KIRSTEN LEWIS

photographer  I  educator  i keynote speaker  

Kirsten Rebekah Bethmann, aka Kirsten Lewis, is an international photographer, educator and public speaker based in Colorado. Over the last 2 decades she has traveled to over 40 countries to work with organizations, non profits, companies and individuals creating documentary based pictures to aid in fundraising, advertising, awareness and personal family archive builds. In addition to photography, she has given over 80 presentations globally in the last 12 years of her career. 

Kirsten’s experience in the education field spans as long as her photographic career. In 2002 she graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a degree in child psychology, a concentration in learning and cognition and a minor in fine art. Since then she has taught in the public school system, on Creative Live and Craftsy Inc, with the Dallas Center of Photography, the Foundation Workshops, Documentary Family Retreats. with countless photography conferences and privately through Kirsten Lewis Education.

Kirsten’s work has appeared in The Huffington Post, The Washington Post, SLR Lounge, Range Finder, Herald Extra, Richmond Magazine, Style Weekly, Chew On This Magazine, Downtown Guide RVA, Go West, R.Home, The North Beach Sun and Eltern Magazin. Notable clients include the Joe Biden campaign and Amazon Studios.

Kirsten is a brand ambassador for Pixellu, Shoot Proof, The Image Salon, Honey Book and Think Tank.

Kirsten is attributed to being the primary force in the documentary family photography genre of photography. In 2014 she taught her very first class Modern Storytelling, Family Photography on Creative Live. She shared her unorthodox approach to commercial family photography after 8 seasons of popularizing her real life beach portraits and Day In The Life sessions in the Outer Banks, NC. From that class, a genre of photography was embraced by photographers around the world: Documentary Family Photography, an alternative to the family portrait. Following the success of that class Kirsten went on to teach two follow-up classes which have garnered upwards of one million views. Kirsten now co-owns the Documentary Family Awards with Jenna and Tristan Shouldice.

© Winni Carter Photography

professional

cv

Ash Gilbertson & Ed Kashi Mentorship, New York City
June 2018
Participating student during a private mentoring workshop

David Alan Harvey 6 Month Mentorship
January 2018 — June 2018
Participating student during a 6 month long mentoring program

Bachelors Degree in Child Psychology I Concentration in Learning, Cognition & Development
Minor in Art Foundation, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Va
September 1998 — June 2002
Graduated with a concentration in learning and cognition.

2024
    Denver, CO 6 month Long Advanced Group Mentoring - The PIVOT
    Lawrence, KS Foundation Workshop


2023
    Denver, CO Year Long Advanced Group Mentoring - The Roundtable
    Prague, Czech Republic. Storytelling & Assignment Based Workshop w/Ash Radditz & Jenna Shouldice
    Boulder, CO Assignment Based Workshop - The Sleepover
    Lawrence, KS Foundation Workshop 
    

2022
    Denver, CO Year Long Advanced Group Mentoring - Photographer’s Narrative II
    Denver, CO Year Long Group Mentoring - No More F*$%ing Around
    Denver, CO Compositional Storytelling - 5 week Class With Dallas Center for Photography
    Dublin, Ireland Storytelling Workshop - Assignment Based
    New Orleans, LA Storytelling Workshop - Assignment Based
    Miami, Fl Storytelling Workshop - Assignment Based
    Kansas City, MO Camp Wirkshop w/Tyler Wirken - Camp Encourage for Autism
    Denver, CO Assignment Based Workshop - The Sleepover

2021
    Denver, CO Year Long Advanced Group Mentoring - Photographer’s Narrative II
    Denver, CO Year Long Group Mentoring - No More F*$%ing Around
    Denver, CO Compositional Storytelling - 5 week Class With Dallas Center for Photography
    Denver, CO All About Light - 6 week online class 
    Denver, CO All About Moment - 6 week online class 
    Denver, CO All About Composition - 6 week online class 
    Denver, CO Everyone Has A Story w/Tyler Wirken - 6 Month Program

2020
    Denver, CO Year Long Advanced Group Mentoring - Photographer’s Narrative II
    Denver, CO Year Long Group Mentoring - No More F*$%ing Around
    Denver, CO Nothing Is Better Than Real Life - 5 week Class With Dallas Center for Photography
    Denver, CO Dallas Center of Photography Round Table with Ed Kashi and Nancy Borowick

2019
    Denver, CO Year Long Advanced Group Mentoring - Personal Narrative
    Denver, CO Year Long Group Mentoring - Visual Storytelling for the Documentary
    Salt Lake City, UT Storytelling Workshop - Assignment Based
    Guadalajara, Mx Storytelling Workshop - Assignment Based
    Warsaw, Poland Storytelling Workshop - Assignment Based
    Gent, Belgium Creativity Workshop

 2018 
    Glenn Rose, TX Foundation Workshop (2013-present)
    Denver, CO Workshop I Creativity & Personal Perspective
    Mumbai, India Workshop I Documentary Family Photography
    Mumbai, India Group Critique with Lanny Mann
    Mumbai, India 1 Day Real Life For Women with Erika Mann and Davina Shouldice
    Oterleek, Netherlands Retreat I Documentary Family Photography with Jenna Shouldice
    Scherpenzeel, Neth Workshop I Advanced -In The Field- Storytelling with Jenna Shouldice
    Queretaro, MX Workshop I Documentary Family Photography 
    Denver, CO Year Long Group Mentoring - Visual Storytelling for the Documentary Photographer
    
2017
    Barcelona, Spain The Rural Workshop
    Florence, Italy Private Photography Mentoring
    London, UK Documentary Family Photography Workshop with Jenna Shouldice 
    Budapest, Hungary Conference Masterclass
    Oberwesel, Germany Documentary Family Photography Retreat with Jenna Shouldice 
    Buenos Aires, Argentina FDF Photography Masterclass
    Denver, CO Online Group Mentoring & Private One on One Mentoring
    Denver, CO Workshop I In Home Sessions
    ONLINE Clickin Moms Breakout Class “Making Moment Driven Pictures”
    Seattle, WA Creative Live I The Business of Documentary Family Photography


2016
    Seattle, Wa Creative Live I Photojournalism in the Home
    Austin, TX Documentary Family Photography Retreat with Jenna Shouldice 
    Calgary, CA Documentary Family Photography Retreat with Jenna Shouldice 
    Denver, CO Online Group Mentoring & Private One on One Mentoring

2015
    Brisbane, Australia Documentary Family Photography Retreat with Jenna Shouldice 
    Queenstown, NZ Documentary Family Photography Retreat with Jenna Shouldice 
    Dubai Private Photography Mentoring
    Rome, Italy Documentary Family Photography Workshop
    Copenhagen, Denmark Private Photography Mentoring
    Breckenridge, CO Documentary Family Photography Retreat with Jenna Shouldice (2 sessions)
    Denver, CO Online Group Mentoring & Private One on One Mentoring
    
2014
    Seattle, Washington. Creative Live 3 Day Class
    Denver, CO Craftsy Online Class

2013
    San Miguel, Mexico Documentary Family Photography Workshop
    Cabos San Lucas, Mexico Documentary Family Photography Workshop
    Edmonton, Canada Documentary Family Photography Workshop
    Seville, Spain Family Photography Masterclass

2012
    Kansas City, MO Documentary Family Photography Workshop with Tyler Wirken
    Kitty Hawk, NC Private Photography Mentoring

Principal Photographer at Kirsten Lewis Photographer, boulder, Co
May 2001 — Present
Photography for private commissions, local and global publications, independent films, businesses and non-profits.

Educator at Kirsten Lewis Education, boulder, co
January 2014 — Present
Private photography educator and mentor online and in-person for over 1500 students around the world

Contract Educator at Dallas Center of Photography, Dallas, TX
September 2020 — Present
Educator for various online photography courses

Lead Mentor / Team Educator at Foundation Workshops
February 2013 — Present
Photography educator/mentor for a team of students annually

Educator / Creative Live
2014— 2018
Photography educator/mentor for a team of students annually

Contract Photographer at Richmond Magazine, Richmond, Va
January 2004 — October 2013
Assignment photographer

K-5 Elementary Education Teacher - richmond Public Schools System, richmond, va 
August 2004 - August 2007
Kindergarten, 1st Grade & Self Contained Classroom Educator

Co Star Group
august 2007 - august 2008
lead photographer

Resource Instructor - Palm BeachCounty Public School Systems, Boca Raton, FL
August 1996 - August 1999
Dance and Musical Theater Program Director

South Florida Children’s Theater - Palm Beach / Ft. Lauderdale / Miami, FL
August 1996 - August 1999
Lead Actor, singer, dancer

education

employment history

featured teaching history