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

Alright, Khali thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

I think that having motivation and drive to work as hard as you can for your business and clients is a key component of success. Not every day is perfect, but I try and wake up each day and put as much effort as I can into improving my business and helping my clients! In a world where there are a lot of wedding photographers, I try to stand out as best I can by being myself and sharing with the world everything you would get by working with me. And lastly, I aim to not compare myself to others or feel discouraged – I just try and work my hardest every day, and know that it will pay off.

Khali, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m Khali! I’m a wedding photographer based in Portland, Oregon capturing all the joy of a couple’s big day.

I first started taking paid photoshoots back in Highschool as a sophomore in 2009! At the time it was like $20 for a few photos which I thought was awesome. As I got older, I started doing more – couples sessions and especially grad photos as I graduated high school and college. In. 2016 I shot my first wedding in Las Vegas and the rest is history! I loved it and immediately made it my niche.

I moved to Oregon in 2019 where I met my now fiance Ryan a week after I moved here :) I am most proud of how I’ve grown my business from scratch in a new state, especially after Covid. I’d like to continue booking weddings mostly here in Oregon, some in Washington, and every once in a while a few destinations. I have two dogs so I try and keep my travel low but if I can make a destination wedding work I totally will!

My style of photography is candid, joyful and authentic moments. My photography shouldn’t feel posed or unnatural. It should be all about documenting my couples for who they really are and how their day really is. I want them to look back at their photos and feel transported to that exact moment as if they were there.

I think what really sets me apart is who I am as a person and how I incorporate that into the service I deliver. I market myself as your “wedding day hype woman” – and I really am! I cheer on my couples and do everything I can to break the ice and make them feel comfortable each time they are in front of the camera.

I also provide my couples with much more than just beautiful hand-edited images! Each couple that works with me will get a wedding magazine with tips and tricks, special vendor recommendations catered to them, and much more.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

I first started building my audience through word of mouth referrals and then a Facebook business page back in 2009-2010. Back then, I thought that was the only way.

When I got seriously into weddings in 2016 I started using Instagram for marketing and that’s what really took off! It’s how I showcased my work to other couples, met other vendors to network with and it was like an ever-changing portfolio!

I built my audience by consistently posting, keeping my feed very cohesive to my editing style, and showing up and being myself. I personally love social media – I follow lots of influencers on IG, TIktok and Youtube and feel like I know them even though we haven’t met. I aim to be that way to other people as well, from the business side. I want people to feel like they know me, and when they get engaged to think of me as a potential photographer for them!

My advice to people starting out is to just really stick to being yourself on social media – that is your biggest strength in a world where there are a lot of other photographer’s out there. You’ll find couples excited to hire YOU for their wedding day, not just a photographer.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Like many business owners I was hit hard in 2020. I am proud that I was able to work with majority of my couple’s postponed weddings and still come out of that first year in business. In 2021, I quit my full time sales job to just run my photography business and in 6 months I made twice the money I did in that old position. It wasn’t easy, but I am proud of the work I put in to do this for a living. It’s the best job ever

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kmtphotos.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kmtphotos_/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kmttakesphotos
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/khali-titsch-996938b0/
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@kmtphotos_

Image Credits
Photos by KMT Photos