Waking up to the sound of roosters.  Spreading hay across the ground for cows and sheep.  Collecting the day’s batch of chicken eggs. Peering through a camera’s viewfinder to capture these simple moments.  This is the daily routine for farmer and photographer, Kim Carr.



Living on a farm an hour East of Columbia, Kim finds inspiration

for her photography from her furry and feathered friends alike.



Kim’s passion for animals developed on her grandparents’ farm

where she spent summers as a child lending a hand.  She began

painting pictures of animals, crafting animals out of clay and when

she was 10 years old she received a camera.



Kim developed an eye for composition and for waiting until just the

right moment before snapping a photo.



​“I had to do chores around the house to get money to buy film,” she said. “I had to be selective about what I wanted to take pictures of, but it was usually animals.”



Kim’s love for animals continued into college where she pursued a degree in animal sciences at the University of Central Missouri.  In 1989 she moved to a farm with her husband, a few sheep, and a pony.



Kim acquired a cow and soon a pony and a few sheep.  Then it grew from there-- Kim added a mule, two donkeys, a flock of sheep, and a small heard of Irish Dexter cattle. Later, around 150 chickens, guineas, ducks, and turkeys joined the bunch.  Today Kim shares her farm with over 100 animals, her mother, and her grandmother.



                                                                       





















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Kim began adding matted and framed prints, and now her photography is featured in a variety of art galleries and stores nationwide, including in Missouri, Virginia, Minnesota, Tennessee and Illinois.



“I’m so invested in it now,” Kim said, “It’s like I have to make it work.”



Kim’s photography is featured in one Columbia store, Poppy, which features handmade works from various artists.



“I really love her work,” Poppy manager Lili Johnstone said. “There is a sweet innocence to it.”



One of Kim’s most popular images is of her friend’s donkey, Sophia. 

Customers fell in love with Sophia’s smiling, furry face and the

image began flying off the shelves.  Avanti Press fell in love with

the image too, and is now distributing Kim’s image on their cards

for the next five years.

 
Kim is now entering the world of story telling.  Using her images

as inspiration, she has two children’s books in the works based on her

experiences with animals.  One book is about emus and the exotic

farm where she used to work.  The other is Christmas story about

Sophia the donkey.



With hopes that she can sell her photography to an even wider audience, Kim takes every opportunity to share her art with others.



“A lot of artists are afraid to promote their work or afraid to tell their friends that they’re an artist, but I’m not afraid,” she said.



Kim’s philosophy has remained the same from the time she was a child on her grandparent’s farm: to appreciate the little things in life.  This philosophy is illustrated in her photos.



“I keep it plain and simple,” Kim says.  “I’d rather be poor and happy than rich and miserable.”



​However, Kim admits, “I’d also really like to take my mom on vacation.”