Interview 4 Inspiration- Kevin Sheehan- Kevin Patrick Photography

Name-
Kevin Sheehan

 
Can you tell us a little bit about your background?

I grew up in Upstate NY, Ballston Spa to be specific. At the age of 26 I took a job which transferred me to a town just south of Houston Tx named “Pearland” (which I always found odd because I never saw a pear there). In the time I lived there, I married the woman of my dreams, who then re-ignited my passion for photography by purchasing me a Canon SLR for my birthday. Four years into our Texas residency, and hundreds of photo shoots later, we were blessed with the news of a baby girl on the way. This news quickly made us sell our home, and move back to Upstate NY so we could raise our daughter close to family. That brings us to today where I am keeping busy between my “weekday” job as a lead programmer, my “weekend” job as a photographer, and my “everyday” job of being a father and husband.
 

What are you currently focusing your energy on in your life?

Certainly raising my daughter, learning my new job, and making sure that I make time in a sometimes busy schedule for family. I also often find myself trying to fine tune my knowledge of photography. From equipment, to technique, to post processing… there is always something more to learn.
 

What does a typical day look like for you?

As most parents can attest to, a typical day consists of a routine that at some point was laid out by your child. If there is one thing we’ve found in our case, it’s that a good routine makes for a happy child. Most weekends we try to make it to one of the Grandma and Grandpa’s houses, which is always a nice break from the norm.
 

What are your favorite family or solo activities?

Most recently, we’ve enjoyed getting out and taking advantage of the beautiful Fall scenery Upstate NY has to offer. Picking apples and going to a huge Pumpkin Patch in Esperance NY has now become a family tradition. Naturally the trips turn into a photo shoot at one point or another.

When you hear the word happiness what is the first thing that comes to mind?

Having people there to support you while you follow your passion.
 

What makes you beautiful?

Beautiful is never really a word I use to describe myself… I’d typically say I’m devilishly handsome, debonair, dapper, suave and aristocratic… Ok, I’m really not that full of myself, and my wife laughing as I respond thankfully keeps me that way. 
 

What was a favorite activity of yours as a child?

I was big into baseball, and played shortstop and pitcher from the minor league up till Babe Ruth league. In my mind I was always throwing as fast as Doc Gooden, and playing defense like Ozzie Smith… although the home videos I watched recently proved those memories to be slightly exaggerated. 
 

If you could get paid to do anything what would it be?

Other than playing shortstop for the Yankees? I would love to open a event photography company someday, but in all honesty I currently have the best of both worlds. I work a job I enjoy doing, in the Information Technology field, and on the side I dabble in a hobby I enjoy as well.
 

What is one area of your life you would like to improve?

I would like to set aside more “me time” for things like physical fitness, and doing landscape photography for enjoyment rather than profit. 
 

What is one responsibility you would love for someone else to take over?

Landscaping my back yard. I’m horrible when it comes to that sort of work. Anything other than turning on the sprinklers or mowing the lawn is beyond me.
 

Celebrating in life can bring so much joy!  Do you have a favorite holiday you celebrate?

A year ago my answer would have been Christmas, but this was changed when my Daughter was born on Thanksgiving Day. That holiday has a whole new reason to be thankful.

What favorite tradition have you passed down to your children?

None as of yet, but I plan on passing along a few as she gets older. One of which would be putting green dye in the milk St.Patrick’s Day morning to show that the Leprechauns came. Another is opening one gift every Christmas Eve which always turned out to be a new set of pajamas. These are just a couple of the things I always looked forward as a child.
 

What is one life lesson you have learned and would like to share with others?

When I was faced with selling a house in Houston, quitting a great job, and moving 1800 miles all in a bad economy… I was able to imagine several horrible situations, all of which didn’t come close to occuring. I’ve learned that worrying nothing more than a misuse of my imagination.
 

How can others best give you support?

Please make checks payable to Kevin Sheehan… Just kidding. I guess the best way to support me would be simply being there to listen when I need someone to talk to. I am lucky to have a wife who is amazing at this, and I can learn from, so hopefully I can do the same for her.

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Thank you Kevin for sharing with us, and for capturing beauty, emotion, and memories one picture at a time!