We recently connected with Kathleen Reeder and have shared our conversation below.

Kathleen, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s start with a story that highlights an important way in which your brand diverges from the industry standard.

I’ve been a full-time photographer since 2015 and I’m thankful to have had a successful career in corporate America before making the leap into full-time photography. Earning a reasonable living now as a professional photographer is difficult, especially in a niche genre like wildlife.

Most photographers sell and license their photos of course, but this alone doesn’t pay the bills for most of us. We know it’s important to diversify our offerings to build multiple revenue streams. Some of us offer field workshops and webinars, while others have authored one or more topic-related books. But none that I’m aware of beside myself are also building custom websites for other photographers and camera clubs.

Building custom websites is a lucrative revenue stream for my business. To-date I’ve designed and implemented nearly 100 custom websites for photographers and camera clubs. My expertise in technology and the website platform (SmugMug), and my photography eye uniquely qualifies me to provide this service. and I’m thankful for it.

For website services, photographers find me via a Google search. Some want their first website, while others want a different website from what they currently have. Some have tried to build their own website with less than overwhelming results. All walk away from my services elated with their custom website.

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’m passionate about helping you create wildlife images that you will love and be proud to share. In our hurried lives, we seek out opportunities to be connected to wildlife. We want to be inspired and excited by the innocence, purity and courage of wildlife. And to capture photographs that share this beauty with family and friends.

Creative juices are flowing, but moments are fleeting, camera settings are complicated and there’s limited available time! That’s where I come in…

Trained as a project manager and corporate trainer, but always inspired by wildlife and photography, I provide services that are responsive to what wildlife you want to see, destinations you want to visit and curriculum that makes you successful at capturing and sharing creative moments. Whether you’re looking for an exclusive wildlife photo workshop, one-on-one guidance, an online webinar, post processing tips, help in setting up a photo website or creating an eBook, I can help you.

My goal is to prepare you to get the best wildlife photos possible through excellent instruction, personal guidance and great opportunities. In the last 10 years I have led over 100 wildlife photography workshops in North America and Africa. I have earned a reputation for my gracious and patient teaching style with photographers of all skill levels. Join me and get in-the-moment expert guidance. I am also a Certified SmugMug Customizer, creating custom photo websites that showcase a photographer’s creative work and individuality.

My business has received Trip Advisor’s prestigious Traveler’s Choice Award six years in a row and has a 5 out of 5-STAR RATING.

I am also the Program Director for the Digital Imaging Group (DIG) in Scottdale, Arizona. https://www.digitalimaginggroup.org/

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

This will sound cliche, but it’s true…

Reputation is EVERYTHING. A satisfied customer may tell one of their friends. An ecstatic customer will for sure tell at least one of their friends. A dissatisfied customer will tell 10 of their friends. I always strive to over deliver. I manage expectations closely through good communication and am ready to take action as needed to ensure customers’ expectations are exceeded.

These tried-and-true strategies pay off.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Life is comprised of many moments, including tough ones. Last year was especially tough for me. I was diagnosed with stage 4 Non-Hodgkin’s B-cell Lymphoma and type 2 T-cell Lymphoma. The cancer was in my blood, bone marrow and all of my lymph node regions. Ten months later, my chemotherapy treatments are completed, the cancer is gone, and I’m back to leading photo workshops.

I met this challenge like a warrior with a mountain to summit, armed with my faith in our Lord and resilience. I didn’t stop doing what I love; instead, I pivoted and wrote the 2nd edition of my printed book “Capturing the Moment, The Art & Science of Photographing Wild Animals”. The first edition was published in 2013 and I’d thought of writing a 2nd edition for many years, but never had the concentrated time or took the time to do it. It’s now published and available for purchase on my website.

I believe the Lord has given each one of us a special gift (a calling) and we honor him by trusting the divine breadcrumbs, and then sharing our gift with others…paying it forward to the very end.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kathleenreeder.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kathleenreeder/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KathleenReederWildlife
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kareeder/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@KathleenReeder
• Other: Trip Advisor: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g31310-d10820361-Reviews-Kathleen_Reeder_Wildlife_Photography-Phoenix_Arizona.html