Love with abandon

A conversation with North Side photographer Kim Reed, a member of the Bygone Group, which is dedicated to documenting Pittsburgh's past.

by Jeff Glagowski

Photographer Kimberly Reed grew up in Beaver County. For the past six years, she has made her home in Pittsburgh. Currently, Kim resides in the North Side where her passion for the arts has solidified her status as one of the area’s premiere wedding photographers. When not capturing the beauty of satin and lace, Reed captures the beauty of dank, empty spaces. A collection of her abandoned spaces photos is part of a collective exhibit by the Bygone Group of Pittsburgh opening this Friday in Butler.

Dish correspondent Jeff Glagowski recently took the opportunity to speak with Reed about life, love and the shutter-clicks between:

JG: When did you first pick up a camera?

KR: I've always used the arts as a form of expression. Growing up, it was mostly drawing, painting, writing poetry. I didn't pick up a camera with any serious intentions until my senior year of high school. My dad is a pretty advanced photography hobbyist, so I borrowed one of his cameras and started teaching myself. I love every aspect of it; from the way the camera feels in my hands, to taking the picture itself, to spending time in front of the computer during the editing process. It's such a great way to express myself. I love that the photographic medium is one of the forms of art that crosses all language barriers. It's direct, but still leaves interpretation up to the individual viewing it. I just want to stir emotion in people. To make them stop and think, if only for a moment, before they continue in the course of their day. My passion is to provide photography for non-profit and charity organizations that are working to inspire social changes.

JG: What attracted you to becoming a wedding photographer?

KR: Wedding photography used to have this stigma attached to it; like true artists wouldn't do it. I think within the last few years that mindset has started to change. Photographing a wedding is a real challenge; every one is different, and you are on your feet and have to be mentally alert for 10 and 12 hours at a time- ready to capture all of the important moments. You have to be able to anticipate when and where great photos are going to happen, as well as be able to capture the architecture and details of the day. It's such an emotional day, and to be allowed to be a part of that, to capture those intimate moments and relationships between people, it really is a privilege. I just shot a wedding this past weekend, and I swear I was grinning ear to ear the entire time.

JG: How do you build a relationship with the subjects you are photographing?

KR: For weddings, I only accept a limited number a year. I use this boutique approach, so by the time the wedding comes around, I feel like we're friends. I'm a pretty emotional person, and I'm genuinely interested in people's stories. I ask a ton of questions; I want to know how they got to where they are; what circumstances and decisions have influenced them. I don't think I've met anyone that I haven't been able to relate to in some way. I also don't take myself too seriously; so I'm not afraid to laugh at myself. I think that helps to bridge gaps too.

JG: You've described your work as a "blend of photojournalism, fashion and fine art photography." When approaching a shoot, how do you draw from these styles?

KR: When I'm shooting the wedding and reception, I'm using a documentary approach. I'm not stopping to pose people or interfering with the flow of the day at all. At the same time, I'm shooting with the end result in mind; I want my couples to have an amazing album that tells the story of their day. They should end up with images that not only tell the story and show the emotion, but are beautiful enough that they can be blown up and hung on a wall as art.

I think a woman is at her most captivating on her wedding day; so I like to spend some time alone with just the bride, and then the bride and groom together. I like to create sexy, high fashion shots like you would see in a magazine. If it's not possible to do these on the wedding day, I encourage brides to schedule a photo session for after the wedding where we can spend time getting these shots. There's a trend going on right now called 'trash the dress' sessions (there's a website dedicated to it). I love the dichotomy of a woman in an elegant wedding gown in an unexpected location.

JG: You belong to a Pittsburgh-based band of "abandonment photographers" called the Bygone Group. What inspires you to photographically preserve lost hallmarks of the past?

KR: I'm fascinated by the things that get left behind when people and businesses move along. It provides such a compelling snapshot into that little piece of someone's life. I want to document these scenes before they're lost or destroyed. I love the thrill of exploring places that people haven't been in years. I'll often end up a little ahead or behind the rest of the group. I love it when I'm completely alone and it's just the sound of my breath and the click of my shutter that's breaking the stillness around me.

JG: There's an intimacy in the warm celebration of a wedding as well as in a cold, abandoned dwelling. You seem to respect and capture that that in your photos.

KR: Everyone sees things differently, and I love being able to capture moments, to be able to share with people the way that I experience the world. I think a lot of it comes down to being a good observer. Sometimes you don't have long to capture a shot that reflects the essence of the scene, so I'm constantly looking at things with a photographer's eye; what's going to make a good image.

Abandoned Spaces by the ByGone Group:

Friday, March 9 through April 13, the Bygone Group (consisting of photographers Emily Baehr, Mark Knobil, Kim Reed and Marc Rettig) will be featured at The Art Center, 344 South Main St., Butler. Call 724-283-6922 for more information or visit the Bygone Group website.

To see more of Kimberly Reed’s work, or for pricing and information, visit Reed's website.

Jeff Glagowski can be reached at jrglagowski@comcast.net.