We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kelly Hudgins. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kelly below.

Hi Kelly, thanks for joining us today. Let’s talk legacy – what sort of legacy do you hope to build?

I hope my legacy will be one of joy and love. I have a two-year-old son, and when I think about him as an adult looking back on his childhood growing up, I want him to think about how warm & safe I made him feel, how supportive my husband and I were, and how much fun we had together going on adventures and learning about the world together. My mom passed away when I was 21 years old, so my mind always goes to family first when I think about legacy. She left a legacy of love & care, and I want to emulate that as best as I can for my family.

Beyond biological family, though, is the community of people I am surrounded by in my neighborhood and my city, and the wonderful clients I get to serve with photography & natural portrait artwork. As I move about my community, I want to leave little touches of joy and love there, too. I want to be a source of kindness and care in a way that is contagious. Even the smallest compliment or kind interaction can make someone feel a bit of love and inspire them to be kind to others, and I believe that ripple effect is powerful. This is true for my clients too, and I believe how I show up in my communication with them matters. I aim to provide the best “customer service,” if you will – prompt, clear, and kind interactions every time. We often connect over the phone, Zoom, or in person for consultations, questions, and artwork ordering, so it’s easier, more fun, and more personal than sending disjointed emails back and forth for a single conversation. All of this lends itself to a seamless experience rooted in personal care and love.

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 background and context?

Hey, I’m Kelly Hudgins, owner of Light Creative! I am a lifestyle newborn and family photographer in Raleigh, NC specializing in creating heirloom artwork for your family like wall art and albums that you’ll enjoy now, treasure as the years go on, and one day pass on to your kids. I believe that photos really come alive when they’re in our hands and in our homes, and we don’t get to fully enjoy them when they only live on a hard drive in your computer.

But – life is busy! It can be so hard to find the time to select and print photos or figure out the best place to get a quality piece of wall art from, when our days are so full of school drop-offs, snack time, work, and activities. It can also feel intimidating to try planning for a photo session in the first place, but you know how quickly these moments pass by and how much you want to document your babies’ and kids’ growth and their sweet, fun personalities.

I provide a high-touch experience for each of my clients so that they have personal support from the very beginning stages of planning the session to the very end with heirloom artwork delivery to their home.

First we have a quick phone call to get to know each other a bit and share some basic info to make sure this highly personal experience will likely be a great fit! Next, we have a complimentary consultation where clients get to see samples of the artwork options I offer, I share full investment information, we talk about what they’re hoping to capture in their session, and if all sounds good, we officially book the session! We then start talking about details like wardrobe planning, location options for their session, and a tentative plan for the artwork they’d like to showcase their photos in. Some clients know they’ll want a gallery wall of images above their couch, and others are more in line with an heirloom album full of images from the session with one smaller piece of wall art on display. It is so helpful to know their desires and preferences ahead of time, so I know what we’re hoping to capture at the session! After the consultation, I send along digital guides for wardrobe planning and preparing for the session in other ways (mindset shifts, what to expect from me, etc.), and I remain available for personal feedback and advice leading up to the day of the session. I’m also currently building a client closet, which is available for clients to borrow from as a starting point for their family’s photo-friendly wardrobe choices.

The energy of the session itself depends on the moments we’re capturing! Newborn sessions are peaceful and quiet – maybe slightly rowdier if there’s an older sibling involved, but always sweet. These sessions take place at my clients’ homes typically within 2 weeks of baby’s birth, and the natural setting and lifestyle photos with all family members involved capture beautiful moments representing the first days & weeks together with their new, littlest family member. The images we capture here really help parents recognize the beauty of what is happening in their home these days. It’s easy to get lost in diaper changes, frequent feedings, and night wakings, but in a newborn session we’re able to focus on the cozy cuddles and the love that the family members have for this new little one. The warm embraces & the joy of these first moments shine through.

Family sessions are focused on fun! These may take place at a local park or at the family’s home, and I feed off the energy of the kiddos. So many parents are worried about getting even a single “good” photo while their kids are running around & things feel a bit chaotic, but my years of experience working with kids of all ages have equipped me to make magic happen every single time. Parents get to take a break from disciplining their kids while I take the reins and guide them through activities that result in great photos showcasing their incredible personalities and, of course, their sweet smiles. We get some great smiling-at-the-camera photos, but oftentimes my clients’ favorite images are the ones that capture life more authentically & contain laughter, movement, and interaction between family members. Throughout the session, I’m sure to mention the artwork we’ve been envisioning for their home and take steps to make sure that vision comes to life with the photos we’re capturing!

After our session, I take some time to select the best images from the session, edit them in a bright true-to-life style, and prepare artwork mockups. Next up is a very exciting part of the process – our photo reveal & ordering session! This is when the clients get to see the photo proofs for the first time, and I guide them through selecting their favorites and making final decisions for how to enjoy them in heirloom artwork. All that’s left for my clients after that is to excitedly wait for delivery day!

I’ll do final retouching and preparation for the artwork on my own time, it will be delivered to me & I’ll make sure everything looks perfect, then I’ll deliver the artwork to my client’s home! Wall art comes ready to hang, albums ready to find their home on a coffee table, and prints ready to share with family members near & far.

Whether clients work with me for individual sessions or for my collection of sessions for baby’s first year, I love being with them every step of the way to ensure that everything is stress-free and they’re able to come away from the experience with beautiful, finished artwork that helps them savor these moments forever.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I really believe that people deserve beautiful photos of themselves and their families. In a society that makes it so easy for us to be our own worst critic when it comes to our appearance, I believe that the right photo has the power to show someone how beautiful they really are. Newborn photos freeze a moment in time that feels like a blur, document the sweet baby smaller than they’ll ever be again, and capture a new parental role that they’re just starting to learn. Family photos tighten bonds between loved ones, showcase how your kids grow over time, and preserve those missing-tooth smiles that seem to change before your very eyes. And all of it – all of it! – can be artwork in our home to get joy from daily.

I also believe that everyone deserves this – everyone deserves beautiful photos of themselves and their families. Professional photography is expensive, though, and rightfully so for all of the work, talent, and costs that go into running a small business. Over the years I’ve considered various ways to make photography accessible to people who typically wouldn’t be able to afford it, and my current solution is to offer invite-only pay-what-you-can sessions. Local nonprofits identify families for me who would really love and benefit from some beautiful family photos & artwork, and my other clients are invited to make pay-it-forward contributions to help subsidize the cost of the pay-what-you-can photo sessions. I believe this is meaningful work, and it’s always special to see people so grateful for their own family photos, made possible by the generosity of others in the community.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

When I was about to start focusing on my photography business full-time after doing it part-time alongside my teaching job for a few years, I asked for the book “In the Company of Women” for my birthday. The tagline is “Inspiration and Advice from over 100 Makers, Artists, and Entrepreneurs,” and it’s a collection of interviews with women who have taken the leap to pursue something creative. They share things like what they’ve learned, what success means to them, what they would tell their younger self if they could, and how they get out of a creative rut – not unlike Canvas Rebel here! I found the book to be incredibly inspiring, and easily digestible as I would read a quick interview or two while I ate my breakfast before getting started on work. To this day, it’s the only book that stays out on my desk alongside my planner and my artwork samples, as a reminder that strong women have gone before me to serve the world creatively and make a difference doing it, and I can do it too.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.lightcreativeart.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/lightcreativeart
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/lightcreativeart
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-hudgins-55b57a17
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/lightcreativenc
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCifg8Yn3M-hzSHMHcemGE7g
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/light-creative-raleigh