cocktails, and decadent desserts all by Chef Jesikah Stolaroff. This would be my perfect weekend in Santa Cruz.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I have to dedicate my shoutout to Special Olympics. I started volunteering as a coach when I was in high school and my teacher Carol Thane brought me to a gymnastics tournament. Then after college I got a full-time job and worked as a Sports Training and Competition Director for 18 years. I learned about being my true self and not having inhibitions working with the Special Olympics athletes. While the organization talks about acceptance and inclusion of all people through sports, it’s the athletes that have taught me that life isn’t about winning but about putting your best effort towards whatever you choose to do. They continue to inspire me to take chances and to do my best no matter the outcome.

Website: www.karacapaldo.com

Instagram: @karacapaldophotography

Facebook: Kara Capaldo Photography

Image Credits
My portrait was taken by Steve Forman Photography. I took the 8 other photos.