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

Kayla, appreciate you joining us today. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

It takes GREAT faith to be successful. Your faith in your success is the vehicle for everything moving toward the vision you have for your life. It takes faith to be persistent anytime you experience failure. It takes faith to still get up and do what you have to do even though you don’t always feel like doing it. It takes faith to still see that vision for yourself when it seems like you’ve only been taking small steps.

I’ve always been the one to jump on different opportunities, having faith that doing so will yield positive results. I attended a panel discussion held by Monday Girl, an organization that empowers female professionals and cultivates a supportive network of like-minded peers. I knew this event would provide me with new knowledge, a significant connection, and some great shots I would add to my portfolio.

Initially when I arrived I wanted to begin taking photos immediately. While unloading my equipment, I realized that one of the most important pieces of my camera equipment was missing–my lens! I could have just relented and took part in the event without taking any pictures. But this is where persistence became very valuable. I didn’t want to miss out on adding great photos to my growing portfolio, so I went all the way back home to retrieve the lens, knowing the event was starting. Upon returning, the panelists were half-done with their presentations. Nevertheless, I was able to take a good amount of notable photos, and I also made sure to network with the panelists and attendees.

This event opened the door to many new opportunities. Once I shared the photos with the head of Monday Girl, she invited me to take photos of their Chicago chapter orientation and offered me a membership. Additionally, I met one of the panelists who works in the Program Department for Foxtrot. She suggested I connect with an advertising studio that previously shot marketing campaigns for them so I can shadow one of their shoots and gain more insight into what what production looks like. Having faith and being persistent creates amazing networking opportunities. All that is required on the path to success is taking that small step forward.

Kayla, 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?

When I was a little girl I loved going through photo albums because it was a way to connect with the past while in the present. I wanted to be able to look back on memories by capturing the moment using a Kodak film camera. I’d capture moments with family and friends at school. As I got older, my parents recognized my love for cameras and purchased a digital camera as my birthday present. With the explosion of the internet, websites like Flickr and Tumblr gained my attention with the visually appealing photos other users would post. Inspired, I uploaded my own photos onto those sites. I was also very active on Twitter and exercised my creativity by staging photoshoots for my default photo. In college, I upgraded to my first DSLR camera, and I took it all around the city of Chicago to get some cool shots of the awesome murals painted on certain buildings. Also, I asked some friends to model so I could practice taking portraits. I began posting my photography on Instagram and soon close friends and family started reaching out to me to shoot their graduation portraits and family events. This boosted my confidence and ignited my decision to take photography seriously.

My interest in portrait and lifestyle photography emerged by connecting with people involved with organizations who were making positive impacts on various communities. One of my first lifestyle projects involved getting coverage of a workshop for “Distinctively Me.” Gloria Dotson (who referred me to Canvas Rebel) is the founder of this up-and-coming non-profit. Its mission is dedicated to strengthening the mental well-being of young ladies of color as they transition from adolescence into womanhood. This greatly piqued my interest to start working with non-profits.

Through photography, I help create photoshoots that improve the appearance of local businesses’ online presence, increase exposure for nonprofits that impact communities and inspire change, and boost clients’ self-confidence during portrait sessions.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I had to unlearn “underpricing” myself and learn to truly value what I have to offer in my photography business. The money I have invested in building my skills, my photo editing program, upgrading my equipment, and using client portals for a seamless process all contribute to the way I charge for my service(s). On top of that, my professionalism, business integrity, timely delivery of photos, and many other things contribute to my pricing also. Finally, I realized that I have invested a lot in my business. I am confident the effort I put into my work deserves fair compensation. I believe that pricing my photography accordingly is not only reasonable but necessary to sustain my livelihood.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

I wish I had snagged a mentor earlier in my career as a photographer. Being able to connect with a mentor would have helped me carve out my path sooner and allowed me to learn more about studio photography.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kaylawilsonphotography.client-gallery.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaylawilson_photography/

Image Credits
Photos of me, image credit to Sterling Gilmore others by me, Kayla Wilson