Spotlight on KaliShanti

[Jaimee]

This is the Spotlight Thread for KaliShanti

KaliShanti, please copy the questions below into a new post and bold them.  Answer them as you feel comfortable, adding any extra information you'd like to share.

DDC members, please feel free to comment and add your own questions to keep the conversation going!

1.  What is your first name?

2.  How did you choose your screen name?

3.  Where do you live?  Where were you born?

4.  What is one of your favorite books?

5.  What is your favorite season and why?

6.  If you could visit anywhere in the world where would you go and why?

7.  What is your most and least favorite household chore?

8.  What is your current job?  What did you do pre-motherhood?

9.  What is one thing you like to do in your free time?

10. Describe one of your most interesting, embarrassing, proud, or challenging moments:

We look forward to getting to know you better! 

[KaliShanti]

1.  What is your first name?
Kali
 

2.  How did you choose your screen name?
It's my first 2 names.
 

3.  Where do you live?  Where were you born?

I live in Lindale, TX. I was born in Nacogdoches, TX
 

4.  What is one of your favorite books?
The God They Never Knew: The Tragedy of Religion Without Relationship by George Otis Jr. & The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien
 

5.  What is your favorite season and why?
I like bits of each but probably Spring because it's the perfect temperature and things are green and growing.
 

6.  If you could visit anywhere in the world where would you go and why?
I've done a decent mount of traveling, but I'd love to go to New Zealand or back to South Africa
 

7.  What is your most and least favorite household chore?
Most: Organizing
Least:Dishes
 

8.  What is your current job?  What did you do pre-motherhood?
Birth Doula, Birth Photographer, Homeschooling Stay-at-Home Mama
Pre-Motherhood I worked at Starbucks and did modeling part-time.
 

9.  What is one thing you like to do in your free time?
Read, talk to my DH, take nature walks if weather permits
 

10. Describe one of your most interesting, embarrassing, proud, or challenging moments:
Challenging & Proud: In 1999 I climbed to the top of Pike's Peak.
 

[Jaimee]

Kali, I love LOTR's as well!  Definitely one of my favorite series.  I would love to visit New Zealand (and Australia) too!  Top of my list!  I find the flora and fauna so fascinating!

So you do birth photography?  That must be amazing and difficult.  What are some of the challenges of that?  What kind of special equipment do you need? 

What kind of modeling did you do?

[tank]

What do you like/dislike about where you live?

what is your favorite thing to do when you get time away from your kids?

what is your favorite thing to do with your kids?

how did you and your dh meet?

[KaliShanti]

Originally Posted by Jaimee 

Kali, I love LOTR's as well!  Definitely one of my favorite series.  I would love to visit New Zealand (and Australia) too!  Top of my list!  I find the flora and fauna so fascinating!

So you do birth photography?  That must be amazing and difficult.  What are some of the challenges of that?  What kind of special equipment do you need? 

What kind of modeling did you do?

Birth photography isn't really difficult to me, it's exciting! But sometimes (like when the baby is coming out and I want to make sure I capture the first few moments) can be a bit stressful hopiing I got the shot right and focused, etc.  Challenges are things that challenge me abut being a doula as well like late nights/early mornings/being on call. Also, lighting being bad (although I use my spedlight most of the time so that's ok) and not having enough space or being in a weird position smooshed in the corner of the room type thing. As far as equipment goes, I just bring my camera (Canon 7D), speedlight, and usually just two lenses (my 50mm 1.4 and my 17-55mm 2.8) plus spare batteries.
 

I have done in-store mannequin modeling, promotional modeling, touring (like representing a company on tour), and a teeny bit of print/commercial. Mostly promotional though.

Originally Posted by tank 

What do you like/dislike about where you live?

what is your favorite thing to do when you get time away from your kids?

what is your favorite thing to do with your kids?

how did you and your dh meet?

I love being in East Texas; I love the trees, the greeness of it all, the small-town feel, the lack of traffic( lived in Dallas for years- HATED traffic there)
I dislike the lack of restaurants to choose from.

I rarely am away from my kids, so I guess just go on a date with DH. I'd love to just get away and go to a coffee shop or walk a trail or something by myself but that doesn't happen.

Read them books, talk to my son about things, play in the yard, play board games.

DH & I met at a ministry internship in 1999. We became best friends (we were not allowed o date there, but we would not have anyway). A few years later we realized we were right for each other and married in 2003. Our first kiss was at the altar.

[LunaLady]

I enjoyed reading about you!

I haven't done much traveling - but I'm curious what your favorite place to travel has been??

[Jaimee]

Kali- as a more serious photographer how do you document your pregnancies?  I haven't seen any belly pics from you yet!    And what is a speedlight... how much does it cost, how is it better than a normal flash?

Oh and I meant to ask earlier... do you know how you parents decided on your name?  Shanti is sanskrit for peace right?

[KaliShanti]

Originally Posted by LunaLady 

I enjoyed reading about you!

I haven't done much traveling - but I'm curious what your favorite place to travel has been??

Hmm.. I'm not sure I've loved bits and pieces from each place! I loved the scenery in Namibia, the street life in Amsterdam, the culture in India, the jungles in Panama. :)

Originally Posted by Jaimee 

Kali- as a more serious photographer how do you document your pregnancies?  I haven't seen any belly pics from you yet!    And what is a speedlight... how much does it cost, how is it better than a normal flash?

Oh and I meant to ask earlier... do you know how you parents decided on your name?  Shanti is sanskrit for peace right?

I don't document my pregnancies except for I am looking forward to my DH doing maternity photos toward the end! I did post a belly shot of myself in that thread at 13 weeks but haven't take one since (I'm 18 wks now)!

A speedlight is an external flash that either mounts on top of the camera or can be used off the camera (like set on a tripods or attached with a bungee to stuff. Our speedlight is a Canon 430 EXII and it cost about $280. I NEVER use the flash that is built-in to the camera- they are pretty much useless unless you like the white-out-deer-in-a-headlights-junky-lighting look. ;)

My parents were kinda hippies I think. Shanti does mean peace. I love it.

[justamama]

What sparked your interest in photography? If you could only pick one lens, which would you pick? (I'm teaching myself on a DSLR right now!)

Where would your dream on-location shoot be?

Are you an animal lover? What's your favorite domestic/wild animal?

If you had $500 to spend only on yourself, what would you buy?

[KaliShanti]

What sparked your interest in photography? If you could only pick one lens, which would you pick? (I'm teaching myself on a DSLR right now!)

My degree is in Film Production so this was kind of a natural move. And I love my 50mm 1.4

Where would your dream on-location shoot be?

New Zealand!

Are you an animal lover? What's your favorite domestic/wild animal?
Not really. I love cats, big & small and I appreciate wild animals, but not a huge animal person.

If you had $500 to spend only on yourself, what would you buy?

Just myself? Not my kids? ;) Um... that's hard! Books, maybe. Lenses.