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

Weslee, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

Risk taking is something that I feel like gets looked at a bit sideways sometimes. In my perspective everything and anything you do in life is inherently risky. It all has consequences; the question is simply which ones are worth over riding fear. From what I have learned fear is your best friend, it is always by your side, and it is how you know you’re heading the right way. Even deciding I wanted to be a photographer and change my life plan away from journalism and creative direction was a risk. However, the biggest one was probably back in 2022. I found myself in the summer of 2021 feeling lost creatively and also as a person. Life wasn’t sparkly anymore and I couldn’t picture a future that excited me. So, I decided to pack up my bags and travel for a little while. I ended up falling in love with the excitement of Berlin. I had always known I would love to live in Europe at some point but never expected the first place in the EU I would explore living in would be Germany. After 5 months, some hard moments, and a LOT of “Oh my god am I doing the right thing taking this risk”. I packed my bags and moved to Berlin on an artist visa so I could split by time between Los Angeles and Berlin. Little did I know I would end up finding that my work would be so well received in Berlin. I found myself shooting familiar things and styles outside of my comfort zone, I grew as a person, and met some of the most incredible people. Everything worked out for the best and I discovered I was excited about life and the future again. I found myself not lost but rather free. If you don’t like the life you are building as an artist – remember you can change. Nothing is worse for the creative mind than feeling stuck.

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

For those who don’t know me yet – My name is Weslee Kate I am a queer photographer. I focus on shooting music, fashion, and brand work. I take a people first approach to my craft. The way I see it – my job is to build people up while they are in front of my lens and to try to get to the core of who they are and what makes them magic. To create a safe space and then deliver photos that help people see the beauty they bring to the world. I focus on creating authentic, emotive, creative images. I believe my versatility while remaining true to my aesthetic is one of the things I have strived for. I love shooting new types of work while keeping a small seed of what makes my work unique folded into the final product. I got my start in journalism and my curiosity of people; however, I didn’t like many of the press photos I was offered to use. So, I started shooting my own images to pair with the articles. Eventually – I started getting booked away from my own press articles and after a short period of time found myself with a new creative love and a new profession. My goal in anything I do has always to bring a little more authenticity, beauty, and truth to the world.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

I find the most rewarding aspect of being an artist to be the perspective it gives you. It makes you notice so much more of the world around you. The way hair falls, the way light reflects from a wall, the texture of… Well the texture of everything. It shifts your perspective to always be looking for the beautiful, the interesting, the little moments worth capturing. It turns everything into a potential story and makes the mundane magic.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

I think sometimes those who do not work in the arts (This does not mean they don’t make art simply that they haven’t me crazy enough to build a career from it) forget that it is in-fact a lot of work. Especially if you are freelance that means you are doing multiple people’s jobs except, they are all your own. Client outreach, emails, mood boards/ pitch decks, the actual shoots, editing, sending off images, follow ups, invoicing, and of course the ever-dreaded taxes. While our schedules might look very different than a 9-5 job. It does not mean there isn’t a huge amount of work involved.       

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.wesleekate.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wesleekatecreative/

Image Credits
Nick Krause Ria Rwayitare Nina Burkhardt Julia Lucius