South County Profile: Katina Matheson

KATINA MATHESON

Katina Matheson and her family moved to Shasta County two years ago to get away from the rat race of the city and to raise a family in a rural area.

Matheson owns her own photography business and has been working in the field for the past five years. Matheson enjoys doing senior portraits, nature photography, sports photography and pictures of newborns. Her favorites to shoot are photos that are timeless photos that are not typical of others. Matheson takes all opportunities to take pictures where ever she may be and enjoys using nature and textured backgrounds that are surrounded by the opportunities that nature has presented to her. These make for a nice photo that her clients will be happy with, she said. Matheson also does some commercial photography work, including Web site design and compact disc covers for special family projects. But she enjoys all aspects of her job.

Matheson enjoys taking pictures for her customers that have a personal touch to each one and not something that has been taken in a studio environment. She doesn't want her customers to feel that they are just another number, but are important to her. Matheson's advertising is done by word of mouth and also through repeat customers and building a personal relationship with them.

Matheson's advice for those that would like to go into the photography businesses is to find a field that you are passionate about and make time for your passion. Take the time and live for it. Matheson spends about ten hours a week shooting photos plus working on her digital darkroom and Web sites.

Matheson and her husband, Doug, are licensed foster parents through Shasta County and enjoy having a full house.

Matheson is a 1990 graduate from North Salinas High School. She then attended Hartnell Junior College, earning her Associates in Arts degree in Chemistry. She then went on to study Marine Biology at Sonoma State University. After taking some classes, Matheson decided that she was happier being creative with her work and the passion of photography took over. It allows her to use her creative and analytical side at the same time, and she said that the technical side satisfies the creative side of her work.

Matheson and her husband, Doug, have been married for 15 years and have a son named Dylan. They live in Cottonwood and enjoy the area because of the close knit atmosphere of living in a small town.

Name: Katina Matheson.

Born where and when: Salinas, 1972.

Marital Status: Married for 15 years.

Family: Husband Doug, son Dylan, and we are Foster Parents so our house is always full.

Pets: One cat, one dog, two horses and too many chickens.

My worst job: Data entry.

My first job: Camp councilor.

In my spare time I: What spare time?

My favorite book: The Twilight Series is my latest guilty pleasure.

My favorite recording artist: Pat Green.

My dream car: A big truck with big tires with a big boat on the back.

My friends like me because: I'm not high maintenance - I'm there when you need me.

If stranded on a deserted island, I would want: My camera with an endless supply of memory cards.

The one thing in life I've learned is: Happiness is not something you find, it is something you create.

The best advice my parents gave me: My mom taught me to go after my dreams, don't be afraid to try new things and that family is the most important thing.

My most embarrassing moment: Um, nothing I am ready to repeat.

My most irrational act: Spontaneously moving to Utah to work at a ski resort.

My most valued material possession: Family pictures.

What I like best about the North State: The beautiful surroundings and no traffic jams.

My hero is: My Grandma Joan.

My pet peeve is: Dust. It just keeps coming back.

My fantasy is: A quiet house.

If I could change one thing about myself, I would: Increase my self-control around baked goods.

The one thing Shasta County needs most is: As everywhere right now needs, is a surge in the economy.

The most enjoyable thing in life is: As a parent, watching my boy grow and change and experience life.