By Satina Tolman
For The New Era
With a keen eye for hidden beauty and a heart drawn to quiet places, Sweet Home resident Kimberli Hale is stepping into the public eye with her first-ever photography exhibit – a heartfelt visual journey decades in the making.
The exhibit, now on display at Sweet Home City Hall through July 21, features 48 photographs that stretch from the shores of Foster Lake to the rugged coastline of Oregon, and as far as Jackson Hole, Wyo.; Salmon, Idaho; Seattle; Libby, Mont., and others.
Though this is her first formal showcase, photography has been a lifelong companion for Hale. Her journey began as a child growing up in Corvallis with a Kodak 110 camera and a cube flash. She would stage photo shoots starring her dolls and stuffed animals. Today, her subjects are elements of nature: wildflowers, coastlines and butterflies.
Her lens captures the unexpected in everyday moments.
“It could even be just walking down Main Street in Sweet Home,” Hale said. “There is one of the biggest bumblebees you’ve ever seen. Most people would just walk by it or shoo it away, and I just get up close to it and capture its beauty.”
A self-taught photographer and mother of two, Hale began her professional path when her children, now in their 20s, were young. She started taking portraits of families, seniors, newborns and brides, using her talents and offering her services at low cost, wanting to help families who couldn’t afford traditional photography.
“I just believed everyone deserves to have a beautiful family portrait,” she said.
Over time, Hale’s heart was drawn to a different kind of photography; unposed, spontaneous and quietly powerful.
“There is something in me that draws me toward peaceful pictures,” she said. “Ones without a lot of people in them or noise.”
Her current work reflects that shift: landscapes, close-ups of flowers and butterflies, and wide, open scenes that evoke calm and clarity.
“How I see the world is very detailed,” she said. “I’ve been told I see things most people don’t.”
That gift is evident in the vivid colors and natural lighting of her images, which she tries to keep “straight out of the camera,” minimizing digital editing and trusting her instincts.
“Nature has always been my refuge, my inspiration and my favorite subject,” she said. “In this collection, I share the moments that made me pause. These photographs are not just images; they are pieces of peace I have gathered over time.”
Among the most meaningful pieces in the exhibit are two photographs taken at Glacier National Park in Montana. Hale visited during a particularly difficult time in her life and found healing in its stillness and grandeur.
“They hold a special place in my heart,” she said.
Also dear to her are the swallowtail butterfly images, which were her first foray into nature photography.
“When I saw those pictures, I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, I can do this!’”
Although she started out shooting with film, Hale switched to a Nikon DSLR (digital single-lens reflex) camera, enjoying the versatility of interchangeable lenses and the ability to capture life’s fleeting, unposed moments. While she found early inspiration in the vivid color and sharp focus of photographers such as Anne Geddes, it’s her own sense of wonder that guides her work.
“I aim to capture the beauty that surrounds us every day but is so often overlooked,” she said.
Visitors to the exhibit may find themselves quietly drawn in by the stillness in Hale’s images; the way a mountain is reflected in water, the hush of a misty morning by the lake, or a pop of color in a forgotten corner of a familiar place.
Ultimately, Hale hopes her work inspires reflection.
“I want people to feel peace when they look at my photographs,” she said. “To be reminded that there are still beautiful, calm places in the world.”
Hale’s photographs are on display at Sweet Home City Hall, 3225 Main St., through July 21. The gallery shows are coordinated by SHOCASE. Viewing hours are Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Admission is free, and her photographs are available for purchase.