We recently connected with Kayley Elk and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Kayley thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. So, what do you think about family businesses? Would you want your children or other family members to one day join your business?
The day I sat down to consider starting my own business almost 8 years ago is the day that it dawned on me I had only ever worked for small businesses. Though never my intention to do so, it is so clear to me now that the basic foundations of my business are built from pieces I picked up along the way. My first job was working for my grandfather, a financial advisor in the Dallas area. He was and is the epitome of cultivating the small things that make big impact. Sending out personal mail on holidays & birthdays, spoiling clients with an unsolicited gift card, jotting down details of phone conversations to prevent important details from falling through the cracks. I suppose some may call these practices antiquated now but it was this job along with subsequent ones that I realized the power of personal touch. I want nothing more than our clients to feel respected and cared for, their investment means something to us. We are far from perfect but I believe this is a contributing factor to our business being sustained with little to no marketing outside of social media. Referrals have kept this train moving and that is something for which I am truly grateful.
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?
Like many other 90’s kids finding themselves riding the wave of exponential growth in camera accessibility, photography was always something I dabbled in. Wild dreams of landing a position at Nat Geo or some other publication was daydream commonplace for sure. I took several photography/art classes in college before deciding that a business or marketing approach might be a more flexible route. It wasn’t until having my first child that I had the opportunity to fully explore what owning a photography business might look like. I just knew that if at all possible, staying home with my girl was bigger than any other dream I could previously imagine. My photography journey began with a focus on birth, newborn, and family portraits; vowing to never touch the daunting wedding industry with a 10-foot pole. Ironically, we ditched the 10-foot pole along the way and now fully pursuing the wedding niche with 35 weddings under our belt and counting. My husband/second shooter and I like to blur the lines between laid-back & luxury; bringing a light-hearted energy to our couples while hopefully providing them with an experience and gallery that feels worth every penny yet priceless. I’m thinking that college photojournalism class might have something to do with my heavy emphasis on candid, real moments, photos that make you feel something. I’ve also come to realize that couples put a ton of effort into the colors, details, etc. present on their wedding day. Therefore, I’ve chosen to edit in a way I feel is timeless and fairly true to color with just a touch of light & airy. Long short, if you’re looking for fly-on-the-wall coverage with a result that looks how it felt, we may just have what you’re looking for.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.
I love this question. I think creatives & non-creatives each truly have so much to add to the way we see the world. As a creative, I carry my work, my “art”, on such a deep personal level. And while that is so incredibly rewarding and fulfilling, it is equally draining. I’ve competed in athletics at a collegiate level so I feel like I know pressure but the weight of giving each couple your absolute best, creatively, is something that I simply can’t take lightly. I found myself frustrated a couple of weddings ago, feeling like some of the detail shots I was arranging were mundane because they were arranged similarly to other weddings I’ve done. My husband/second shooter, who is also creative but maybe closer to center, gently reminded me that while this may be something I’ve done many times, this day is a first for them and their details. Do it with passion and pride and they will appreciate the outcome.
We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.
Never in a million years did I imagine that the camera my husband gifted me on our wedding day would put me on a path to pay for our mortgage and then some. This little side hustle was originally designed to bring in some extra income so I could love on my babies at home during the day. As business has grown, by the grace of God and the most incredible clients & village, we’ve been able to shape it into something that fits our family and our needs. The free or discounted sessions at the beginning, the continuous shooting to grasp proper camera settings, and the mindset of under-promising and overdelivering are all checkpoints that I vividly remember on the road to this point. It is my humble opinion that most people are intuitively aware of your motive for your business once they’ve spent some time with you. While added income is wonderful, I can’t say it’s ever been the main motivation. And I believe my clients feel & understand that. I have to say I see so many photographers that are unwilling to go the extra mile for the client unless they’re being paid to do so. To each their own but I feel if you can give your clients an experience that feels genuine and authentic, you’ve hit the full-time career jackpot. Now that our business is absolutely full-time and our family remains a top priority, we find ourselves at the milestone of delegating tasks and niching down so we can continue the level of care that has carried us to this point. To be continued!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kayleyelkphoto.com
- Instagram: @kayleyelkphoto
Image Credits
Brett Hicks