Photographer had a vision for her new business

Kali Rushing has a thing about visions. When she has one, she keeps it. “I tend to see things in my mind first and then make it happen as I see it,” Rushing said.

She’d been seeing her photography studio in downtown Atlanta for eight years, she said. Two weeks ago, Kali Rushing Photography opened its doors.

Never mind that in March the COVID-19 virus hit just as she, relatives and friends were building the studio in the former Charles Peacock barbershop on East Hiram Street. Everything closed down, but Kali kept building.

By June, the stylish studio was finished, and Rushing is pressing forward, knowing that sometimes starting a business in bad times turns out to be a good thing.

She says her business vision is one of preserving memories for loyal clients. Her favorite photographic subject is newborn babies, perhaps from six to 12 days old.

“They are still sleeping and every so often need to be cuddled or fed, so photographing them is a little harder, takes more effort and is time consuming. But it’s what I most enjoy,” she said.

That first task was not so easy. When she photographed her first newborns eight years ago, the results were terrible, she said.

“I stopped entirely and told myself to learn how to do this better. That’s what I do with my visions. I work to make them good.”

Now, she said, the baby shots are successful. “I do everything for the client. I just say to the parents to sit back and take a breather while I do the rest. All props and wraps I provide.”

The first turning point toward this professional career came for the 2008 Queen City High School graduate when she was a freshman at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana.

“I took an introductory class in photography and found I really liked it. I realized I could do this for a living one day. After learning the basics of the camera, I could preserve memories, create a loyal client base and have them return to let me help them keep those fleeting moments.”

Kali, who had photographed weddings, special occasions and high school seniors from her home, also works three days a week as office manager at the Atlanta Area Chamber of Commerce.

She credits her father Jim Davenport, grandfather Jim Fletcher, friends Kacie and Meyer Matthews, Kendell Wolfe, who is also her landlord, and many others with making her photo studio come to life. She also includes the local support of businesses such as Lone Star Flooring, Price Hardware and Dean McDuff Electrical.

She recalls spending 10 hours to white-wash one large wall in the studio to make it look like white brick instead of paneling.

“It was my vision that this was the most important wall in the studio.,” she said.

Kali adds that she has one final vision.

“I just want to say that my relationship with Jesus is also a big part of the vision I have for my life.”

Photos by Neil Abeles ■ ABOVE: It took only one course in college her freshman year for Kali Rushing to believe she could be a professional photographer. But it also took work and a vision, she says now, some eight years later. ■ RIGHT: The studio window tells it all for Kali Rushing and her new photographic studio. Her favorite work is photographing babies.

■ LEFT: Kali Rushing relaxes in the customer area in her photographic studio on East Hiram in Atlanta which is especially comfortable. Part of Rushing’s business skill is decorative interiors. The brick wall in the background is actually paneling painted and remodeled by Rushing.