I’m not going to tell you what kind of ice cream I like or anything like that. Who cares. But, photography usually involves a very personal and lengthy professional relationship between me and the client so it doesn’t hurt to know a little bit about who you may be spending your wedding day with.

First off lots of clients are curious about my name because you don’t hear it very often. My first name is Kemper and my middle name is Mills, taken directly from my grandmother Willie Kemper Mills. In case you were wondering, she was the fifth of five girls and her father wanted a boy. She married Mr. Fant and that’s how you get my name…..Kemper Mills Fant.

Of course I want everyone to know that I love all animals and have an especially soft spot in my heart for dogs. That’s not hard to figure out when you’re around me for a while. My dog is Jack. He’s 100 lbs of adorable “designer” mutt, and you’re likely to see a photograph or two of him here. And because everyone asks, he’s 50% Weimaraner and 50% German Wirehaired Pointer and 100% Mad Crazy Lovable Fun. He was a bargain at $100 and I got him from one of my favorite organizations the RVSPCA.

Most people who know me also know that I love to run mountains. Just doing things outdoors is so much fun and while skiing and mountain biking and backpacking are right up there, I love running in the woods most of all. It’s simple, it’s fun, and it’s free. Well, except for shoes and race entries but that’s nothing compared to the benefits I get from staying in shape for those epic wedding day sprints. I really consider it a business necessity and that keeps me on the trails when I could easily say I have too much work.

I love my city, my community and my neighborhood and do whatever possible to promote them. So, if you happen to be my Facebook friend you will see me talking a lot about all of the super positive things that are happening here. I have a particular interest in trails and greenways and the health benefits and sense of community they bring to Roanoke. I sit on the board of Pathfinders for Greenways which is the fundraising and development organization that is responsible for the Roanoke Valley Greenways and I would love it if everyone learned more about what it takes to build this AWESOME community asset!

Finally, I love to garden. I suppose it’s mostly because I love beautiful things and I love fresh food. So if you happen to visit me here at the studio in the middle of the summer you will see a big front porch and yard full of plants with lots of color and textures. Out back is food production. Not as pretty but I love the idea of local food production and for me it starts right at home.

That’s it about me. I didn’t mention a thing about photography because that’s all over the place. I’d love to talk with you about photography. It’s what I love. It’s what I do.

Kemper :)