We recently connected with Kalena Hurst and have shared our conversation below.
Kalena, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What sort of legacy are you hoping to build. What do you think people will say about you after you are gone, what do you hope to be remembered for?
I am hoping to build a legacy from just simply being me. God made me to be caring, goofy, funny, creative, smart and most of all He made me to have a soft and sensible heart which is why I’m always willing to do for others when I can and feed encouragement to those who may be feeling down. When God blesses me, I go to bless others. Something my friends and family would always say about me is that I’m always there for them no matter how long we haven’t hung out, I would always show my face for any occasion. Another thing I’ve been told was that I have been a light in their life by them watching how I live my life. I’m not saying that I live a perfect life, however I do my best to do what is right to myself and others around me because I believe that being a light to someone who may be in the dark will spark hope in their life. I think that’s what people would remember me for. It’s the people around me that know me enough to know that I will always be there in any form, even in my own troubles I would still make a way to the people I care about, staying true to myself and never letting anything change me.
Kalena, 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?
My real name is Kalena (Kuh-lee-na) but I prefer “Kay”. I am 23 years old and I am from Detroit, MI. I am the oldest out of 5 siblings and I am a lifestyle photographer. I started taking photography seriously in January 2021. I had came from a background of video which is why my social media name was “Kay Does Clips” at first. Photography at the time was a hobby. After having difficult experiences with video, I decided to play around with taking photos and I started to fall in love with the way a single photo could tell a story. So, I changed my name to “KayKlips Photography” because honestly, I couldn’t think of another cool photography name, so this one stuck with me, but I love when my photography friends announce that name out in public whenever I see them.
Lifestyle photography is my main focus because I love natural movement and candid photos. Potential clients that look for natural and fun photos excite me because I like to make it look as realistic as possible. Branding/Influencers and business have been something I am currently working with because what they request is within my style of photography. Whether you’re a MUA, a chef, a barber, etc. we will make it to tell a story for their supporters. I do, however, provide other services like studio work for birthdays, headshots and product photography as well as events like prom and parties/showers.
Have you ever had to pivot?
In the beginning of my career, I found my myself moving off of emotion. I quit my job thinking I was ready to go full-time when I wasn’t. I wasn’t prepared and I didn’t have anybody consistent to help me through the process. This caused me to move back home and apply for jobs. I landed a job being a custodian for a K-8 school for 9 months while still taking clients. In that position in my life it has taught me humility and patience. During that process, I gained a consistent team named EBB Management team who I’ve been with for about a year now. Their services and their willingness to go the extra mile for me to be the best I could be has never gone unnoticed because they are apart of the reason why I was finally ready to quit my custodian job. It took A LOT of prayer and faith to step out on, but I couldn’t have done it without them pushing me out of my comfort zone.
Proverbs 3:5 -“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding.” This was the scripture that was a reminder for me not to move out of emotion but to trust the process and shift my perspective.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
My goal is to have a better life not only for myself, but for my family. I am so determined to break that chain in my family where they may feel like they can no longer act on their dreams because of what life throws at us. I’ve grown up in a single parent home and came from a family of teen pregnancy. I knew God had a mission for me when I wasn’t apart of that cycle. So, this journey that I am on I know that it’ll pay off.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kayklips.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/kayklips_?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kayklips?mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@specialkaytv
Image Credits
Delaney Viau