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

KariBeth, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s start big picture – what are some of biggest trends you are seeing in your industry?

With the increasing popularity of social media and the instant gratification it provides, more and more clients are choosing to forgo prints and tangible products to showcase their images in favor of the digital images that they can quickly share online. Digital files are great, and I love the flexibility of use that they provide the clients. However, technology is fickle and ever-changing, and these digital files just won’t make it 10+ years in that same digital state. Explaining to clients the importance of printing their images for preservation and posterity is becoming more of a challenge in this digital age. It is imperative that we as photographers continue to educate our clients and provide them with purchase options that support the value of printed work.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I have had a love for photography ever since receiving my first Polaroid camera at the age of seven (even though I’m sure that my mom instantly regretted gifting me that camera because of the high cost of film replacement!). I am a naturally nostalgic person and have always cherished capturing memories and experiences, wanting to savor and remember as much as possible about each one. Photography helped me do just that. Viewing these memories through photographs allows me to travel back to those special times and relive all the feelings that came with it (baby pictures of my now-teenagers, birthday parties, high school graduation, prom, wedding photos, etc.). Because I know how happy looking back on these memories makes me personally, I desire to provide that same feeling for my clients when they look back on the images that I’ve captured of their families throughout the years. KBG Photography was created from my passion for preserving these little details in a beautifully artistic way to enjoy for generations to come.

As a newborn and family photographer, my main goal for each session is to really focus on those little details that change all too quickly (their tiny little fingers and toes, the newborn wrinkles, pouty lips, etc.), the details that make each of my tiniest clients uniquely special. Aside from just capturing newborn baby features, I love including all of the family members (parents and siblings) in my newborn sessions as well, to focus on their connection with the newest little addition. Those new big siblings that are so proud of their baby brother/sister that they can hardly stand it, the new mom and dad who -through sleep deprived eyes- are so infatuated with their new creation that they can’t stop smiling, the oldest sibling who looks on to their new role with pride and responsibility…these are just a few of the dynamics that I look to preserve for my clients so that they can step back into these fleeting moments whenever they view their images.

What makes KBG Photography special is the personalized attention that I give to each of the families that I work with, especially the mamas, as we know that those newborn days can be just as challenging as they are special. We provide our mamas with complimentary hair and makeup services for their maternity and newborn sessions. Moms spend so much time worrying about everyone else that they don’t always leave time for themselves. Because I know this all too well, I want all mamas to feel pampered and well taken care of before, during, and after a session with us! KBG Photography also has a wardrobe closet full of flattering dresses for mom, neutral classic outfits for the kids, and even some shirts for dads, so our families can leave all of the stress of finding the perfect coordinating clothing items to us as well. Providing an option of a photograph-friendly wardrobe is another example of a service that we are happy to provide so that this process is as relaxing and easy as possible for our clients. Because I believe wholeheartedly in the importance of capturing these special moments, I strive to provide the best possible experience so that my clients can have beautiful images to look back on with a happy heart for years to come.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

“Hustle”…it’s a word we hear praised often in this world of entrepreneurship. However, I think that praising the “hustle” can be a little misleading.

In the early years of my photography business, I wanted to look busy. I priced myself way too low (a familiar story with most new creatives), I took on any and every job that came my way, and I was drowning in work that I was halfway passionate about, quickly on the way to burnout. I figured that in order to be successful, you just had to hunker down and embrace the “hustle”. However, what I learned was that working smarter, not harder, was in fact the better approach than trying to be everyone’s photographer for all the things.

Upon this discovery, I honed in on what I enjoyed photographing the most (newborns and families), educated myself on the best practices with photographing newborns and families through classes and workshops, and officially specialized in this type of photography. I no longer brand myself as a photographer of all the things. I branded and educated myself in such a way so that I am hired to capture what I enjoy the most. Specializing in a specific type of photography, raising my prices so that I am making a profitable wage, and limiting the amount of sessions that I take on per month has helped to make my business sustainable for the last twelve years (and hopefully for many more years to come).

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Hands down the most rewarding part of my job is being able to witness my little clients literally grow up in front of my camera. Building these relationships with my clients through each new addition to their family is something so special that I will never take for granted. Not much makes me happier and more humbled than when a previous client, whom I captured their baby’s first year milestones, reaches out again in the future to have me capture their second, third, even fourth babies. Not only does it show that they were happy with their images and our process, but the relationship and bond that is built is truly the most special part of my job. I’m always a little sad when my Collective Membership (including 3-4 milestone sessions during baby’s first year) clients complete their first birthday session and “graduate” as there is something truly special about the trust and the friendships that this job fosters, and for that reason, I am very thankful for the opportunity to get to do what I do!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.kbgphotography.org
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/kbgphotography
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/kbgphotography1

Image Credits
Personal Photo credit: Lindsey Powell Photography All of the images on the Additional Photo upload page were taken by me (KBG Photography)