Who is Kurtis Landry of Kurtis Landry Photography?
In order to figure out why I Love Family Portraits, Senior Graduations Portraits, Engagement Portraits, Wedding Portraits, Professional Headshot Portraits and Automobile Portraits you do need to ask this question.
I think this is a very important question to ask the person who you are hiring to spend some time with and who you are trusting to capture the portraits you want. But where do I start? Do I start from where and when I was born or just tell you who I am and what I stand for and what I believe in. I really believe to really know who I am, we need to go back to the beginning.
Why are family portraits so important to me?
As a kid growing up in a really close family in Connecticut I learned the importance of celebrating important milestones in each others lives. My Mom always made it a big deal to capture images of Birthdays, Graduations, and any other special occasion. Family is very important to me, and having pictures of our family gatherings are very dear to me. We used to have huge family picnics at my Aunt Joan’s and Uncle Jim’s house they were so much fun. My Mom always ensured we got pictures of each others families so I still have a lot of my cousins family photos. Unfortunately family members pass away and it makes these pictures even more important to me. This is why I think it is very important at big events, important milestones, and anytime families get together the event should be captured. Those pictures may be the last picture of the important family member. Sorry to say but it is true. But it sure is nice also to get together pull out the old family photo album and have a laugh of things like what are hair was like, what clothes we wore, and just remember what life was about. This is why I love Family Portraits so much.
Why are Senior Graduation Pictures are so important to me?
Again I wrote earlier how important it was for my Mom to celebrate our specific accomplishments and capture the moments in a photograph. I look back and remember my 8th grade graduation and the fancy blue disco suit I wore for the graduation ceremony. I would not be able to look back, laugh and remember that if I didn’t have that moment in a photo. Thanks Mom for the laugh. But our family members work really hard to graduate from High School, Graduate College, Participate in Band, Sports and all their other activities. These are very special moments to capture and celebrate their awesome accomplishments. I love to hear the stories of graduating seniors and hear their plans going forward. These kids inspire me and I love to celebrate this special moment and capture there Senior Portraits.
Why are Maternity Pictures so important to me?
Again it goes back to my family and growing up. Our immediate family was very close with all of our other relatives. We spent all Holidays together. And everyone once in a while one of my cousins would get pregnant and bring forth a little life. These are also great moments in someones life and is such a short time in the whole scheme of things. Nine months and the baby is here, I love capturing the expectations of the newborn coming. It is definitely a time to celebrate. I love seeing the father so excited and proud of what is about to happen. I remember how beautiful my wife was when she was pregnant with my two sons. I wish I would have captured maternity pictures of her. All I have is my memory of her being pregnant. But I still remember how exciting of a time it was. And this is why Maternity Pictures are important to me.
Why are Couple Engagement Pictures and Wedding Pictures are so important to me?
Wow what can I say about this big step in someones life. I remember the awesome feelings and emotions I had when I asked my wife to marry me. I was so nervous, but she did say yes. It still surprises me to this day but I remember being so emotional and excited when she said yes. I will never forget it in my mind, but again I did not capture this great moment in our lives. I really wish I had, but I did not. And for that reason, that is why I think engagement Pictures and Wedding Pictures are so important to me. On your wedding day you will be so busy you will not remember everyone who came and everyone who participated. A good wedding photographer will strive to capture at least one picture of everyone who is in attendance.
Why are Hot Rod and Sport Cars important to me?
I remember being a very hyper child when I was young, I could hardly sit still. One of my favorite things to do at a young age was build model cars, and airplanes. My step father and Uncle had a big influence on me loving anything with an engine and wheels. I really enjoyed spending hours out in the garage with my step father working on his cars. For you car guys it was a 1970 Dodge Challenger, 1969 Mercury Cougar, Volkswagens, and a Duster. My Uncle was real big into restoring Corvettes back to showroom condition. He had an amazing 1957, and 1965 corvette. He also restored a couple of beautiful Willy’s coupes a 1933 and 1940 Willy’s, but not to original condition he Hot Rodded them out like they did in the 1960’s. Both of them were really awesome mechanics and I enjoyed learning from them. This is probably why I really enjoying capturing images of old hot rods and sports cars.
What is Kurtis Background?
I was born and raised in Connecticut. I had a very loving family. We were a very competitive family. I played baseball, football, basketball, and I loved to compete. I enjoyed shooting BB guns as a young boy, and as I got older I enjoyed shooting guns and pistols. Around the age of fourteen I started hunting. I enjoyed being outside and riding my bicycle.
Both of my stepfathers were extremely hard working men. And they passed this on to me and taught me the value of hard work. They did this by giving us a lot of chores. They were great examples of hard working men, and what men are supposed to do. Love both my stepfathers they are awesome men.
At the age of nineteen I entered the Air Force and became an aircraft mechanic. I got to travel all around the world. I have been to 38 different countries and 48 different states. All this traveling is why I picked up my first film camera. It was a Nikon Fe-2 Single Lens rifles camera. I picked it up in 1984 because I had a trip coming up where I was going to England and Europe. I wanted to capture National Geographic Quality Images of this trip. It me a while to figure out how it worked. Needless to say I did not start off taking that great of Images. A friend of mine his name was Doug helped me get started. Thanks Doug. The first eight rolls of film I shot were terrible not one picture came out and was usable for anything. I thought the camera was broken, I planned on returning it to the store. But I ran into Doug he looked at the photos and told me it was not the camera it was me. My settings were all wrong. He asked if he could show me how to get started. He helped and the next four rolls I shot I got some useable images, nothing great but you could at least tell it was a photo. That is when I fell in love with photography. And I have not looked back since. Thanks again Doug.
In 1987 while stationed Okinawa in the Air Force I met the Love of my Life Tomoko. She is from Okinawa. She is an amazing women who keeps me grounded. In 1988 I married the love of my life. In 1989 we had our first son Timothy. What an awesome moment this was, everything changed the day my first son was born. Then in 1994 we were blessed with another son his name is Bryan. Both my children are grown men now and they are awesome men, They both have awesome careers and are extremely dedicated employee, hard working, focused and very driven. I guess you can say I am proud of my family. One of my favorite things to do is brag about them. It was a joy to watch my kids compete in athletics, excel in academics and just a blast to watch them become the awesome men they are today. Folks they are doing big things in their lives.
After the military we moved to Texas. I have held several different positions and worked for several different companies. First job I had out of the military was a Diesel Mechanic for Union Pacific Railroad repairing Locomotives. I also worked as an Operations Manager for the Union Pacific Railroad, Point Comfort and Northern Railway, and the Awesome City of Grapevine Managing their excursion railroad, the Grapevine Vintage Railroad. I also sold UTV’s Motorcycles and golf cars for three years.
But me actually starting my Photography did not happen until 2018. I had several friends always over the years after looking at my pictures ask me why I never started a business and got paid for my photography. Finally I took their advice and started Kurtis Landry Photography.
What is most Important to Kurtis Landry?
The first and most important thing to me in my life is my relationship with God. I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior at the age of 7. My Grandmother led me to Christ. After she passed we stopped going to Church and I fell away from Christ for a while But in 1998 I red-dedicated my life to Christ and I have not looked back. I enjoy serving a local church. Before we moved from South Texas to Dallas Fort Worth I served on the Media Team at our Local Church. I am currently looking for a local Church to become active in. We are currently attending Church on the Move in Tulsa. I believe in giving back to our community. I offer my services free of charge to worthy causes.
The second most important thing in my Life is Family. I Love my family with all my heart. They are my world and I am so proud of them.
The third most important thing is my career. What ever job I am working at I am very focused at doing the best that I possibly I can do. I love working and working hard.
The Fifth thing is my Photography Business, and You tube channel. I want to expand my services and eventually where I am teaching people how to improve their photography and how to get started. I have had some good mentors helping me. I would love to return the favor.
What do you get from me when you hire me to capture your images?
I really am good at people becoming comfortable in front of my camera. In other words most people are good at standing behind the camera but not in front. I am the same way I love taking pictures but am still a little uncomfortable in front of camera. I promise by the time the session is done you will feel at ease, relaxed and you more then likely will have laughed a lot. I love and pride my self on making our sessions extremely fun.
I will strive to capture the essence of who you are. At wedding and events I will capture them moments that you did not see. These usually are the smile of a loved one, a hug, a gentle kiss, a child rolling on the floor during ceremony, the proud tears of a father giving his daughter away to be married, the emotions of the event, and of course the important moments of the event first kiss, ring exchange, and so on and so.
I will or I should say WE will capture the moment in an image that will last a lifetime. Your images 20 years or more will bring you back to that special moment in a memory. We will be creating Art together.
Again if you want to capture these moments please give me a holler and book your session. The time is now because these special moments come and go quickly.
Thanks,
Kurtis Landry
Kurtis Landry Photography.