Part of 4-H’s mission is to “help youth develop skills that benefit them throughout life.” Kristen Hocker is a former member who honed her skills in a 4-H project that matched her personal love: photography. Since finishing her years as a 4-H member, she has continued her 4-H experience by starting All ‘Bout You (A.B.U.) Photography.

For much of her life, Kristen knew she enjoyed photography. During a “People to People” ambassador trip to Australia and New Zealand, she realized how much she delighted in taking photos of the majestic landscapes. To this day, she still likes to take volumes of pictures, freezing each fleeting moment in time for posterity.

Like many first-time entrepreneurs, Kristen didn’t envision being a businessperson throughout her life. She received her inspiration from a school project while attending Longview Community College. While taking a computers and design course, she was required to create a business advertisement for a class project. Instead of leaving the project as a homework assignment, she decided to use her grade “A” material in real life to sell some of her own work.

Kristen is an example of an entrepreneur who supplements her regular income with a home-based venture. She has always held a primary job elsewhere, trying to earn enough money to purchase a house some day, complete with darkroom for picture development.

Like all ventures, Kristen’s photography business hasn’t always been easy. There is pressure to get perfect pictures at special occasions, with only one chance to get it right. Sometimes if pictures don’t turn out correctly, extensive corrective work has to be performed. One of her first big jobs was photographing a wedding, filling in for a photographer who had to back out at the last minute. With little time to prepare, she noticed that many of her pictures turned out yellow because of fluorescent lighting in the room. To salvage the couple’s wedding images, she had to digitally and painstakingly correct all of the pictures.

4-H has been a large part of Kristen’s upbringing since she joined in 6th grade. As a home school student, Kristen found that she was doing more through 4-H than her friends in public schools. She quickly came to appreciate the opportunities for traveling to state and national events. She has been recognized at the Missouri State Fair for her photography, which she says was “ego boosting.” She was inspired to run for State 4-H Council, and was elected secretary. Her 4-H participation also led to a work experience with former Gov. Bob Holden.

“I give 4-H a lot of credit for ‘me,’” says Kristen. She saw how useful 4-H can be for building self-esteem through inclusion. “It helped give me confidence. I saw how it helped give my brother who had a learning disability confidence. I’ve never seen 4-H people being judgmental.” She also experienced diversity through 4-H events which included making friends with minority participants through Lincoln University. Through 4-H, she’s seen differences in people who were still able to get along together.

As for advice for other young aspiring photographers, Kristen says, “Don’t doubt yourself.” But she adds, “Do take criticism to heart because you can grow from it. Learn lessons that way. There’s so much you can learn from others.” She suggests that if you are interested in learning about the photography profession you should “take a job with another photographer for a while to learn. Keep with it if you love doing it!”
 

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If you know a 4-H alumnus who has applied their “Clover experience” to becoming a successful entrepreneur, please contact Adam Lofti at acl7f4@mizzou.edu  or 573-884-7929.