SuperMomSpotlight~ Kate Dunn Pease

We are so excited to introduce you to Kate Dunn Pease, She is an Amazing Mother of 2, 

and a very Talented Photographer over at Kate Pease Photography.  

We Love Kate's Passion for life and her joy and honesty when it comes to Motherhood. 

SMT:  Who was your biggest role model growing up?

KP: Although I didn’t know it at the time, or I was too stubborn to admit, I’d have to say my Mom! She is a superb example. I feel like everything good that I am, she taught me, or she planted the seed. She is such a source of wisdom, I don’t know what I would do without her!

SMT:  What are some traits that would describe you?

KP: I have a zest for life. I want to experience life to the absolute fullest, even if that means putting myself through something potentially scary or painful (like drug-free childbirth!). I love traveling and would much rather have life experiences than things.

SMT:  You have a special Love and Talent for Photography, Where did it all start?

KP: Thank you! You know that feeling where your heart just swells, but you don’t really have the words to put the sentences together to describe it? That’s how I feel about photography. It’s that swelling feeling when you hear a piece of music that just touches you, or brings you back to a moment in your life. For me, it’s not about the shutters, lenses, and megapixels. It’s about people, their stories, and their relationships. Photography is emotional. Think about how important photos are! After tragedy like 9/11 and Sandy Hook, we were inundated with the last known photos of victims and their families. Photos are just priceless. They freeze in time an important moment to be relived, and remembered through the photo. Viewing photos brings back the flood of love and memories of that time a photo was taken. Nothing else can provide that! EVERYONE has a story worth telling, and deserves to be photographed with those who they love the most.  This is why I say “please, please don’t wait until you’ve lost those 5-10lbs before you have your photo taken!” Your family loves you just the way you are now! I got started in photography because I love love, and I wanted to provide something meaningful for people to be enjoyed in the years and decades to come as they remember their lives, legacies, and stories.

SMT:  If you had any one piece of advice for someone looking to go into the Photography field what would you tell them?

KP: Your camera and your lenses are important, but what’s more important is the three inches behind the camera (aka your brain!).  Don’t rush out and buy all this gear you think you need, because you don’t. Once you’ve honed on your vision, and what you like to shoot, and learned like crazy, then start thinking about buying an expensive piece of gear. Because if you buy it in the beginning before you’ve done those things, you will most likely regret buying it because it wasn’t really what you needed/doesn’t suit your vision. Invest your time and your money learning, learning, and learning. There are so many wonderful (and free) online sources for learning about photography. Learn from the Masters, or those who’s work you look up to. Hone your vision; find out what you like to shoot (architectural, commercial, product, wedding, portrait, babies, nature, birth, etc). Everyone can own the same camera as you, but they’ll never have the knowledge, style, personality or vision that you have.

SMT: Describe a typical day in the life of Kate?

KP: Honestly, my days revolve around my 2 kids Claire (age 5) and Simon (turning 2 in January). We get up real early, go to the gym, play, go to school (Claire), take a nap (Simon), answer emails/inquiries (me), watch a movie and go to bed. They go to bed fairly early (6:30pm-7pm) so that I can have the energy and time to tackle the mountains of editing I have to do until I go to bed. I work my shoots in there and when my husband has the time off, or I get a babysitter.

SMT: What does motherhood mean to you?

KP: How do you expect me to answer this?! Haha! Motherhood means e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g. Motherhood pushes you to your absolute limits that you didn’t know were possible. It opens up these chambers of your heart with each kid that you had no idea you had the capacity to fill and love that much. It also can be hands down the most frustrating, all encompassing, never ending, and exhausting thing you could ever dream of doing. Motherhood pretty much dictates everything you do/don’t do. Motherhood is the constant inside battle of loving your kids to the moon and back, and wanting to give them everything you possibly could, without spoiling them. It comes with heaps of mom guilt for reasons you’re not really sure you should feel guilty for (like “oh my gosh, I pretty much have never done any cute Pinterest craft with my kids…should I be doing that? Are they missing out on life because of it?!” or “I’m giving my kids hot dogs for dinner…again.”), and always questioning if you’re doing a good enough job. It is the hardest, most thankless, but most rewarding and joyful thing you could ever do. Whether you are pregnant with your first or have 10 kids, it is giving 100% percent of everything you could ever give mentally, emotionally, physically and financially, and then some. Once you’re a mom, you have a hard time remembering what life was like before you were a mom. I have never felt truer joy than from those blissful little moments of being a mom with my kids and family.

 

SMT: How do you keep the focus of what Christmas is really all about in your Home?

KP: You know what? We keep things really really simple. Here is the most we will do during the entire Christmas season: put up a tree, listen to Christmas music, drive around and see lights, temple square lights, visiting Santa, watch Christmas movies, make cookies, drink cocoa, read the scriptures about Jesus, give Christmas PJs, and open presents on Christmas morning. No elves, no crafts, no daily traditions or advents, no home-made gifts or knick knacks…nothing! I refuse to put un-due pressure/work on myself for creating every craft, gift, recipe and idea on Pinterst for the holidays. I am busy enough/have enough pressure on me already as a mom to two little kids, and running a business. In my mind, and in our home, simpler is happier. My kids don’t want a crazed stressed out mom trying to bake hundreds of cookies for our neighbors. They want to chill with me on the couch and watch Mickey’s Magical Christmas for the 500^th time, and I’m fine with it because that means quality snuggle time!

SMT: What are your passions in Life?

KP: Family, Travel, Learning, Culture, Experiences, Photography

SMT: If you could vacation anywhere in the world where would you go?

           KP: Tahiti,  Kho Phi Phi, Thailand, and then Angkor Wat Cambodia African Safari in Botswana then travel to the border of Zimbabwe to see Victoria Falls Zip line and see volcanoes in Costa Rica

SMT: Aside from Food and Shelter, what is the one thing you couldn’t live without?

KP: Internet and hot water!

SMT: If you had the power to change one thing in the world, what would it be and why?

KP: As you may have guessed, motherhood is so near and dear to my heart. I have had such a wonderful blessing and privilege of bringing children into the world in a warm, and safe environment with adequate prenatal care, wonderful and safe births, and adequate medical care for my children as they grow. My wish would be that every woman gets to bring children in the world of her own accord, in a safe, clean, sanitary birth environment.  That she wouldn’t have to fear for her safety, and that she and her children don’t have to starve. It just is so sickening to me that there is indeed enough food in the world to feed the world, yet so many in the world go hungry. My wish would be safety and love for every mother and child.

If you want to get to know Kate a Little better make sure to follow 

Kate Pease Photography and Facebook Fan Page!

{A very special Thank You toSarah Knight Photography For Such Beautiful Pictures.}