Kirsten Lewis











I’m a documentary family photographer based in Denver, Co however I rarely ever shoot here as most of my work is out of state or out of the country.
Although I still shoot one hour family sessions, the majority of my work these days are Day In The Life sessions where I spend 24hrs with a family and simply document their regular, every day life.
I guess I could be labeled a minimalist. I do not carry a lot of equipment with me, which comes in handy when I have to travel to shoot so I can actually fly with just ONE bag if I’m going for only a couple of days. I always work with 2 bodies, the Nikon D3 and Nikon D3s. I’ve been shooting with Nikon since 2000 and have to say I have never been disappointed with any piece of gear I have owned.
As far as lenses, my dominant lens is the Nikon 35mm f/2. I approach my sessions as a photojournalist and this lens is really the perfect choice for documenting daily life, from breakfast to bath time it provides me with the right amount of information I need to tell the story within a single frame.
My second body always has a long lens on, 80% of the day the Nikon 85mm f/1.8 however if the family goes outside, especially to play or go for a walk, I will use my Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8.
I feel like I do not need any other equipment to be completely successful and I never use a flash during these sessions because I do not want to interfere in any way with the integrity of the moment.
Because I travel for work I always have my laptop, WD Passport 2TB hard drive, memory card reader (guide), battery charger and plenty of memory cards that I keep in my Think Tank Pixel PocketPixel. Lastly, I always have tissues and Ibuprofen because planes can do a number on my sinuses. Other than a toothbrush, hairbrush, some clean underwear and couple shirts it’s all I need to tell a family’s story!


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It is reassuring to see a photographer who does not suffer from “equipmentitis” and who dares admit it. Good for you!
Based on her website promo video she no longer uses Nikon gear but she now shoots with Sony A9.