We were lucky to catch up with Karina Kennedy recently and have shared our conversation below.

Karina, appreciate you joining us today. Do you think folks should manage their own social media or hire a professional? What do you do?

Social media is a huge aspect of any business at this point in time, for big businesses as well as for the small businesses. While it’s a helpful tool, it’s also incredibly intimidating. If you look back 10 years, you could see small businesses making some Facebook posts (possibly using instagram too), and that’s how they would spread the word of what they have to offer in their area. Since then, the social media movement has exploded and the time commitment and the attention to what is treading, rather than just natural flow. The algorithm and reach determine your following and often how you can get Clients, and it’s a lot to think about, and I think it makes people become really competitive in the field. I am currently managing my own social media, and I will say that it can get time consuming between posting my work and then brainstorming ideas for reels and trends to get a higher reach. I usually try to preschedule my content for social media a month in advance, but it’s not always possible as the trends can come and go, sometimes within the matter of days. After testing a few different schedules, I found my flow and at this point it is not as stressful as it used to be. I noticed that once I stuck with a consistent schedule of posts and reels, my following has consistently continued to grow. I am sure that in the future, the algorithm and social media needs will change again, and I would not be opposed to hiring someone. My biggest advice is – start slow, don’t overwhelm yourself with trying to meet unrealistic goals. And don’t compare yourself, remember that other small businesses are not a competition, if anything, try to find ways to work together.

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

I started my photography business right out of high school! Photography is something that I have always enjoyed and I would always try to get my friends to dress up and go out to do fun photo shoots. I came up with the name, Green Feather Photography, that was inspired by my green cheek conure, being a big bird person, it was important to me to implement that into my business in some way. At first, I wasn’t sure if that is something that I could make a career out because there was no direct and set path on how it would work. There are also so many different types of photographers, and it took a little bit to figure out what exactly I wanted to do, and after some trials, I have noticed that weddings have continued to be my favorites. Being able to capture the couples big day holds a special place in my heart and I cannot express how much it means to be trusted with capturing memories that hold such importance. Starting your own business is scary because you become fully responsible for your success. You can’t get discouraged over small failures and you have to keep pushing forward and continuously learn. Even now, over 12 years into my business, I am still learning something new every year that I implement into how I run my business.

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

You cannot truly recreate a moment, you need to be able to capture it as it comes. Being able to capture true emotions, love, and happy tears is the most rewarding aspects of my job – I get to photograph couples in love and their families. And being able to do that while using my own artistic vision is honestly all I could’ve ever asked for. I am so thankful for all of my clients because it’s thanks to them that I am able to do what I live.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

The products that you deliver to your clients are so different when compared to non-creative businesses. As a photographer, you are responsible for capturing the moment using your creative vision, the location, different clients and the conditions that are often beyond your control (like weather!), so every session is going to be different, you cannon recreate a session. You have to be able to change things up on the go and adjust to your environment because at the end – you are still responsible for delivering the images that your clients are going to love. There’s no one set of way to do this, and the learning never stops.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.greenfeatherphoto.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greenfeatherphoto/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greenfeatherphotopage

Image Credits

Images provided were. taken by Green Feather Photography