We were lucky to catch up with Kyle Soto recently and have shared our conversation below.
Kyle, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?
Throughout my childhood, I was fascinated with the ocean and its wildlife. I spent my free time diving and exploring the ocean’s endless possibilities. I would spend my mornings at the beach before school, sifting through sand and investigating the tidepools for octopus, fish, crabs, and any other animals that I could find. It was here that my love and passion for the ocean and its inhabitants shaped my life. I would go to great lengths to encounter big and small animals in the ocean, often waking up before the sun rose to free dive off the beach and search for unique species. My joy of diving and exploring the ocean was brought to a screeching halt when I was diagnosed with cancer at age 15. My chemotherapy began right away and my adventures in nature could not continue for the entire duration of my treatment. Throughout my treatment, I was able to live vicariously through underwater photographers who shared what they saw in the ocean online, and it allowed me to experience those moments alongside them. The ocean that I had missed so much was suddenly brought into my hospital room through the medium of photography. This sparked inspiration inside of me. After one year, I emerged from this battle with resilience and a burning passion to preserve and capture the nature that was stripped away from me, so that I would be able to share the ocean with those who could not experience it for themselves. I bought my first camera and an underwater housing and I knew that I wanted to pursue underwater photography professionally.
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 job as an underwater photographer is to capture images that convey the beauty and awesomeness of the underwater world. My images can be purchased and displayed as artwork in homes and businesses. Some of my best products include canvases and metals which show off the true color and detail of each photo. The goal of Kyle Soto Photography is to bring a slice of the ocean straight to you and promote conservation. I have captured photos from around the world, from waves in Costa Rica to sea turtles in Hawaii, there is a variety of moments that can be found in my portfolio. I am also committed to connecting with my audience via social media, I post stories and photos on my Instagram to show everyone my latest projects and adventures in the ocean. I spend countless hours in the ocean with my camera looking for unique animals and moments to capture. Because of my commitment and patience, I am able to encounter some rarely seen animals in their natural habitat. I put the hours in so that when you see my photos you can ensure that they are of the highest quality and hopefully they can bring some joy into your day. I’m always seeking to improve, and I love traveling and finding new moments to capture.
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
When I started on social media it was all the way back in 2013. Instagram was still fairly new and Tiktok wasn’t even an idea yet. I started on Instagram so that I could share my new found love of photography with my family and friends. Over the years I saw social media shift into a useful tool to grow my underwater photography business. After my cancer treatment, the Make-a-wish foundation offered me a trip to Hawaii with my family. I saw this trip as an opportunity to both meet some of my idols, jump-start my brand, and build an audience on social media. I began reaching out to influencers in Hawaii who I had always looked up to. This included underwater photographers, professional surfers, and ocean conservationists. I had shared my story with them and they were happy to meet up with me once I got to Hawaii. We had some awesome experiences together, from diving with sharks to surfing at the famous Banzai Pipeline. I made sure to capture it all in both photo and video form. Sharing these experiences brought many new followers to my account and it was the start of an audience that I would continue to build. My first piece of advice to those starting to build a social media presence is to collaborate with others that are succeeding in your niche, there is a lot to learn from those who have already built a successful audience. Most people are willing to extend advice to those who are just starting out, and they usually want to help your account succeed. I also feel like it’s important to stay true to the content that you believe in, if your work is authentic then you can find an audience out there who will appreciate it. Growing an audience takes time and patience.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
For me, the most rewarding part about being an artist is seeing that my work can make a difference. My work has been used by multiple organizations in order to promote ocean conservation to audiences around the world. The artwork that I create is meant to show people the beauty of the ocean’s wildlife so that they will be more inclined to protect it. Maybe because someone saw my photo of a baby sea turtle they will be less likely to use a single-use plastic bag the next day. This reduction in plastic consumption and motivation to conserve the ocean is what I hope my artwork is able to inspire.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kylesotophotography.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kylesoto/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kylesotophotography/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8pP8cVmPBIAdnoCONb9-EQ
Image Credits
Kyle Soto