We recently connected with Kylie Clarkson and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Kylie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about how you got your first non-friend, non-family client. Paint the picture for us so we can feel the same excitement you felt on that day.

I officially started my business in 2017 with my now fiancé. We were still in high school, and were mainly interested in selling nature and landscape prints. Over time, I started finding more of an interest in photographing people, and I realized that that was what I wanted to do, so I started going to school for Photography. I took small jobs here and there for senior photos or family photos- mainly from friends and family members. Most of the initial work I did was for free or for next to nothing, but it was practice and photos for my portfolio.

I didn’t truly have my first client until February of 2021. I got a message from a resident in the community I worked in asking if I offered wedding photography, and I said yes on a bit of a whim. I was kind of terrified, because weddings are such a HUGE deal, and I hadn’t even attended a wedding that I could remember- much less been responsible for taking the photos for them to look at forever. I almost considered backing out a few times, thinking that they deserved someone who knew what they were doing. Ultimately, I decided to try it, because I figured if it went poorly or if I didn’t like it, I wouldn’t do another one. In the time leading up to the wedding, I researched online as much as I could, practiced every chance I could, and prepared as much as I could. I’ve never been one to be okay with failure, so I wasn’t going to set myself up for that.

The day of the wedding, I was very excited, but more nervous than I think I’ve ever been. I put on my confident front, and went through the motions while reminding myself of everything I had gathered in my prior months of research. The day went well, and I left feeling fulfilled and inspired. Photographing couples who are deeply in love is my calling, and I truly discovered it that day. From there on out, I just kept pushing for more wedding clients, and that’s gotten me to where I am today!

Kylie, 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?

My name is Kylie, and I am the owner/lead photographer at KD Captures. I started the business in 2017 with my now fiancé, Daniel, originally as a platform to sell landscape photos. Five years later, we specialize in weddings and family portraits.

KD Captures has been around through the majority of my photography journey, and watching the business grow is, in a way, symbolic of my personal growth. Thinking about the person I was when we started the business vs. where I am now is like comparing apples and oranges. I have grown in confidence and skill through my business and carry a lot of pride for the things I’ve accomplished.

We are different than most wedding photographers because our biggest priority is making sure that our clients feel comfortable and content on their wedding days. We take the time to ask them how they’re feeling, help them adjust their hair or makeup, make sure they’ve eaten and have water on hand, and advocating for them to have time alone. We stand with the philosophy that if our clients have a good time and are happy, they will love their photos more than if we didn’t take the time to help them.

We believe in authenticity in photos. We will never perform heavy-photoshopping in our work to alter our clients. Our general rule of thumb is if it won’t be there in 2 weeks, we can gladly remove it. Otherwise, we encourage our clients to embrace their natural bodies and let their authentic beauty shine!

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

My reputation is built on being helpful, patient, understanding, communicative, and prompt. I have a process in place for how I make sure that every client is taken care of, and has everything they need.

To preface, I am not perfect by any means, and there have been times where one or more of these things hasn’t happened for a client. The most important piece of my puzzle is making sure they are taken care of on wedding day. That’s the day that my clients need the most support, and I always make sure they know that I am here to support them and help with anything they need.

During the initial consultation process, I always make sure my clients have all of their questions answered, and I try to find some form of commonality between us so that I can start building a connection with them. I also ask my clients if there are any struggles they are having with wedding planning, and after listening to their answers, I find ways that I can help (such as vendor recommendations or friendly reminders that their wedding is for them). This sets the precedent early on that I am available, able, and willing to help with everything I can.

Leading up to the wedding, I check in periodically to make sure things are going well, and see if there is anything I can help with. This is also where I will provide assistance with creating a timeline if they need help with that. During the timeline creation, I make sure to listen to their needs, and find creative ways to help make sure their wedding is everything they hope for it to be and more.

I do a meeting with my clients the month before their wedding to finalize details and gather information. Before the meeting, I send out a questionnaire that gathers all of the information I need- down to all of the awkward family dynamics that might be at play on wedding day. Many of my clients are so grateful that I take the time to understand their lives and families because it makes their day far less stressful.

Finally, on wedding day, I go out of my way to make sure that my clients feel comfortable and have everything they need, as well as ward off any unwanted visitors in their getting ready suites, wrangle the bridal parties for photos, and provide an ear to vent to if (when) they need it.

All of this comes together to help create a reputation of being helpful, kind, and supportive, which goes a LONG way with stressed out clients.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

A few years ago, I interviewed for a job at a local photography studio. I knew fairly quickly that I wouldn’t be a good fit for that position because it was a commission-based sales job, and I had never had to sell anybody on anything.

During the interview, the manager was asking me what I wanted to do long-term, and after letting her know that I hoped to eventually make my business full-time, she said something that has stuck with me through the years: “You’ll always be a starving artist unless you learn how to sell.”

I still didn’t think I was a good fit for that role, but I realized she was right- I needed to learn how to sell myself if I wanted to make a full-time income off of my business. So, I practiced, tried, and failed (a LOT) until I figured out my rhythm and how I could convince people they needed to book me without being too pushy.

My strategy comes down to listening to my clients, understanding their needs, and then helping them understand how I can fill their needs. I don’t have an outlined “sales pitch” because every client’s needs are different, and I alter my verbiage depending on each situation.

I firmly believe that my non-invasive, friendly, and harassment-free sales strategy is what helped me get to over 40 weddings in the first year I offered them.

Contact Info:

• Website: Https://kdcaptures.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/kdcaptures?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
• Facebook: https://Facebook.com/captures.kd

Image Credits
BTS Photos Courtesy of Quianna Quinn