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

Kim , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about a time you helped a customer really get an amazing result through their work with you.

One day I ran across a small candle company on Instagram. I was getting ready to travel and saw they had these small travel size candles which I thought would be perfect in my hotel room and to give as gifts. The order came and I decided to photograph them as I saw their story. I used vintage props and warm tones to create gorgeous scenes. I posted the pictures on my instagram account and Hattie from Hearth and Craft Candle Co. reach out to see if she could purchase the images. I was excited she loved them and from there a creative relationship was formed. It wasn’t long after she started using the images in her marketing that she wrote me with an amazing compliment — that her business felt more elevated with these images helping her market online and in print. Hattie in her own right is an amazing creative as well. She understood from the start she has to be the soul and voice of her brand. Hattie is a maker of her product but also one of the best hustlers I know. She is active in her brand both online and in person. Honestly an ideal client for me as a photographer.

Over the next. couple of years we would reconnect for seasonal projects always starting with a lot of brainstorming. I had two goals for her brand as the creator of her visual content 1) I wanted to her content to feel cohesive to her brand– which for her was describe by cozy and 2) I wanted to create an evergreen library of images that she could continue to pull out and use over and over again.

When I do a shoot for her brand I am aware that she sells a product that is highly influenced by smell and online- unless there is a major technical upgrade- is tough to explain. So we early on decided to lean in to shared experiences to her target audience lean into her products. We created stories that her clients could relate to – from self care – to eating healthy – to creating a cozy spaces at home for friends to gather. We also used color and tone and create harmony between shoots to keep on all of her content on brand. Hearth and Craft Candle Co. oozes warmth and cozy- so everything thing we created was run through that filter to ensure her library of images had a continuous thread.

I have two favorite parts of every shoot. The first is when I first open the box she sends me full of old favorite and new scent creations. I feel like I get to be one of the first people to experience her genius. My second favorite part is when I deliver her gallery. I always give her a call because selfishly I love to her to first impressions of her gallery. I love that Hattie trusts me to create beautiful content and stories for her. Moreover I love seeing how she uses her images.

Often times when I am hired to create content a client thinks if they just do the branding or product shoot they will have everything they need. Then the receive the images and it is almost like a deer in the headlight look – they realize they now lots of work to do. They need to update their website, create the print marketing, outline marketing messages for social media with reels, posts, and all of the stuff. Hattie is contently making and marketing her product. Female to female — I love to partner with someone who chasing her dream with everything she has and when I work for her I give her everything I have.

This past October I finally surprised Hattie at one her popup events. We have worked together for years, but never met. I honestly wasn’t sure if she would recognize me. But as quickly as I walked up to her gorgeous booth full of the intoxicating scent of her candles, she greeted me with a warm hug.

She continually is creating and I am 100% her to support what she does.

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

Still and Wild is creative branding and headshot photo studio located in North east Kansas. Kim Bear is the principal photographer and owner. Much of the work created by Still and Wild is crafted through storytelling elements, color, tone, and shared experiences. Kim is a collector of vintage props and loves to utilize moody lighting in her creative portraits and product images.

Every brand has a story which is told through how they want their audience to know them. Are they quiet, cozy fun, colorful, or muted. Social media creates an amazing opportunity to do more than share the “specs” about products and share the story- the feeling- and to tap into a memory or a desire. Kim starts with your story and partners with clients to express themselves visually so their audience is attracted to their brand.

Have you ever had to pivot?

For years I photographed people and my own people- my kids. I realized that I photographed my kids often but wasn’t often present. I would dress them up and take their pictures and then hurry into download them and get them onto my social pages. I was missing important moments for very selfish reasons. I decided to start to photograph objects and I dove into still life. I felt like I could still get my creative spirit satisfied without feeling guilty. I dove in with everything I had- I photographed everything from flowers- to eggs- to spoons- everything that couldn’t run away I photographed.

During this time I also waited. I waited for someone to come alone and say – can I hire you? Yet, I hadn’t actually created a product offering. I hadn’t put my “open” sign out, but wanted others to tell me what I should offer and what I should cost. It was a great lesson– you have to bet on yourself before others will. That is why I have loved working with Hattie so much– she bets on herself all the time. She works hard to be the best she can be. She knows she is in a competitive market, but that doesn’t stop her from showing up.

So I decided to show up. I invested in myself originally with a photoshoot that I financed. I wanted to create a gorgeous scene full of warm scenes and tones. I booked the location, hired the model, purchased props and clothes, and dreamed. I dreamed hard. I left that shoot having checked all of the boxes I wanted to check. I was creatively full and I loved it. From that shoot I created a plan to shoot like that more. To shoot with more creatively and more risk.

Next I decided to move my studio to a rented space and out of my house. This allowed to have a dedicated creative space and to grow my offerings with headshots. While headshots aren’t always the most creative- they can be exciting and profitable. There is a balance of doing what you want and doing what you need to do to stay in business.

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

Well- by social media is still growing and honestly sometimes I am more productive than other times, but I can tell you that you have to be real. You have to pull back the curtain a bit so your audience can relate to you.

That being said– we don’t need to know everything about your personal life. Remember your business social media isn’t about you— it is about your audience. Think about how what you post/share can help educate or inspire your target audience. If is doesn’t do those things… keep in on your personal page.

Secondly – create a message that you want to share and share it often. Share how you solve a problem and keep on message. Social media platforms are busy and congested places– a message shared once could easy get overlooked. But having a great message and great visuals shared often and consistently is a winning combo.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.stillandwild.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/still_and_wild
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stillandwild

Image Credits

Kim Bear with Still and Wild