Originally published in the Monadnock Shopper News (MBL Media Sponsor)
Written by Tracy Tanner Craig
{From Monadnock Buy Local: We wanted to give the spotlight to one of our new members, Kimberly Peck Photography. This month, Kimberly launched a Kickstarter Project – an innovative way for artists and others to raise funds from us! Enjoy learning more about Kimberly Peck Photography and her Locally Known Series!}
When one meets Peterborough photographer Kimberly Peck, it is immediately obvious where the refreshingly authentic style of her fine art and portrait photography originates. Since the opening of Kimberly Peck Photography in 2005, Peck has photographed hundreds of families, newborns, and the ever-popular “bellies” – mothers to be – in the Monadnock Region. Her open and honest approach to photography is what keeps people coming back year after year. What began as an enthusiastic 7-year old with a camera photographing her family, friends, and Barbies, Peck has evolved into one of the Region’s most sought after lifestyle photographers.
For Peck, the word “magic” still best describes the feeling she gets when the camera’s in her hands. “From the very beginning, I was fascinated with the idea that a single moment in time could be held still in a photograph. That moment of ‘stopped time’ is what I offer to the families that I photograph.” Her passion for documenting the lives of others is her greatest source of inspiration. “I love showing people who they are, and how they are together…that messy, silly, happy chaos called life.”
Peck’s artistic, light-filled images have captured the attention of not only families, but businesses and publishers throughout New England. In addition to numerous publicity campaigns, her work has been featured in Yankee Magazine, Monadnock Table, Taproot Magazine and Monadnock Living, with exhibitions around New England, including the Thorne-Sagendorph Art Gallery, Griffin Museum of Photography, South Shore Art Center, and the Sharon Arts Center.
Raised in a small Vermont town, Peck naturally gravitates to farms and a down-to-earth approach to living. “I love the beauty of farm life, the ever-evolving, deeply-rooted connection between human, animal and plant. Farms are really the backbone of New England,” says Peck. “I am captivated by the historical tradition, as well as the passion and dedication it requires.”
In 2011, she launched her regularly-featured series, Locally Known: a photographic celebration of our local farms, photo journaling over twenty local farms in the hopes of bringing support and awareness to the growing local food movement. “With my Locally Known series, I wanted to connect farmers and communities through the visual narrative of documentary photography. I wanted people to see where our food is grown and to understand the hard work that goes into farming. Looking at the photographs, it compels us to think about what’s on our plate.”
What has made the series exciting for Peck as an artist is the ever-changing nature of her Locally Known subjects. “Every farm is different – what they do, how they do it. I think the series has done well capturing the farms and farmers’ unique characteristics and sharing them with a larger audience,” says Peck.
The response to Locally Known has been nothing but positive by farmers and consumers alike. As a result, Peck is now looking to expand both the region and scope of her work. Beginning Friday, May 18, Peck launched a 30-day Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for the expansion of Locally Known. “It’s my goal to not only photograph more farms and meet more farmers, but to create and organize regional exhibitions of my work where the farmers featured will attend the opening. This would make the visual story all the more real to the viewer. An authentic connection between farmer and consumer would be made. I love that idea!”
The campaign seeks to raise $7,000 to cover the costs of travel, photography, regional exhibitions and the creation of a coffee table art book & 2013 calendar for sale throughout New England. As Peck explains, “There’s so much more of this story to tell.”
If you are a local farmer and interested in being photographed in the 2012 Locally Known project, contact Kimberly Peck at kimberlypeckphotography@comcast.net. For more information regarding her Locally Known Kickstarter Campaign and how you can contribute, go to www.kickstarter.com/projects/1305370284/locally-known-a-photographic-celebration-of-our-lo or kimberlypeckphotography.com.
