A Day in the Life with K.C. Bailey

By Pauline Rogers

July 10, 2020

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Local 600 Unit Still Photographer K.C. Bailey (Once Upon a Time in Staten Island, Clifford the Big Red Dog, The Half of It, Lady and the Tramp, Set it Up) is waiting out the pandemic at her home in Shelter Island, NY, home to The Nature Conservancy’s Mashomack Preserve, where Bailey says the shutdown has provided the opportunity to explore her passion for photographing animals, dogs and, most of all, birds.

Here’s a recent day in K.C.’s life, told through her images and words.

K.C.’s day begins with a walk on the beach with her husband, Local 600 Director of Photography Steve Kazmierski and their dog, Addie. A quick cup of coffee and she’s off with her new Sony 100-400 zoom and extender for some birding time.

Bailey earned a gold star as a citizen/scientist finding and reporting a tagged endangered piping plover (above). The USGS Bird Banding Lab and the Virginia Tech Shorebird Program were thrilled to get the info, banding the bird in July 2018 on Cape Hatteras National Seashore, NC.

A prairie warbler.

Afternoons are spent editing some 1700 images shot each day, which she then sends to elders around the Island who are in the COVID-19 at-risk group. “They are so isolated. It’s humbling to hear how grateful they are to get a little beauty in their lives and get a glimpse of the outdoors.”

The doggie jamboree.

By day’s end K.C., Steve and Addie are off to the “Doggie Jamboree” at Wade’s Beach, which she describes as “a spontaneous joyous romp for dogs and their owners.” K.C. says the best part is the “intersection of folks from all walks of life, connected by the love of dogs. We have teachers, journalists, a grant writer, a building inspector, an oyster purveyor, a retired CNN newscaster, artists. I’ve been photographing there for years.”

Enzo.

K.C. says her images from the Doogie Jamboree have not gone unnoticed in her professional life as a still photographer in the film and television industry. “The eagle-eyed Riki Leigh Arnold [Senior Photo Editor, Walt Disney Picture] took note and hired me to do Lady and the Tramp. Who knew my love of dogs would lead to such an amazing job?”

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