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A 2ND ACT FRONTDOORS MAGAZINE | 47 A snapshot of the work of Kids in Focus founder Karen Shell BY JULIE COLEMAN W hen you open the photo album depicting Karen Shell’s life to date, you see images that tell a story of tenacity, drive and resilience. The photos do not emphasize her more than three decades as a successful, award-winning freelance commercial photographer. Instead, they shine light on her support of others and how this mainstay in her life began when she was a child. “I experienced a challenging and abusive childhood, and it gave me the desire and drive at a young age to want to help others,” Shell said. “So even while I was still living through some of it, I was actively seeking that out.” Shell’s work with those in need began when she spent a few hours on a Saturday with kids at the Vista Colina Family Shelter. When it was time for her to go, the kids wrapped their arms around her legs to prevent her from leaving. The touching experience left Shell wanting to do more, despite being “broker than broke” because she had not yet begun building her photography business. Still, she successfully harnessed her idea to provide a new swing set for the kids, realizing how easy it was to make A Picture’s Worth Pic 09 - Photo by Claudia Johnstone Karen Shell and a group of kids review images while on a Kids in Focus field trip. Photo by Dennis Scully