We were lucky to catch up with Kya Liann recently and have shared our conversation below.

Kya, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?

Honestly, I’m much happier as a business owner, but I’m truly my happiest as a creative first. That’s the piece that grounds me when the to-do list feels endless or burnout creeps in. When I shift my focus back to creating, back to the magic of documenting connection and emotion, it’s like everything else slowly starts to realign. The admin work, the scheduling, the overwhelm… it softens a little when I remember why I’m here in the first place.

That being said, I think we’d all be lying if we said we never daydreamed about the simplicity of a “regular job,” the kind where someone else sets the schedule, the expectations, the rules. I’ve absolutely been there. In my 10+ years doing this, I’ve taken detours. I went through a month-long training to become a flight attendant. I enrolled in college to be a teacher (and unenrolled two hours into my first class). I even accepted a job and quit on the very first day. I’ve tried to step away, and every time, something in me pulls me right back.

But that quiet voice inside always comes back louder. The one that says: this is who you are. Creativity has always been the truest version of me. And the wild thing is, it finds me even when I’m not looking. Whether I’m behind a camera or dreaming up a shoot or just journaling for myself, that spark always shows up.

Owning a business is hard. Being your own boss sounds dreamy until real life hits, until grief, burnout, or anxiety make it hard to even open your inbox. But learning to protect your peace, prioritize your mental health, and honor your creative rhythms? That’s what transforms this from “is this right for me?” to “this is where I’m meant to be.”

So yes, I’ve wandered. I’ve questioned. I’ve tried to be someone else. But the truth is, the path has always lit up brightest when I’m standing right here, doing this.

Kya, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I often say this work runs in my blood. My great-great-grandfather, Wallace Kirkland, was a photographer for LIFE magazine. He defined happiness as “being busy at the thing you like to do,” and I carry those words with me every time I pick up my camera. Like him, I am a photographer. And I am happiest when I’m busy doing this work that I love.

But my path into photography wasn’t a straight line; it was more of a calling that kept finding its way back to me. I was that kid running around with a disposable camera, turning sleepovers into photoshoots and long walks into wildlife adventures. In 2010, friends and family started asking me to take their photos, and something clicked; it felt like coming home. Then came crashing weddings with my best friend, directing music videos, capturing our first destination wedding in Hawaii… and now, over a decade later, I’m still chasing light and emotion with the same wonder I had as a kid.

As an empath, I feel things deeply, and that’s what makes my work what it is. I don’t just snap a photo. I notice the tiny gestures, the in-between silences, the softness in a glance. I document how it felt to be there, not just what it looked like. And I believe those are the memories that matter most. Whether it’s a wedding, a family story, or a quiet moment of self-love, I’m there to hold space and preserve the beauty of the present.

My style is deeply influenced by my love for cinematic storytelling, films like Pride and Prejudice that speak through light, pacing, and feeling. I strive for that same emotional richness in my work: poetic, immersive, and rooted in authenticity.

I’m most proud of the connections I’ve built through this work. The people who invite me into some of their most sacred, joyful, or transitional seasons. I get to create something that lasts, a visual memory that brings comfort, nostalgia, and presence for years to come.

What sets me apart isn’t just the way I shoot, it’s the way I feel. My clients aren’t just subjects; they’re stories, relationships, and emotions I hold with care. My role isn’t to chase perfection, but to create something real, honest, and deeply meaningful.

If there’s one thing I hope people know about my work, it’s that it’s not just about pretty pictures. It’s about helping you remember. The love, the emotion, the connection. Your people. Your story. Your life, just as it is, because that’s the real magic.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

They say the thing you needed most as a child often becomes your power later in life, and for me, it was the need to feel understood and fully seen, just as I was. That longing has become the heart of my work today.

As an empath, my heart is closely tied to the lens. I feel everything—deeply—and that sensitivity is what allows me to connect with the people I photograph on a soul level. My mission isn’t just to take beautiful photos. It’s to help others feel seen, heard, and honored in whatever season of life they’re in.

Whether it’s a wedding day surrounded by generations of love, a cozy session at home with toys scattered across the floor, a couple sharing food that brings them back to the roots of their story, or a pet who is more like a child than an animal, every piece of your life deserves to be celebrated. The quiet, the messy, the in-between. That’s the magic I’m drawn to, and that’s the magic I’m here to preserve.

Helping people feel seen, not just visually, but emotionally, is the core of everything I do. That’s my why. That’s my mission. And I feel so honored that this work allows me to show up for others in that way.

We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.

Like most people, I think your 20s are a whirlwind of trying to figure out who you are, where you belong, and what you actually want from this life. It’s messy and magical, full of unlearning, experimenting, and collecting pieces of yourself along the way. And for me, photography wasn’t just a side hustle that became my career, it was a thread that kept pulling me back through every twist and turn.

I’ve done it all. I’ve been a nanny, a teacher, a barista, a manager at Bath & Body Works, worked in greenhouses, Toys R Us’ game department, warehouses, as a receptionist at a tennis course, and even picked up dog poop at dog shows, in front of an audience, no less. I trained to be a flight attendant, almost went back to school to be a teacher, and at one point thought maybe I’d just go back to something “secure.” But through every job, I was learning. I was connecting. I was building resilience and compassion and discovering the kind of life I didn’t want, which led me closer to the one I did.

Photography started as something I loved, a way to feel connected to the world and to others. In the early years, I was taking photos for friends and family, running around with a camera like it was an extension of my heart. As time went on, it slowly became more than a passion. It became a lifeline, a source of purpose, and eventually, my career.

There wasn’t one big moment where everything changed. It was a million tiny choices. Saying yes to sessions. Taking risks. Learning how to run a business while still trying to figure out how to “adult.” There were seasons of burnout, self-doubt, and wondering if I was doing the right thing. But each job before this one, each experience, helped shape the way I now meet my clients, with empathy, intention, and heart.

One day, I realized: we’re all just figuring this out as we go. This is all a first-time-through kind of life. So why not chase the thing that sets your soul on fire?

This work—the documenting of honest, real, emotional moments—is that thing for me. And I’m endlessly grateful it found me, over and over, until I was ready to say: this is it. This is what I’m here for.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kyaliann.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kyaliann
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kyaliann
• Other: https://www.pinterest.com/kyaliann/
  https://www.instagram.com/boudoirbykyaliann/

Image Credits

Kya Liann