Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kayla Simon. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Kayla, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear the story of how you went from this being just an idea to making it into something real.

Ever since I was a little kid, I have loved taking photos. Whenever anyone asks, I like to tell them my photography journey started when I was eight years old and my parents gifted me a small blue Kodak digital camera for Christmas. I used that little camera to take photos of my American Girl dolls and my favorite flowers in the backyard. As I got older, I was lucky enough to have a friend whose mom worked for a modeling agency in New York City, and having the opportunity to shadow photographers that worked with her models introduced me to the world of fashion photography–and helped me fall in love with portrait photography as an art form.

In high school, I began taking photos of my friends whenever I could, putting anyone who was willing to model for me in front of my camera. I began sharing these free photoshoots to the Instagram account I had started for my photography, and eventually it paid off when someone messaged me asking to book me for a photoshoot!! When I realized I could actually make money AND do this thing that I had grown to love so much, I never looked back. I officially registered my business with my town as Kayla Simon Photos, and continued posting on Instagram, growing my portfolio, and, eventually, booking even more photoshoots.

There was a lot of research that went into every stage of this journey. When I registered my business, I spent hours googling the difference between sole proprietors and LLCs, looking into what tax season would be like, finding the best ways to collect money from customers, and anything else I could think to look into about running a successful photography business. Photography was only one part of the equation; so much had to happen behind the scenes to get everything running. In the early days, I spent more time behind the computer trying to figure everything out than I did behind the camera taking photos!!

Now that I’ve hit a solid groove, I’m so grateful to my past self for all the hard work and effort she put in to get the business off the ground. I love getting to do what I love every single day as a photographer.

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

I’m Kayla, and I’m the owner and photographer at Kayla Simon Photos! I’m a Boston-based photographer who specializes in portrait photography. While I started by taking photos of my close friends for fun, I eventually graduated to shooting with new faces from New York Models and Signed Management and discovered a love for fashion photography that I continue to cultivate to this day. Fast forward to now in my early twenties; I’m an award-winning, published photographer who loves helping my clients look and feel their absolute best at their photoshoots.

While I have experience in many different categories of photography, my passion is portraits; I love capturing candid emotion and feeling. I majored in English at the University of Connecticut, meaning I am a storyteller at heart. This love for writing translates to how I approach photography; I want every image I capture to present a story. It’s one of the many reasons I love fashion photography and creative portraiture; through styling, makeup, composition, and expression, a photo really can be worth a thousand words.

Through creating images that creatively capture a moment in time, I am lucky enough to produce photographs that my clients cherish forever.

In addition to taking photos, I also love reading and writing; poetry is one of my favorite outlets for my creativity when I’m not behind the camera. I also read way too many mystery novels, and can often be seen leaving the local library with a stack of books about to fall out of my arms. In my free time, I try to pursue my mission to visit all the best ice cream shops in New England. But wherever I’m going, it’s definitely rare to see me out and about anywhere without my camera to document the adventure!

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I have always let my personality shine through in my business. Early on in my photography journey, I learned a lot about building a personal brand as a photographer and a small business owner. When people buy from a small business, they’re really buying from a person. When people work with me, I want them to feel like they know me before they ever step in front of my camera–and that happens on Instagram. Photography is a saturated market, so I try to stand out by being authentic online. I let people know exactly what it’s like to work with me by sharing behind-the-scenes reels, videos of me hyping up my clients, photos of me physically demonstrating my favorite poses, and more. I don’t limit my Instagram content to just photography; I love to share Instagram stories of what my day-to-day life looks like, or what I’m up to on the weekend before I head out to a photoshoot. I’ll post my favorite songs, or the best ice cream place I’ve tried in the city lately, or my dog keeping me company while I edit photos. Like I said, people buy from people, so I have fun showing up as myself on Instagram!

It can be scary to show up online and keep putting yourself out there, but it’s ultimately how I found and continue to find the kinds of people who I love to work with, and who love working with me. Kind, creative, fun, passionate people–which are qualities I’ve come to be known for as a photographer!

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

There are too many rewarding aspects to name just one, so I’ll touch on a few. For one, just the fact that I get to actively be creative in my daily life! Making art as a part of my job is something I don’t take for granted. It’s so rewarding to flex my creative muscles every time I show up for a photoshoot, and to get to do something I love that has such an impact on other people.

Another one of the most rewarding parts of being a creative for me is all the amazing people I’ve had the chance to meet with through my art. I have made so many amazing friends through the photography community that value the craft in the same way I do, and it’s incredible to talk about photography with people who share that same love for it. Some of the photographers I’ve worked weddings with have become some of my closest friends! And on the other side, I’ve been able to connect with so many truly amazing clients. I’m so lucky to get to work with the best, most genuine people, and it’s always such an honor to get them in front of my lens and then stay connected afterward.

And as a photographer specifically, it’s so rewarding to be trusted to capture some of the most memorable moments in peoples lives. When I take college graduation photos, I never let myself forget the special accomplishment we’re celebrating, and how these photos might be used in grad party invites, framed on parents walls’, or shown off to kids or friends years later. When I photograph a wedding, I remind myself that this might be their favorite day of their lives, and I’m taking the photos that are going to live on in photo albums and be used to evidence a love story. There are so many priceless occasions that I have the privilege to document for people via photography, and it’s one of my favorite parts about what I do.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kaylasimonphotos.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaylasimonphotos
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kaylasimonphotos/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kayla-simon-uconn/