When nominated in September, Conley believed there was no way she would win, since she was up against the best photographers in Fort Mill. “It is a great achievement for me, especially with the amazing year we have had,” she said. During 2011, Conley undertook the 365 Project. She took a photograph every day, documenting the year in pictures. She posted the pictures nightly on her blog and on Facebook for all her fans to see. The task seemed daunting in the beginning of 2011, but coming up on day 365, she could not believe how fast the year had actually gone by. Many of Conley’s photos were taken in the Fort Mill area, including downtown Fort Mill, Baxter Village, Anne Springs Close Greenway and other locations. Others were taken in Indian Land on Henry Harris Road, Possum Hollow Road and in downtown Lancaster, including a photo of the historic Lancaster County courthouse that she snapped while on a tour there with the Indian Land Rotary Club. With this project behind her, Conley said she is looking forward to 2012 and the opportunities that 2011 opened up for her. She has been a photographer since 2004, but started Yah Photography in 2010. Yah stands for “young at heart.” “The name came about because I always want to have a child-like sense of creativity and love of life,” Conley said. She says this quote from Chris Hughes sums it up perfectly: “For better or worse, I never let go of the uninhibited feeling a child has when they imagine and create.” Conley lives in Indian Land with her husband, Robbie, and two dogs, Brody and Blitz. When she is not taking photographs, she works as a relationship banker at the Indian Land BB&T. Conley is booking weddings and portrait sessions for the spring and fall of 2012. Visit her webpage, www.yahphotos.com, where you can access her blog and Facebook page to see her 365 Project photos and her Best of 2011 award.
Featured in the Paper!! /
So exciting... we were in the Lancaster News, and the Carolina Gateway paper!!Here is the article text if you can't read it from the photo:
Kelli Conley of Yah Photography ended 2011 on a great note when she learned she had won best photographer of the year from My Carolina Town magazine.