Meet Kim Simas | Landscape/Nature Photographer

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

Hi Kim, let’s start by talking about what inspires you?
I’ve been inspired by Ansel Adams for years. His ability to capture beautiful landscapes and utilize light and shadows to create exquisite black and white photos is truly inspirational.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I focus on nature and landscapes with my photography. I tend to look at things around me as if it was already an image. How does the light capture the subject? Are there intriguing shadows or rays of light? Is the scenery particularly captivating? I try to limit the amount of editing that I do with my photographs. I know some photographers that take the ability to digitally enhance their images to the extreme. I feel that doesn’t really capture reality. Of course tweaking the colors or light a bit or removing a telephone pole out of an image is necessary. However, layering on multiple images or taking the colors to an extreme is not truly representative of nature.

Being a photographer or anything in the creative realm is not easy. It takes practice, dedication to your craft and ingenuity in marketing yourself as an artist. I never sought out to make photography a professional career. However, I do applaud those that have and are successful at it.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Living in Julian, I think the mountains are one of the best places in the county. I equally love the ocean as well. An ideal visit to San Diego County would include visiting the tide pools anywhere along the coast, especially Point Loma, Balboa Park and Coronado. A hike up Volcan Mountain or Stonewall Peak in Julian offer amazing views. San Diego offers a ton of options for dining. Some of my favorites include Point Loma Seafoods, George’s at the Cove, Ironside, Dobson’s and Brigantine.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to dedicate my shoutout to my son, Joshua. Being a single parent for most of his life, I wanted to demonstrate to him how important it is to discover what you love doing and find a way to do it whether as a career or as a hobby.

Years ago, I had the opportunity to see a large collection of family photos. Some of those photos were taken by my grandmother who made a point to capture family members and scenes around the family dairy combined with candid shots. Her love of photography played a part in inspiring me as well.

Website: kimsimasphotography.com

Instagram: @kimsimasphoto

Facebook: @kimsimasphoto