We were lucky to catch up with Katelin Kinney recently and have shared our conversation below.

Katelin, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s start big picture – what are some of biggest trends you are seeing in your industry?

The rise of AI is changing everything. It’s honestly going to be as big of a shift as the introduction of the internet- in all industries, not just my own in the creative field. For the genre of advertising photography it will require us all to be nimble and curious to stay relevant. Explore platforms like Midjourney, Dall-E, and Stable Diffusion. Keep up with the current lawsuits as the legalities of copyright will take a few years to really settle on permanent regulations. Until then, create, play, post, and let your clients and potential clients know YOU are a go to source for their AI questions and needs.

Katelin, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

​I’m Katelin Kinney, creative, introvert, lover of ice cream, and a sucker for baby animals. I create images to be used in advertising by my clients. I hesitate to call myself a photographer, because really I’m more than that as I’m my own small production company. Whether we need to use photography, heavy photoshop compositing, ai, or animation, I’ll use the tools necessary for that specific project. I like to shoot anything from products, to lifestyles, to beauty….BUT, I want them to be the truly unique projects- the ones that come across your table only a few times a year at most. I work in the conceptual genre a lot, meaning it’s more than just a pretty picture. There is a story and an “oh I get it!!” moment. My work pushes past typical and into original. Let’s get weird and unique and bold. When that perfectly odd project comes across your desk I hope you think of me, because I’m going to rock it for us.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

There are a few places I always spread my time around for gaining new clients. I disperse my time pretty evenly over each method and highly suggest other photographers look into each one: • Portfolio reviews (I normally attend in person and online via Boulevard Artists reviews)
• LinkedIn (reaching out to connect with those you don’t know as well as posting and commenting often)
• Cold emailing art directors and creative directors at ad agencies
• Upwork (for the occasional small budget gig that can turn into an easy repeat client)
• Word of mouth (always meet deadlines and communicate professionally and clearly so your clients refer you to others)
• Email blasts (once a quarter I’ll send out an email of new work to those subscribed to my email list)
• Instagram (posting often and commenting on posts from clients you’d like to work with)

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I’ve had to pivot SO many times. The goal has always been to create artistic imagery for advertisements and have fun doing so. The process in which I’m doing that shifts and changes over the years. The industry is headed for the biggest shift since the introduction of the digital camera (and honestly I think it’ll be bigger than that), so I’m just staying nimble and knowing I need to shift my focus frequently. I’m learning new programs like Blender for 3D, getting more advanced in animation in After Effects, and of course now exploring and using Midjourney while staying alert on conversation my fellow creatives are having about ai. The more skills I have, the more solutions I can offer clients. The more knowledgable I am able to gain on ai, the more I can be a go to authority for clients with questions.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.katelinkinney.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katelin_kinney/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/katelinkinneyphotography
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katelinkinney/