"Pretending to be someone your not is a waste of the person you are." -Kurt Cobain
In this industry some people go to school and the rest just happen to be in the right place at the right time. Thats me. Raised in Oklahoma City lower middle class, I started my family as a teenager. I have nothing more than a GED education and have worked very hard for everything I have.
Being that both my mother and father were artists, its no surprise that I have always had a natural eye and talent for art. I have always enjoyed art of all sorts, paintings, crafts, music, graffiti, fashion, tats, etc. However being a photographer was something I had never even thought of.
In 1995 I started working for Olan Mills. I took a telemarketing job that I hated. When I heard they needed a photographer I thought "I think I could do that." Combining my love of art with my people skills, not only could I be a portrait photographer but I was really good at it. About a year and a half later I was an area trainer for the 16 studios in the Oklahoma area. I learned the art of taking portraits while there.
In 2000 I moved on to work for an upscale studio in Prairie Village, Kansas. I learned the true art of photography and fabulous world of digital editing. I stayed with VanDeusen Photography working as the Portrait Director/ Studio Photographer until late 2005.
I had decided I wanted to focus on my goals and my family more, so I took a few jobs closer to home. I worked for Olan Mills a little more and Jay Carey Photography in Leavenworth, Kansas. Finally in 2008 I got my own equipment and went to work for myself. I now have 14 years experience as a passionate professional photographer, love my job and am so excited to finally be doing it on my own.
Im a wife and a mother of three beautiful children. I love life and try to live it with no regrets because life is to short to worry. I enjoy art, music and spending time with my friends and family. I have 14 years experience in the portait industry and Im learning more and more each day. I love what I do! I’m an Artist by any means possible.
People always ask, so I thought I'd throw this in.....
My favorite subject is generally people that are themselves in front of the camera. Children most always are not afraid to do so. So, most of the time I would say children are my favorite. They also give me a chance to play and be a kid myself.
-Shae Koonce
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My goal is to produce beautiful pictures that are different from the rest and to make every photoshoot fun and enjoyable.
Available for work in the Kansas City/Leavenworth area. All images are created on location.
Striving to make each image show the unique personality of the subject in the photo, each session starts by getting to know the subject and discussing ideas before hand. I believe it is very important to always be yourself. I strive to make each image that I create tell a story. I never rush a session and over booking is not my style.
I love working with interesting people and with 14 years of experience I have met some wonderful people.
Contemporary, Classic, Photojournalistic or Artistic... whatever your style...
Shae Koonce Photography will capture each image with patience, for magical moments can not be rushed they just happen.
Each image purchased from Shae Koonce Photography comes with a copyright release, giving my clients the option of ordering images through me or making their own. I charge for my creativity and keep my print prices low because I want to make money for being an artist not being a lab.
TESTIMONIALS-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"The shoot was fun and very professional, I've never done this kind of thing before so I didn’t know what to expect. The pictures I got back when all was said and done were amazing and I'm proud to have had Shae do them then anyone else." -Eric
Thank you Shae! My photo shoot was more than I imagined. I still can't believe we were able toget all the shots I wanted. Thank you for being so professional and I still had a lot of fun. The images came out fantastic. I have never felt so beautiful thanks to your skill and talent. I can't thank you enough. My family and I will treasure these pictures forever. -Angela Drake
I had so much fun taking photos thanks to Shae. She is an amazing photographer. I was worried about her taking over my bright colorful style and making the shoot all about what she wanted, but I was SO wrong. She had an amazing way of combining my style and the surroundings with her artistic abilities, and she has A LOT of artistic abilities, no doubt about that. Everyone enjoyed the photos she took of me and I loved them myself (which doesn't happen often). I even enlarged a few and gave them to my mom and dad to put on their desks at work. That way they could see how there baby had grown up. I couldn't imagine having my photos turn out better than how Shae did them with her editing and effects, it all came together perfectly. Thanks again Shae! -Becky
