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ABOUT
Born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky, she studied journalism and fine art photography at The University of Kentucky. After finishing her studies in 1994 and winning the William Randolph Hearst Competition for photojournalism, Ballard moved to Washington, D.C. and worked for 16 years as a photojournalist for newspapers and magazines.
With a long-held interest in movies and television and several key film credits under her belt, Ballard made the move west to Los Angeles in 2009 to continue her pursuit in the industry and to work on personal documentary projects.
Ballard now has more than thirty major film credits and has solidified her place in Hollywood as a go to unit still photographer. Spielberg was the first, but she has since worked with other legendary directors including Edward Zwick, Philip Kaufman, Christopher McQuarrie, Sylvester Stallone and Marc Forster among others. Some of her leading actors include Sylvester Stallone as Rambo, Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher, Daniel Craig as James Bond, Mark Wahlberg as Father Stu, Nicole Kidman and Clive Owen as Hemingway & Gellhorn, and Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston who play competing news anchors on Apple TV’s The Morning Show.
Karen is a member of the International Cinematographer’s Guild, (ICG Local 600), and The Society of Motion Picture Still Photographers (SMPSP). In the summer of 2020, the Los Angeles group “Women in Film” honored her as an ‘outstanding professional in the motion picture industry’ and depicted her in a worldwide social media campaign with her picture on a movie poster accompanied by the slogan “For Your Consideration.”
The Saatchi designed campaign included comments from some of the legends she has photographed. Daniel Craig said, “I’ve been lucky enough to work with Karen on three movies. She is one of the best!” Sylvester Stallone said, “Karen is a very special talent, not only does she see the artistry through the lens, but also has the uncanny ability to capture the energy of the moment. Frankly I’m jealous!” Director and actor David Oyelowo said Ballard is, “A Huntress of Human Emotion”.
Karen Ballard’s work has been exhibited at the Smithsonian’s American History Museum in Washington, D.C., the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) and The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Beverly Hills. Her long term personal project on Venice, California, was shown at VISA POUR L’IMAGE in Perpignan, France in the fall of 2024.
