We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kelly McMullin a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Kelly, thanks for joining us today. Let’s talk legacy – what sort of legacy do you hope to build?
Because my grandparents both died when my mom was only eighteen years old, I’ve always desired to know more about them – who they were, what their interests were, what made them laugh. Even while I was still just a child, I would write in my journal and take photos with my film camera to document as much as I could. I wanted my grandchildren to have something someday that I didn’t have. Picking up that camera was a way for me to leave a legacy. Now, into my eighteenth year as a professional photographer, the greatest joy of my job is seeing photos I’ve taken framed with care and hung on someone’s living room wall, or seeing someone post a baby photo I took sixteen years ago, and now, more recently, as I branched into brand photography five years ago, seeing my clients show up authentically for their clients. One of the best parts of my job, though, is the part in which I am not paid. It’s making a yearly book for my own family of our story in photos. I hope my legacy for them will be that I saw our Creator in everything and did my best to capture His beauty. I hope they see Jesus through my art – through laughter, through nature, and through relationships all documented in photography.
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?
Personal brand photography is a way for small business owners to set themselves apart from their competition. Through photos, their potential customers get to know them before they decide to work with them. I help Christian entrepreneurs build purposeful and profitable businesses through personal brand photography and education.
However, this niche is not where I started out. Because I could take classes for free when I worked at a local college twenty years ago, I began taking classes just for fun. When I got pregnant, I took even more classes because I couldn’t wait to take my own pictures of my baby. The ironic thing is, my camera was only three mega-pixels, which by today’s standards is awful! But, for back then, I actually had a state of the art camera! Photos would be pixelated though if I tried to print above a 3×5!
I started off taking photos of family and friends and word spread. I also taught myself how to make a website, and once that was up, I was on the first page of the searches! In addition, I spoke to local moms’ groups about how to take better photos of their children, and then obtained clients from those speaking engagements. My photography back then was classic black and white, outdoor photos. It was at the time when things were beginning to change from purely studio to more lifestyle. When I knew this was something I could really see myself doing for the long haul, I called a local photographer and interned with her for six months. It was during that time that I learned more of the business aspect of the art.
As my own children got older, I continued taking family, children, and maternity photos, while adding high school seniors as well. However, several years ago, the idea of working with business owners, particularly women, intrigued me and I pivoted my business to soley branding images, where it is now. One of the things that sets me apart from a family photographer taking branding photos, is the detailed consultation and story board creation before the shoot. The client and I discuss every aspect of the photo shoot ahead of time and incorporate as much as the client’s personality into the images. The planning process is what makes it not just another photo shoot. For example, if I know that a client needs a banner for their homepage, we’ll strategically plan a headshot with extra space to one side for the wording. Tight, cropped headshots won’t work for things like that!
My clients use their images in the most creative ways! I’ve seen brochures, business cards, social posts, email signatures, images for courses or speaking engagements, cookbooks, etc!
My desire is that clients will receive a huge return on their investment in relational equity, which will then impact their bottom line. They are building a rapport and trust with their clients through warm, inviting images that they can use in many ways. A lot of women tell me how much they hate having their photo taken, so my goal is to get them to loosen up, laugh, and have fun! I do this through guiding them through the poses, modeling the poses for them, and encouraging them throughout our time together. Their confidence then shows in the final images. When I receive feedback like, “I was so nervous before our time together, but now that I’m done, I realize I had nothing to be nervous about. This was the most fun and easiest photo shoot ever. Thank you”, then I know I’ve done my job!
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
When I was pivoting my business, I took a year long business course from a well-known wedding photographer. Even though I didn’t shoot weddings, I knew there was a lot of wisdom that would transfer over. One of her main ways to build her reputation was through blogging her sessions. At the time, I wasn’t blogging, so I figured I’d give it a try, and I haven’t stopped! It is a beautiful way to present the entire session in a nut shell and show potential clients final images featuring various aspects of someone’s business – going behind the scenes in their business, showing their personality, products etc. It also give me a chance to share locations I like and tips for other sessions, whether people hire a photographer or do it themselves. In addition, blogging helps with SEO and I can pin the images too, so it became part of my workflow, and is one of my favorite parts of the whole process!
Each one of my clients is valued to me. I prepare a handwritten note and a present for them at the session and send monthly emails to stay top of mind. Because of this, they have been loyal, and honestly, many have become sweet friends who I now spend time with outside of the photo shoots!
Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?
As a creative, I’ve struggled with perfectionism in my work, especially when I started this career. In the beginning, I would spend HOURS in front of my computer editing tiny details, that 90% of people would never have noticed anyway. I wanted the photos to be just exactly right. However, over time, I learned that most people didn’t notice those flyaway hairs or tiny object in the background I was obsessing over anyways. I learned to let go of some things and capture images where the expression of love between family members was all they saw.
Another struggle many creatives have is that of comparison. I used to follow all kinds of photographers online, but then started critiquing my own work and measuring it against popular trends and what others were doing. For a time, I had to put aside looking at the work of other photographers so I could focus on what I did well. I perfected my style (light and airy) and clients book me for that very reason. They know a general feel of what there photos will look like, and if they want a different look, they book someone else. Now, that I’m confident in my style, I love to look at photos from other artists for inspiration and appreciation.
I also learned to educate clients about why I was choosing a particular spot for photos. For example, as we walked around a park, I had one client ask me to shoot at a very dark spot with a small waterfall surrounded by dark trees and grass. Yes, it was pretty, but the light wasn’t right for that particular spot. The subject would have been lost in all the busyness of the scenes, and on top of that, the green grass would have reflected in her face! She was amazed with the final image when I took her to another area with wispy willow trees and beautiful backlight streaming in. As a creative, I’ve had to learn to gently guide the session so my clients will absolutely love the outcome! If they don’t have an artistic eye, they may have to trust me until the final results!
Contact Info:
- Website: http://kellymcmullin.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kellymcmullinphotography/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kellymcmullinphotography/
Image Credits
Leksi Sterritt Photography