We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kayla Lawson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Kayla, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Owning a business isn’t always glamorous and so most business owners we’ve connected with have shared that on tough days they sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have just had a regular job instead of all the responsibility of running a business. Have you ever felt that way?
As a business owner and entrepreneur, I can wholeheartedly say that I am completely happy with my decision to be my own boss. At times, the thought of having a regular job and remembering how it felt to work for someone else or a large chain seems like it’s so much easier.. There isn’t as much pressure and you don’t feel so alone. Having your own business can be risky and if (heaven forbid) something does go wrong, there is no one else to point the finger at but yourself. However, at the end of the day, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love the freedom that comes with the responsibility and because I don’t have to depend on someone else, I can be as creative or as bold as I want with my work, and that is worth the hardships that come with owning your own business in my opinion.
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 started my photography journey from watching my husband with his camera. He had a nice Canon camera and was really amazing at capturing up close nature photos or pictures of his car.. I started picking up his camera and taking photos myself and asking him questions about the settings and terminology. That was about 13 years ago.. I also found myself taking tons of photos with my smartphone as the image quality continually upgraded. And granted, it was just a phone.. but the amount of time I would spend capturing moments and the joy it sparked inside my creative heart made me realize that it was something I may want to invest in. The more moments I captured, the more my friends and family saw that I had a talent for it and urged me to start making money. So, finally I listened. I invested in my own camera and lenses. I started capturing Senior Portraits for my siblings, then grew to Family Sessions and the rest is history.
I now offer Wedding and Elopement Photography, Family Sessions, Maternity, Individual Headshots, and Senior Photos. I travel for sessions near and far and love the adventure that comes with that freedom. I grew as clients started asking if I offered certain session types or if I traveled and my answer was always yes. What makes me stand out is my ability to connect with my clients and make them feel comfortable above all else. I make them laugh, open up, and put them at ease. Most people, like myself, are camera shy when in front of a camera, and my number one goal is to break down that uncomfortable wall. When it comes to family photography, little kiddos are always unpredictable with how their wild little hearts react to being followed around with a camera.. Having kids of my own I always tell clients to let them run free and we’ll follow. The magic is going at their pace and seeing the world through their eyes. I take more of a natural approach to my photography and editing process. I don’t do heavy editing and blending on the face; though I will take out large blemishes or micro details like fuzzies or stains on clothes. And we all know that kiddos will get dirt stains on their pants and runny noses.. Or the bride spills on her dress. I can fix that! I want my clients to feel naturally beautiful and not overly edited while also giving them the peace of mind that all will be well.
What sets me apart from other photographers is my attention to detail and the way I can get clients to move comfortably in front of the camera. I want to capture those in between moments. The looks and laughter between the dancing and the posing. Most of my work is lifestyle and real movement. I do offer posed images as well because those images do have a place but the movement as you’re walking, running, dancing, or laying together in a meadow of wildflowers, truly smiling at each other.. that’s real. That’s gold.
I love the clients who turn to me each year to capture their family or relationship as it’s grown again and again. The relationships that I have gained and the trust my clients have put in me and my ability to capture their memories is a reminder of what really makes my job so worth it. When clients send me pictures of the images I’ve captured mounted and framed on their walls, or post them on their socials as profile pictures, cover photos, or album covers, it’s when I am the proudest. Seeing my work out there whenever I get online is really powerful.
As my business grows through word-of-mouth, business meet ups, advertising, etc. I am constantly reminded of how much work I have put into this creative love of mine and how much love is returned. It fills up my cup so that it may floweth over. I am proud of the art I’ve created by capturing the lives of families near and far and I can’t wait for my future work.
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
The most effective strategy for growing my clientele is customer service as my number one priority. If my clients feel heard, seen, and accommodated for, they are not only more likely to return themselves but they are going to tell others about me and recommend my business. The quality of my work is important of course, but if my clients don’t like me as a person, they aren’t likely to return. 90% of my job is how I speak to and work with clients to give them what they are looking for to the best of my abilities. The other 10% is giving them a product that makes them want to return again and again. When they know that they are cared for, are comfortable asking questions or telling me their wants, and also receive unique and quality work, then that client will do advertising for me in the form of word-of-mouth. And that counts as online recommendations as well. When someone asks for a photographer, my clients recommend me not only because of my work, but because working with me is easy, enjoyable, and memorable.
Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?
Putting together the initial capital that I needed to start my business and buy my equipment was a journey. I had to purchase things little by little. I was in my twenties with a newborn and motherhood was a priority. Slowly but surely I was able to purchase my first very own camera body and one lense. I bought my equipment second hand because new items were simply too expensive. Slowly but surely I saved enough to buy another lense, flashes, and indoor lighting. Once all was well, there were upgrades to be made of course. Better camera bodies, better lenses. Then, as I entered the Wedding Photography world I had certain requirements that I wanted my gear to uphold. For example, I wanted two camera bodies and lenses to switch back and forth from and my main body had to have two SD card slots. I wanted a back-up option incase one of the SD cards was faulty. Little things like that made upgrading a priority. Over time I have put money into my gear and it has paid me back with room for upgrades. The initial investment was definitely worth it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://fernphotog.mypixieset.com/
- Instagram: @fernphotog
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fernphotog
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/fern_photography/