Meet Kelly Fischer | Landscape Photographer and Artist

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

Hi Kelly, do you have a favorite quote or affirmation?

“The future belongs to those that believe in the beauty of their dreams.” -Eleanor Roosevelt

The world would be the most beautiful if everyone was counseled to discover their talents and desires, dared to dream, and were given the opportunity to reach for those dreams. Believe in yourself, believe that you can live a life you dream of, and then get to work making it happen.

“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”
Maya Angelou

To learn something and not do better with your knowledge is regrettable. Those that make the most of their short lives will always be in the pursuit of knowledge and will always find ways to make the world a better place.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
What sets me apart? Capturing the Essence

In a world where most people have a camera phone in their pocket, distinguishing a photographer from someone that takes pictures is blurry and subjective. To me, a photographer has an objective, a vision, and a passion that is defined beyond the image from the camera. My life as a photographer started with seeing the world with passionate eyes at an early age. Whether it was seeing something from a new perspective, trying to capture the feelings in a particular moment, or trying to relay a message to the viewer, the vision of the photographer will always create more of the image than the camera. Being lucky enough to see all these beautiful places, I recognized right away that moments are fleeting. My mission became to capture the essence of a specific place in time and share it with anyone willing to feel a picture at least as much as they see it. I hope to inspire others to travel and explore all the beauty the world has to offer; but if they can’t, hopefully they can feel the essence through my vision and imagine themselves being in another place, if only for a minute. That is the true value in my landscape photography.

I am most proud of staying true to myself, realizing my passions, and being persistent and courageous. My sense of adventure was fully realized when I went to college and started exploring the world. At that time, I was already committed to exploring my passion for education and I put my soul into that heart work for thirteen years. During that time, my weekend warrior abilities strengthened as I hiked, camped, traveled, and photographed my adventures. Last year when I realized that a career change was the best option for me, I decided that I was determined to use my talents as a photographer and an artist/creator to start a new career that would allow me to focus on my well-being, give me the flexibility to travel, and help inspire others to experience the beauty of nature.

The things in life that are worth doing are usually not easy and with each challenge is a learning opportunity. I have learned that risk taking is essential in the pursuit of living a life you dream about. I have learned that creating a healthy balance between work and personal life is difficult yet imperative for success. I have learned that taking even small steps to reach a goal is good progress. Most importantly, I have learned that you should never stop learning.

I am excited to continue to expand my photography business with new galleries on my website, a travel blog, and getting into local markets and galleries with my prints. I am also excited to start freelancing as a graphic designer. The most exciting thing is knowing that my future is not decided and I can use this new adventure to launch my life into something I am both happy and successful with.

What is success? For me, it is enjoying getting out into the world, experiencing new things, and sharing my vision and passion with others. Success is a life of learning, exploring opportunities, and growing as a person that inspires others to live their best life. Success is using your talents to make the world a better place. The world is beautiful and I want to capture its essence for all of us to enjoy for many years after the shutter clicks.

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.
Calling Flagstaff my home, I am so lucky to have many incredible places to eat and visit. I would want to make sure that our guest felt the true small town vibe starting with a favorite local breakfast at Brandy’s, MArtAnnes, or Forét. Then we would have to grab a coffee from Macy’s, the best coffee place in town with the best history, smells, and atmosphere. After that, we could head to the downtown shops to see some cute local flair, peruse the streets and sweets of downtown, then take a break with a cocktail at Rendezvous while people watching out the window of course. The afternoon could be spent either with a tour of the Historic Riordan Mansion to learn a little about Flagstaff’s early days, a stroll in the forest, or a hike up one of the mountains for a scenic view. Dinner at Fat Olives is a must for the most delicious brick-oven pizza you’ll ever have before you head to Lowell Observatory to view the stars and hear more history of our dark sky city.

Another day would be spent with an early drive to Sedona through Oak Creek Canyon, hiking a trail or two, and strolling its shops in Uptown before heading to a vista to see a magical sunset light up the red rock wonders.

We could spend one to several days hiking or camping in or near Flagstaff. We are also home to several natural monuments including Sunset Crater, Walnut Canyon, and Wupatki; I would absolutely recommend visiting all three!

It is only 1.5 hours to the Grand Canyon so I would definitely make that a part of the visit; camping and hiking could extend that tour several days.

Lunch on the patio of the Oakmont (while soaking in the mountain view) would provide an opportunity to chat about how amazing Flagstaff is and discuss when they are coming back for another visit.

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 am lucky to have grown up with a family that allowed my passions and talents to shine. My free-spirit was always dreaming, creating, and getting involved in the arts just as much as I was committed to studying and excelling in school. I am so thankful for loving family and friends that encourage me to be strong and independent and pursue goals; I always believed that I could achieve anything my heart desires and their cheering keeps me going when things are tough.

Education was always important to me and I surrounded myself in a community that taught me to use my fierce determination and passion for helping others in significant ways. My teachers were kind and helpful and became powerful mentors that helped me to realize my talents and dreams. I chose to become a part of the educational community and worked alongside so many selfless, kind-hearted souls that made extraordinary positive changes in the lives of children and their families. Teachers touch the world with their magic and make it a better place; they all truly deserve the biggest shoutout.

My newest adventure is exploring my passion for travel and photography while I take classes to learn graphic design. Another shoutout goes to my loving and supportive partner, Matt. His strong work-ethic, adventurous spirit, and belief in me is helping me achieve our dreams. What more could I ask for? Thank you for always encouraging my fierce determination, optimistic outlook on life, and courageous attitude. You are my rock!

Website: www.kellyfischerphotography.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kellyfischerphotography/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kfischer3314/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kellyfischerphotography

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@KellyFischerPhotography

Other: TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@kellyfischerphotography

Image Credits
Kelly Fischer