Kim (she/her) is a lesbian pro hair and makeup artist here in the south Bay Area! She’s a wife, mother to an almost 2-year-old, and an incredible beauty badass making brides feel stunning and ~themselves~ on their big day.
Kim is unique amongst the Queer Soul test runners because she is the only one that I didn’t know for several years before this! I initially reached out to her to see if she’d be interested in being on my Queer Soul glam squad – and she is! – but our immediate friendship and her passion for this project led to her being a test runner as well. If you are nominated and become a Queer Soul Star, Kim may be the one doing your hair and makeup! For this shoot, Kim’s hair and makeup was done by Alli Marie, another member of my queer glam squad!
Kim was born here in California to two New York Jews. She’s lived in the Bay her whole life, except when she went to Chico for college. Unfortunately she was pulled out of the closet before she was ready, but nowadays Kim is loud and proud about her identity! She and her wife met on OkCupid and were married three years later, and after a long TTC (trying to conceive) process they’re raising their beautiful daughter together.
The difficulty for Kim in the photoshoot planning process was figuring out who she is as an individual. As a business owner, partner, and mother, her whole life is about who she is in relation to other people. Before we could jump into planning the details of her shoot, she needed to take some time to self-reflect and strip away these roles to see who was left. I remember she told me that she wasn’t sure what “Kim” would wear, since she’s either in comfy house clothes or her professional blacks 99% of the time. That’s not to say that these important roles aren’t part of her identity; it’s more that Kim’s pride in who she is as an individual translates to all areas of her life, including her business as a hair and makeup artist.
Kim makes you feel immediately comfortable with her innate kindness and friendly smile. We wanted to take the first set of photos at The Sunlight Space, which gave us a clean and simple studio space to capture Kim just as she is. Pairing that space with a classic outfit and a custom floral arrangement by Amy West Floral, we were able to celebrate how Kim brings her authentic self to the table. Check out the highlights!
Once we finished at The Sunlight Space, we went to one of my favorite nature preserves for our second concept. It was GORGEOUS – the light making the golden California hills shimmer, Kim’s dress and overall styling, and the nature all around us was perfect for this photoset. I think it perfectly captured Kim’s earthy, carefree side. We even saw a buck grazing nearby! It was magical. ✨
Are you enjoying the stories of these Queer Soul Stars? Free public access to diverse, intersectional LGBTQ+ education through real-life lived examples is CRUCIAL to the future of the US and the world, and you can help make this possible.
If you’re able, please consider donating to The Queer Soul Fund. 100% of the donations will go to providing this life-changing experience for FREE to queer people who wouldn’t be able to participate otherwise. I’ll be able to compensate the queer artists involved fairly, rent clients’ dream locations, and empower them to be the representation they never saw for future generations of LGBTQ+ folks.
Any amount helps – you can read more and donate HERE: https://gofund.me/5fd7e9ff
Don’t forget to listen to Kimi’s episode of The Queer Soul Spotlight podcast! Kim and I had SO much fun recording her episode of The Queer Soul Spotlight – we got to dive into the journey of trying to conceive to dealing with ignorant people once the baby is born, realizing that your passions can be turned into a real and incredibly impactful business, epic comfort foods, and more!
The link opens in Spotify, but The Queer Soul Spotlight is also available on Apple Podcasts and Anchor.
Interested in getting involved with The Queer Soul Experience? Nominate yourself or someone else (starting June 1st 2022) and get more info HERE:
jennichapmanphotography.com/queer-soul
If you want to make an impact and get involved in a different way, you can donate to The Queer Soul Fund to help me give this life changing experience to three LGBTQ+ people for FREE. Be directly responsible for the widespread education about the incredibly diverse LGBTQ+ community and empower queer people to create the representation they never had – any amount helps!
Donate HERE: https://gofund.me/5fd7e9ff
Read about more Queer Soul stars HERE: jennichapmanphotography.com/blog
Follow Kim on Instagram: instagram.com/kimbakerbeauty
Follow Alli Marie who did Kim’s hair and makeup: instagram.com/alliwiththegoodhair -and- instagram.com/stardustbrides.byalli
Follow Amy West Floral: instagram.com/amywestfloral
