Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kelsey Mahlandt. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Kelsey, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.
The most meaningful project I’ve worked on thus far was my first wedding. I never thought I would have any interest in weddings, and I didn’t until I got the opportunity to experience photographing my first. The mother of the bride was given my contact information from a former client and had seen some photos I had done for a benefit event. I had initially respectfully declined, letting her know that weddings weren’t something I had any interest in doing. Thank goodness she didn’t give up on me! She reached out a couple more times before I finally said yes, and I’m so glad she did. I took her daughter’s engagement photos which allowed me to meet the couple and get to know them before the wedding. The groom was deaf, so I had to learn how to most effectively communicate with him. I was so nervous. I spent hours researching weddings and wedding photography before their big day. I learned so much though, but nothing is as powerful as actually getting the opportunity to photograph that wedding! I have so much respect for wedding photographers. There is so much you must adjust to and be flexible for. It really challenged me to find the best lighting in each situation. I loved the whole experience. I just love love, and a wedding is such a special, amazing experience to be a part of in someone’s life. I now want to pack my schedule full of weddings, and I can’t wait to photograph my next wedding! I would really love to combine my love of love and hiking and photograph some extreme hiking elopements.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
For those of you who don’t know me, which is most of you, I am photographer who enjoys photographing high school seniors, families, couples, and weddings! I love the glamour of senior portrait sessions. I, myself, am a mom, so I live for the candid moments during a family session. I love love, and have a blast throwing out fun prompts during couple sessions. I also enjoy a good wedding! I want to be there to capture the most amazing memories of your special day. I’m beyond adventurous, so if you want to hike 11 miles to get married or take high school senior portraits, you are my people, and I want to join you! I have yet to photograph something I don’t enjoy, so I dare you to challenge me!
Photography has always been an interest of mine, but I avoided it because I thought it would be an expensive and intricate hobby that I couldn’t afford. I was right! I’ve spent hours and hours and hours learning and practicing and still feel like I have so much more to learn. Luckily, I really enjoy the process! I love that there is always some new technique to try or new lighting trick to test! I also love how the change of a lens or switching a setting can give you a completely different look of the same shot. And don’t get me started on the post-processing work. The possibilities are absolutely endless!
Photography started out just as a personal hobby when I finally bit the bullet and bought a camera after my daughter was born. She was my motivation to try something new. I didn’t want to miss a single moment of her life, but I wanted high quality photos that I could display all over the walls. I love encouraging my clients to print their images too. Why spend money on a photographer if you’re just going to let your photos get lost on your phone or in the cloud? I personally love albums, acrylics, wall prints, and acrylic blocks. As I sit here working on this article, I see 13 framed portraits on my walls of my daughter that I’ve taken. My daughter loves seeing them and it lets her know that she is important, she belongs here, and she is loved. I want that for all my clients and their families. I really love it when I get to photograph families each year. It’s truly an honor to see my clients’ kids and families grow!
One of my favorite parts of the photography process is going through all the photos after a photo shoot. I love culling through all the best moments from our session. I love retouching the photos, not to make them look better, but to feel better. A well thought out combination of incremental tweaks can create the most stunning portraits! I value my work and I value all my clients. They are trusting me with their family memories and that’s really special!
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is having complete creative control. I get to be 100% me. I edit my portraits to look perfect in my eye. My clients come to me because they like my style. I don’t feel like I have to conform to something that isn’t me or my style. There are so many photographers to choose from, so if someone is coming to me, they like what I have to offer. They love the look and feel of my portraits. They value my work and that’s pretty cool!
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.
One of the biggest things I think a non-creative will struggle with understanding photography is how much time and work actually goes in to each session. We don’t just pull out the camera, snap a pic, then send it to you. We spend time planning for our sessions beforehand. What is the client going to do with these photos? What outfits are going to be worn? What is the purpose of the session? And how can the location serve us? During the session, we think about lighting, posing, prompting emotions, framing, keeping kids excited and engaged, and so much more. After the session comes the editing. I will make the smallest changes that may seem irrelevant, but all those small changes make a big impact on the final image. There’s no substitute for a well-edited and thought out photo, and you can really tell when someone puts time into their work. Everyone wants their photos back within a couple days, but good editing takes time. Sometimes, I start editing, and I don’t like it. I have to walk away and come back a day later and start over before figuring out what really feels good to me!
Contact Info:
- Website: Kelseymahlandtphotography.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kelseymahlandtphotography/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KelseyMahlandtPhotography/