We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kennedy Lewellen a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Kennedy, appreciate you joining us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

My mission as a photographer is to be actively preserving life’s precious moments. From when I first get a message from a client until I photograph and send out their last ever gallery with me, my goal is to help create a product that instills life long memories and gives them a feeling of home. Everyone has their own story, and my passion is learning about you and creating something that holds a special place in your heart.

The most important part of my job is what happens during the photoshoot, whether I have my camera in hand, or not. Creating a comfortable environment where each person’s unique personality shines, is the most important part of what I do. Having a space that fosters creativity so you can be who you are, creates the most magical memories, resulting in photographs that you and your family look back on for years to come. Everyone has that one photo, whether it’s of yourself or a loved one, that represents their personality to a tee. My goal is to give you that one photo, or more preferably, a whole gallery of photos that really portray exactly who you are.

I am a big softy and have always cared so deeply about other peoples feelings. So providing a comfortable environment and encouraging people to shamelessly be who they are is super important to me.

I love that nostalgic feeling you get when looking through old photos and reminiscing on old memories. This is honestly one of my favorite things to do, which is why I want everyone to experience that same feeling.

I want you to look back on your session with me as another cherished memory that you made. And once you get your photos back, I want you to love them even more because of it.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Hi! My name is Kennedy. I am a portrait photographer based in Surprise, Arizona. I take mostly Graduate/Senior photos, Couples, Family’s, and I have done a handful of small, intimate, backyard weddings. My passion is getting to really know and understand my clients and their stories. I love love love the creativity that comes with being a photographer. It really is such a unique environment that fosters so much growth and truly has endless amounts of creative opportunities. But, with this comes the opportunity to meet so many new people and the privilege of being inspired by their stories. My favorite part of this job are the people that come with it. My clients have given me so much and are the number one reason of why I am where I am today. I’m still learning and growing, but nothing would be possible without the support and the love that I get from my community.

I have always loved all things creative and artsy, which is part of the reason I love photography so much. Growing up, I watched and admired my older cousin take on her journey as a photographer. I always thought that she was so cool and fun and that her job looked like the best job in the world! Watching her is what inspired me and really pushed me to pursue photography. Seeing her through all stages of her career and now as the successful businesswoman she is, encourages me to keep going through hard times and to remember what I love about this job.

Over this past year of being a photographer, I think I am most proud of my determination to stick with my purpose of why I am here, taking photos for all of these amazing people. I think a lot of times, people can get lost in the financial aspect of things (making too much money, not making enough money) and although starting a business can be hard, keeping your mind set on obtaining your goals is what sets you apart. I want my clients to know that I am about making their experience as seamless as possible. While I want to provide a good business experience, I also want to create a space of trust and mutual respect. I want you to feel like you can trust me with your photos, but also with your stories and your hardships. Life is hard, and sometimes you want to get that last photo with a loved one, and you are having a particularly rough day. I want to create a space for you where you know that its normal to be feeling these things and where you know that I will be accepting and loving to you no matter your circumstance.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

Growing your clientele is definitely the hardest part of any job, in my opinion. Especially in saturated fields such as photography. Honestly, this is still something that I am working hard at doing! What helped me in the beginning is offering lots and lots of free and discounted shoots! I would post about these free/discounted shoots in any Facebook group I could find, on Instagram, I would message friends and family members asking if they were interested, etc! You just really have to put yourself out there and be vulnerable. Prefacing with the fact that you are an amateur photographer or just a newer entrepreneur, but also being confident, helpful, and kind when interacting with clients goes a long way! I find that people respond best to someone who is kind, honest, knowledgeable, and goes above and beyond in making sure they are happy with the final product. You don’t have to have any specific personality, you just have to love what you do and love the people you do it for! As of now, I get a lot of my clients from referrals! But, a lot of those initial clients that refer me to their friends started off booking me when I was offering free/discounted sessions. They now book me regularly, at full price AND their friends who book with me pay full price too. Knowing your worth and trusting that it will work out, as long as your putting in the work, goes a long way.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

Something that’s so special about being in the business world as a creative is that not everyone is cut out for it! Everyone has such a different perspective on life and not one creative mind is alike. This is what keeps clients coming back for more. Not everyone can do it! But with that can come misunderstandings and sometimes a struggle to keep up with your social circle, family members, friends, because they don’t totally understand. For me, personally, my mind is always thinking about my next shoot, what poses I can try, what creative ideas I can come up with, creating my next post, etc. A lot of people just aren’t hardwired that way and they may not take your work ethic seriously because its “different” from the norm. They may be quick to judge or get annoyed when you spend time working on things that they don’t see as important. Recognizing that there is always some type of equivalent in life and certain situations helps us have more patience and understanding for one another. We all have things in life that fulfill us, just looking at it from a different perspective can help you realize that we aren’t so different from each other. Everyone has their specific “things” that people don’t quite understand, but that’s make makes you stand out.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://capturinggracephotography100.mypixieset.com/
• Instagram: _capturinggracephotography
• Facebook: Capturing Grace Photography