About
About David Kim, Calgary photographer and videographer
I'm David Kim, and I run Idle Hands Media, a Calgary photo and video studio. Before I picked up a camera for work, I spent years in hospitality, and that's still the lens I shoot through.
My story
Why I started Idle Hands Media
Hospitality taught me how much goes into a good night out. Someone picks the music, someone trains the staff, someone stays late to get the lighting right. Then the photos on the website don't show any of it.
I started Idle Hands Media to close that gap. I wanted to make photos and video for restaurants, taprooms, venues and tour operators that look like the place feels when you're standing in it: warm, busy, and full of the people who make it work.
Working in the industry means I know how to shoot around a dinner service without getting in anyone's way, which dishes need to go out first, and why a quiet Tuesday afternoon is often the best time to shoot a dining room. It also means I understand what owners need the content for: a menu refresh, a new listing, a slow season, a launch.
Weddings and events came naturally after that. A reception is a lot like a busy Saturday service. There is a plan, a room full of people, and a handful of moments you only get once.
How I work
Natural light where possible, real guests over staged ones, and a plan agreed before the shoot so nobody is guessing on the day.
I plan around your business
Shoots fit around your service hours, your staff and your guests.
I shoot for where it will be used
Website, menus, Instagram, ads or print. Each one gets the right crop and format.
I keep it personal
You deal with me directly. Nobody hands your project off to someone you haven't met.
Let's talk about your place
Tell me what you're working on and I'll come back with ideas and a custom quote.