We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Makenzie Blake a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Makenzie, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s the best or worst investment you’ve made (either in terms of time or money)? (Note, these responses are only intended as entertainment and shouldn’t be construed as investment advice)

The best investment I made for my business was taking the time to sit down and really learn my camera and Lightroom (the editing software I use). I believe that giving yourself time to learn and grow in ways you weren’t sure were possible is vital to having a successful business. Understanding that you can always learn and being patient with yourself when you don’t get it right the first time is hard but so important. When I started taking photos, I would get so frustrated when my photos didn’t look like other photographers that I followed on Instagram, but I lacked the knowledge and experience that they had. I eventually realized that I needed to be patient with myself and practice, practice, practice.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Hi!!! I’m Kenzie and I own and operate Kenzie Paige Photography. I am currently a student at Oklahoma State University, but I call Dallas, TX home. I started my photography business in April of 2020, so I have almost 3 years of experience under my belt! I am a lifestyle photographer that loves capturing the candid, raw moments. I take photos of just about everything, but I LOVE love, so my favorite shoots are definitely couple shoots. I have the most experience in Senior/Portrait photography. I am most proud of my ability to create images that are meaningful and unique.

Have you ever had to pivot?

A time that I really had to pivot and make changes to my business is when I moved to Oklahoma. I would say that I am still in this time period of change and adjustment since I haven’t fully been through every season of college yet. As I am wrapping up my first year in college, I have been able to look back and see so much growth. I had to figure out how to balance school, my business, my sorority, and a social life. On top of trying to balance these responsibilities, I had many challenges, mental health struggles, and opportunities to overcome limits that I didn’t know I had placed on myself. I think this time period has been hard but so beneficial. Moving a business to a whole new state that I only knew a handful of people in was a scary challenge, but I would say that it made me grow in ways I never knew were possible.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

Since I started Kenzie Paige Photography when I was 16, my journey looks a little bit different than most. I had always been interested in creating digital content, so it wasn’t a shock to my grandparents when I asked to borrow their Cannon Rebel. I played around with different settings, locations, and models. I fell in love with creating and the process of editing afterwards. My grandparents have always been my biggest supporters and have done everything in their power to help me succeed. They ended up buying me a better camera since they could tell how much interested I had taken into this new hobby. After about 2 years of using that camera, I had saved up to buy a mirrorless camera and all my current gear. I couldn’t have started my business without the positive words, motivation, and financial help from my grandparents.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kenziepaigephotography.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kenziepaige.photo/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@makenzieblake5666/featured