Today we’d like to introduce you to Kim Fontaine.
Kim, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Working in Palm Beach County for over 30 years as a commercial photographer, fine art weddings photographer and covering numerous corporate events. I have accomplished much from taking pictures for attorneys to creating images for corporate litigation to photographing corporate functions, sales meetings, conventions, golf tournaments, calendars, and products while helping many attain their vision for their marketing efforts. Being an expert at creative lighting whether it’s in the studio, on set or location with external lighting, I am very precise in my organizational skills and cataloging of work-related images.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I had to fight for every job as a woman photographer and still do since there are so many photographers in South Florida with the advent of digital imagery. I had built this company with help from no one and raising two daughters along the way was difficult. One has an MBA in marketing and public relations and the other is a special effects make-up artist in LA, just having wrapped on Deadpool 2.
I was making over seven figures a year as Kim Fontaine Photography, however in 2006, my receipts showed $79,000 but I wasn’t too worried, I just needed to market more. But as 2007 dragged on showing little income I started to worry and my fears became reality when my income tax return showed $37,000 in gross receipts. That was much less than half what I made in 2006. I was further devastated when the 2008 return showed only $33,000 gross receipts. It didn’t take much to know there was a steady decline in my overall income.
The spring of 2009 was looking dismal after my 2008 tax return. My business was barely booking, lost my studio and I needed to change something fast! Realizing that more and more brides weren’t booking with me, I finally asked them why and the answer was: They had gotten a better price and had decided to go with someone else so I knew something had to be done. I sat there, mortgage unpaid, unsure of what to do next. That’s when I came up with the idea to create an all-female staff comprised mostly of young women (25-35 years) and call it Clickety Chicks with reasonable prices for brides on a budget, basically my competition. People thought I was crazy, putting all this effort with what little money I had a new venture. My family was literally telling me to pack it in and get a regular job after 17+ years of hard work.
I went ahead and bought the domain name Clickety Chicks in May 2009 along with trademarking it, and worked all summer shooting anything that moved so I could pay my bills and hang onto my house-downsizing everything as I continued. My 2009 reflected a rise of over $60,000. I was amazed. I was definitely onto something; still broke, trying to play catch up, but definitely onto something-I could feel it. My income had almost doubled.
Since our inception we have booked and shot over 350 weddings averaging about four a month: Some months have one or two while others have seven to eight weddings and these numbers do not include portraiture and corporate events. I still work hard every day all day, running two companies, overseeing the businesses; from bridal consultations to assigning jobs, editing, to getting them online and finalizing the jobs along with shooting my commercial jobs. There’s a lot of stress and it certainly isn’t for the laid back person. I believe it truly is a workable plan and is proof that you can do a startup in a downturn market.
Please tell us about Kim Fontaine Commercial Photography.
In the past few years, I have concentrated mostly on commercial work. I shoot products, interiors, headshots, calendars, food and documentation for websites and marketing materials, I worked early on as a society photographer for the Palm Beach Daily News from 1984-1990 after which I started my own photography business. I’ve been published in several periodicals, worked with some of Palm Beach’s finest photographers, 2008-2012 founder and President of the NAWP of the Palm Beaches (National Association of Wedding Professionals), winner of several awards including the 2008 Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Candidate of the Year Award, 2012 Diamond Award, co-organizer.
Photographer of the 2016 American Heart Association’s Palm Beach County “Lawyers Have Heart” calendar, photography teacher and public speaker. Giving back to a community that has been so good to me is my goal, so I network and donate time and resources to children’s charities as much as possible. I organized, shot and produced the calendar for the Firefighters of Palm Beach County with the proceeds going to abandoned, neglected and/or abused children. It truly was a labor of love!
Clients include but not limited to: Perlet, Shiner P.A., McKamey, Melchiorre & Walsh, P.A., Palm Beach Diabetes, Lazer Aptheker Rosella & Yedid, PC, Ibis Country Club, Coastal Sothebys, (two) LPGA Calendar, Southern Pie, D Laudati Salon, Hayward Pools, Rapid Response Team of Florida, Hilton Garden Inn, Hilton Singer Island, V Boutique, Seven Kings Holdings, Honeywell, Dr Color Chip, Foreign Affairs Auto, Hilton Airport Inn, DG Wealth Management, Beukenhorst Coffee and many, many more.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I don’t think I would do anything differently other than saying no to a few jobs when my children were younger. I remember hiding behind my camera with tears at a job when both my girls were going to the same prom and were sending me images of themselves dressed up. I hated that part. I just couldn’t say no, therefore, I missed out on some, but not all, important parts of them growing up. I regret that to this day. Other than that, we had a lot of fun times as the three amigos! Running my own business did afford me a lot of time with them though and when times were tough we made our own fun.
Pricing:
- PRO-DAY RATE – UP TO 8 HOURS COVERAGE PER DAY – $1,500.00
- PER HOUR PRO-DAY RATE – MINIMUM THREE (3) HOURS – $350.00
- ASSISTANT – PER DAY / MINIMUM THREE (3) HOURS – $400.00
- MUTIPLE USAGE IN PERPETUITY – $500.00
- IMAGE PROCESSING – (INCLUDES ON LINE DOWNLOAD) – $100.00
Contact Info:
- Address: 631 Evernia Street, West Palm Beach, FL 33401
- Website: http://www.kimfontaine.com
- Phone: 561.478.7340
- Email: kim@kimfontaine.com
Getting in touch: VoyageMIA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
