Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kevin Gilligan. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Kevin, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you tell us the backstory behind how you came up with the idea?

My photography journey has always been about exploration and a need for beauty in my life. 15 years ago I was working as a prosecutor in many of LA’s toughest neighborhoods. My cases focused on gang activity, drug houses, prostitution, and illegal dumping. That work was rewarding and depleting. I needed to bring beauty and wonder back into my life. I returned to photography and started shooting beach landscapes and from there moved on to portraits and sports. The beauty and technical challenges of photography stimulated my mind and filled my soul. I read voraciously, took workshops, and started volunteering with pros to learn the business. I loved the process and found it fun. After working full-time and going to night law school, I was pretty sure I had the tenacity to figure out what I didn’t know about photography. I have been a part-time professional photographer for 15 years. This year I retired from full-time law and can jump into photography full-time. I’m still learning new things and I love it.

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.

My photography business is focused on landscapes, portraits and sports photography. I also teach photography workshops and lead photography trips to gorgeous locations like Patagonia and U.S. National Parks.

My portrait work is often fun and dramatic with flowing dresses or men dressed sharply in suits. I strive to understand my clients, what they need and what they want to convey. I help my clients solve many issues through great communication and collaboration. For example, I have a great shot of a pianist with a flowing red dress playing on a Steinway. During my “Developing Men” solo exhibition I created 30 formal portraits of 15 men from nine (9) cities over 18 months. Of course, if a client needs a simple and less dramatic headshot, I can do that too. I’ll also make the process easy by helping them set up hair, make up and clothing, and I can come to you for the shoot.

For those seeking to beautify their home or office I have thousands of stunning landscape images from all over the world, with an extra dose of Southern California. My images have been installed in homes and offices and commercial storefronts across the country. I offer consultations about image types, sizes and framing, and you can get images printed in many sizes right on my website: www.photosbykag.com. I often assist busy attorneys, doctors and business owners to help them find the right images for their taste and office decor.

Photographers of any level can benefit from my landscape and portrait classes. I recently returned from teaching landscape photography in Chilean Patagonia at Torres Del Paine National Park. We had a variety of photographers from beginners to experienced shooters. I set up a itinerary of beautiful locations and found great places to stay. This made the whole experience fun and easy, and I was able to provide instruction over five (5) days while hiking in a gorgeous national park. I also teach workshops locally in Los Angeles. You can go to my website and find out about the newsletters by signing up for my newsletter. You can also follow me on social media @photosbykag.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

There are two things that are incredibly rewarding as a creative in my mind. First is helping a client get what they want, whether it is a great portrait of themselves, or a print for their home or office. Knowing that someone will look at your image again and again and that it makes them happy is an amazing feeling. I’m honored when someone hangs my portrait or landscape image in their home or office. Clients tell me they get inspired when they see my work, and that feels great.

The second thing that is rewarding about being a creative is the freedom to explore the world, photographically. I used to be an attorney full-time, that world has many rules and tends to be black and white. The world of photography is broad and deep, you can travel all over the world and see explore new places through your lens. You can also spend years improving your posing and lighting without traveling anywhere. Sports photography is dynamic and exciting and never the same. You capture one moment in time that will never come again. The options are virtually endless, and that exploration, that journey of improvement is rewarding.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

This is a great question. My answer has three parts. First and foremost, have integrity. To me that means be honest and be reliable. Do what you say you are going to do. If you can’t do a job, say so. If you take a job, show up early, stay late, and deliver more than expected. If I find someone does not have integrity, I stop doing business with them. I don’t need the headache. I’d like to think people find me reliable and that I underpromise and over deliver.

Second, don’t be afraid of failure. Any success I have had is in many ways attributable to my willingness to put myself out there and not be afraid of failure. I will reach out to people I don’t know and ask if we can talk or can work together. I frequently pitch ideas to people and sponsors that interest me. Many times they say no, but many times they also say yes. I’m not afraid to have a door slammed in my face and I don’t take it personally. Keep at it.

Third, play the long game. I am interested in building relationships with people, not just making a quick buck. Whether it is a portrait client, a collector of my prints, or an industry sponsor, I always seek to build a long term relationship that is beneficial to both of us. How can I help my clients is something I think a lot about. What do they need and how can I make things easy for them.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.photosbykag.com
• Instagram: photosbykag
• Facebook: https://Facebook.com/photosbykag
• Twitter: photosbykag
• Youtube: Photosbykag
• Other: Please go to my website and explore my blogs. I write about a great many things. Please sign up, I’d love to send you a copy of my newsletter a few times a year. Be the first to know about new work and receive information on sales, discounts and upcoming destination photography workshops.

Image Credits

Images (c) Kevin Gilligan, All Rights Reserved