Hi! I'm Kimber Greenwood, Underwater Photographer & Your Creative Partner

It really takes an extrovert to write a whole blog post talking about themselves. That is not me. So, instead of you reading all about me, I'm going to share with you how I got to where I am today… your cheerleader, guide, friend, and underwater photographer, oh yea, I'm Kimber Greenwood. Hi!

Ok I Lied, This IS Going to be About Me, But I Am Still an Introvert…

There's a reason I like to be behind the camera, and not in front of it! However, I know that it's important that you get to know me a little bit so that you feel comfortable and safe working with me and my studio. So give me a moment to grab another cup of coffee and give you a bit of background on me.

Fun Fact, I was Born In Ohio

Columbus to be exact. It's WILD how many other Ohioans I meet here in Florida, and yes, there really is such a thing as Midwestern Kindness(™ unofficially). It you didn't know, Ohio is flat and cold. Not a great place for a cold-blooded creature such as myself. Looking back, I've come to appreciate Columbus and realize it's a place that's known for its nice people.

From an early age, the water called to me. Much to my mother's chagrin, I was in the pool, garden hose, rain, really anything with water, at every opportunity. Throughout my teen years I was a:

If you've never learned to dive in an Ohio quarry, highly recommend their glorious gray cold water with 3 inches of visibility…not.

I was Almost Captain Doctor Kimber Before I Became Kimber Greenwood Underwater Photographer!

I adore learning, and particularly science. My plan in high school was college then medical school. While I started at Miami University in Ohio, the call of the water was too great and after a year I transferred to Texas A&M University to study marine biology and maritime transportation.

My time as a Sea Aggie was transformative. I did, in fact, get to sail around the world and learn amazing skills like marine firefighting, navigation, and heavy machinery operation. It was also very difficult to be one of the few women in my program, and when I did my commercial internship, I was injured, lost too much sea time, and ultimately had to make the difficult decision to leave that side of the program and focus on the science side of my degree. As a consolation prize, I scheduled a summer SCUBA diving class/trip to Panama. Not only did I have a great time, visit a new place and earn college credits, it's where I met my future partner, Will.

He Loves the Water As Much As I Do

Will and I became fast friends and dive buddies. He was a graduate student while I was still an undergrad, so he hired me to help him with his cave diving research. His studies took us to Florida repeatedly and we both fell in love with the stunning Florida Springs. I love them so much, I skipped my college graduation and immediately packed up and drove to Florida.

Traveling all the time for work was fun, but not great for the long term. After a year, I decided to still pursue to dreams of working in the medical field, but in a career that demanded a lot less time, stress, and money. I started the Accelerated Nursing program at the University of Florida and we moved to Gainesville. I graduated as valedictorian of my class and worked briefly as a Cardiac ICU RN.

Somewhere in There We Got Married and Started Thinking About A Family

I know a lot of people that get married and quickly start a family. I also know a lot of other couples that struggled to become pregnant. We were in the latter. After experiencing a miscarriage, infertility, and three failed adoptions it seemed like it wasn't in the cards for us. In 2015 we found out we were expecting our miracle baby!

I had an uneventful pregnancy (the best kind) and truly the best mental health of my life during that time. Then the baby was born.

Postpartum depression came crashing in like the world's most unwelcome houseguest. To this day, I have few memories of my child's first year, but I can tell you that not many were joyful.

I share this story never to scare expectant moms, but so that you always know you have a nonjudgmental friend to talk to if you are experiencing your own PPD or anxiety.

Will and I also realized early on that our son was not neurotypical. That's not my story to share but it made it impossible for me to want to leave him in the hands of a non-parental caretaker all day. After some deep discussions and a hard look at our finances on Will's very stable State job, I made the decision to leave my job to care for my son.

Someone Told Me Photography was a Great Therapy Tool

As luck would have it, Will had bought me a decent camera for Christmas that year to capture the first year. It sounds strange to say, but I've never been particularly interested in photography. It did however become a very healing outlet for me and I started to fall in love with it and the idea of creating.

As I healed, learned photography, and watched my son grow, I came to the realization that I didn't want to go back to the long hours as a bedside nurse. I wanted to start something of my own, where I could tailor my schedule to my son's therapies and needs.

I Have To Credit A Client with Rekindling My Love for the Water

The first time a client asked if I would snap a few shots of her belly underwater with a camera, is when I experienced a joy and peace that's difficult to put into words…and I still feel that way today when I get to do underwater portrait sessions.

So That's Me, Kimber Greenwood Underwater Photographer

It's easy to look back now and say that everything happened the way it was meant to. But honestly, I don't love that trite outlook because it minimizes the pain, loss, and suffering we went through.

I LOVE my business and the people I get to work with now. I love the clients who ask me to create with them, the places they want to travel to for their epic photos, and the art I'm trusted to craft. Water Bear Photography has thrived for over 8 years now, and I try to keep my struggle to start the business at the top of my mind when I mentor other photographers and business owners.

Here's Some More Fun Facts

Favorite Things:

Books – I can talk books alllll day long and love meeting fellow bookworms. Kindle Unlimited is my jam!

Learning Spanish – This past year I've been on a journey to learn Spanish. I often travel to Spanish-speaking countries and want to learn to communicate. I've been using Baselang and love it (REFERRAL CODE).

My dog – I have a goldendoodle named Quentin Quarantino. He's half golden, half doodle, all neuroses. I always joke that my dog I got to help with my anxiety has worse anxiety, but he's a love bug too.

Coffee – I'm one caffeinated mama and the answer is yes, I always want to have coffee with you.

Gracious, Kind, Silly People with a Growth Mindset.

Visiting New Springs – If you have an "in", invite me please!

Least Favorite Things:

Being Sick – PLEASE do not come to my studio ill or with anyone in your house recently ill. I'm immune-compromised and when I get sick it can take months to get better. Also, I'm a bit of a germaphobe for this reason and you'll often see me with hand sanitizer and lysol at the ready.

Being Late – Stuff happens, I get that, and I don't particularly care if you're a tad late (there's a reason I have a home studio), but I hate being late myself.

Non-Constructive Criticism – It helps no one and serves no purpose except to tear down.

Auditory Processing Issues – I swear I'm not tuning out, but I struggle to follow a conversation if there is also music or other noise in the background.

I hope this told you everything and more you ever wanted to know about me! If you're not running for the hills, it likely means that we can be friends. And who knows, maybe we'll even get to make some art together too!