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

Kelly, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

You can be book smart all you want. You can complete all types of education, even know people that can open doors for you, but at the end of the day, if you don’t love and have a passion for what your doing it will be a fleeting moment or season in your life.

Kelly, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I went to college for photography back in 1991 at the University of Florida and my dad had a rare illness. We couldn’t afford the equipment so my dad said “pick another major”. For twenty years I followed into corporate America, while continuing to take photos for others and do it myself for enjoyment.

The year of 2020 impacted the world and I no longer was willing to wait and followed what brought me to life ~ photography ~ each time I had the chance to do it! When you love what you do and don’t care about being compensated, you have found what the soul loves and financial compensation will follow out of the love for what pours out of you!

My father passed away when I was 26 and we grew up in the old west of Arizona until moving South at 14 years of age. Mason Jars were a constant in our life, not to mention our last name. I wanted to leave a legacy and stamp the lives of others through photography. I dedicated the business name to my late father, Paul Jack Mason, Mason Jar Photography, LLC. Not only does it reflect my last name but the countless memories that filled our glasses growing up, whether it be lightning bugs or sweet tea.

I am different in that I allow God to use me and offer to pray with clients before a photoshoot or after, especially if we are capturing photos dealing with cancer or something that has an urgency to it! My stamp on this world is to document and capture life the naked eye misses every day! Images capture what the naked eye can’t catch in the blink of a second. Once somebody passes, images are all we have! The average person looks at 13,000 images a day on social media!

The growth of my business is clearly God given and continues to grown and multiply! I owe Him all the glory.

Have you ever had to pivot?

When I was first starting out in photography, there are so many resources, and I listened to all these photographers with experience and while some of it was good, some of it was not. I learned my own style and realized I don’t have to follow the rules or the guidelines! Photography is an art and while there are important things to understand to capture images, it is still in the eye of the beholder and how the photographer sees the image. I stopped really caring about commentary on social media and just did “me”. That is when my business took off. My advice would be to anyone starting in this industry, don’t get down on what others have to say and follow your vision, follow your art and niche and people will gravitate to what you reflect naturally! You don’t need to spend all these dollars on marketing plans and sales classes etc. Your work will speak for itself. Get out there and just do what you love, the rest will fall into place.

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

I am a police chaplain in my community and most people know me for being in the law enforcement arena/ministry. Sometimes people get confused as to which is she? I thought she was this, but she does this also? Oh wait she also teaches firearm classes to women? She is a photographer too?

My social media grew and business grew because people can tell if you love what you do. I have done countless things for free because I love it. Share your stamp on the world NOT as a business but as something you love!

Get out of the box of what the world tells you to do and just do you! I think people get caught up on the right and wrong ways of doing things and then miss the calling for their life and how it could potentially impact others!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://masonjarphotosc.mypixieset.com/
• Instagram: @masonjarphotosc
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/masonjarphotosc
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-mason-2482a5278/
• Other: Google Business Page / Mason Jar Photography, LLC

Image Credits
Kelly Mason Photographer Owner / Mason Jar Photography LLC Locations: Gilbert, SC / San Juan, Puerto Rico