We were lucky to catch up with Kylie Norwood recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Kylie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Some of the most interesting parts of our journey emerge from areas where we believe something that most people in our industry do not – do you have something like that?
There are so many different areas within a photography business that I could focus on to answer this question: the booking process, advertising, the execution of the session or wedding, post-process, and so on. What I think I want to concentrate on is the lack of flexibility coming from a lot of photographers when it comes to supporting clients’ visions, especially for weddings. I hear many photographers out there using their artistic style as an excuse for not providing clients any flexibility with “must-have photos” and ignoring their clients’ visions or preferences. What we, as photographers, have to remember is that a wedding day is not about our portfolio. As creatives, we are still providing a service.
Whether it is a wedding, an engagement session, family session, or any other service, I am always asking for inspiration photos. I truly want to understand the client’s vision and do my best to execute that in some capacity. If I’m not confident that I can, at least I have that information ahead of time and can refer them to a photographer that may fit their needs better. Regardless, although we are creating art, we are still providing a service to our clients and thus, must take their vision and needs into consideration.
On the other hand, this does not mean that we should be sacrificing things such as our editing style, shooting style, or approach to the session. The booking process should make much of these things clear – this is why contracts are so important! Even better, include information about this on your website. That’s what I do! All of these aspects should be clearly laid out so the client has the ability to decide whether or not they would like to agree. Especially in the wedding industry, everything has gotten so expensive and all too often we see couples booking vendors based on price. For photography in particular, it is vital that you do your research, request full galleries, review samples of their work, and ask questions. A photographer is almost never going to change their editing style for you.
All in all – there is a really fine line between photographer’s artistic style and a client’s vision for their day. Both should be discussed throughout the booking process, and the client and photographer should have a clear understanding before anything is signed. It is easy for photographers these days to prioritize their portfolio and artistic vision over anything else, but it’s so important to remember that are also serving others and ultimately want the best for our clients in the end.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Before Kylie Norwood Photography was even an idea in my brain, my 7th grade self was on Tumblr all the time and wanted to know how people got so many clear photos with a “blurry background”. That truly was enough to inspire me to save up for my first camera. Once I saved up and snagged a Black Friday deal, I started shooting anything I could come across: pets, nature, myself, others, and so much more. After a few years, we had a family friend that was getting engaged and my mom (of whom I give so much credit for getting me started) suggested I offer to take some photos for a low price. The rest was history.
Over time, I continued to try and build up a small business, creating a Facebook page and offering low prices to build my portfolio and client base. I had sessions here and there, and did a lot more than just portrait photography to get my name out there. It wasn’t until 2020 when I realized that clients were returning to me, and my name continued to come across people’s minds when they needed a photographer. Fast forward to 2024, and I’ve not only established a business in Maryland, but I moved to Pennsylvania and essentially had to start the process again. Just like I did in Maryland, I have had to slowly building up a client base and attempt to become established here too, with my name more often floating around the Lehigh Valley.
It’s been a journey, and one of the aspects I love most is how much I am learning. I have no background in business, so every session, situation, conversation is a learning experience that allows me to build a stronger, more trusted brand. Not only that, but photography is currently still a side business for me. Balancing a full time job and a fast growing business is tough, so time management and communication is key. All the effort, time, and learning experience put into this business is for the purpose of pursuing my passion, and maybe one day soon launching it as my full time job.
At the moment, I offer sessions for just about any occasion: weddings, engagements, families, pregnancies, seniors, and other milestones. However, my passion is truly for couples and families. I shot a few small weddings in the early stages of my career, but they were never my favorite to capture. To my surprise, in the past few years, I have decided to take weddings more seriously and get some experience to determine whether or not it was something I would be comfortable pursuing. My wedding bookings have skyrocketed and with each one, I improve and learn. They are extremely different than any other session and require a lot of time and energy, but I love them more with each one I do.
What I think sets me apart from others is my empathy, flexibility, and true passion for the art of photography. I believe there are some photographers out there that don’t quite have empathy towards their clients AND lack the passion. Photography is creative and artistic, which I absolutely love, but in our industry it is also a service. People cherish photographs and nowadays, love to share them across social media platforms. That is a reflection of not only our art but our business. It also goes way beyond the session itself – from the first moment they reach out to the delivery of the gallery, clients are experiencing what it’s like to work with you and your business. Every aspect of this process should be considered, and I exemplify empathy, flexibility, and passion through its entirety.
Have you ever had to pivot?
There are two main milestones that stick out to me that both happened throughout the time that my business was just starting to take off: starting a full time job and moving to a new state.
When I began my full time job, I had to determine how I was going to balance that while continuing to take bookings. Luckily, sessions typically happen around golden hour (after the work day) or the weekends anyway. This was all fine and dandy, but I needed to find a healthy balance to prevent myself from burning out, which is still a major struggle today. Each year, I reflect and make tweaks to my business to allow me to give my best self to my clients while also maintaining my physical and mental health as I balance two jobs. It seems that each year gets busier and busier, so this becomes vital to prioritize. I’m a work in progress over here!
Not only did I need to find a way to juggle my full time job and my fast growing business, but I essentially had to “start over” when I moved two and a half hours away to Pennsylvania. Again, this is still something I am navigating today. Because I have a strong client base built in Maryland, I often still travel down to hold sessions and shoot weddings for friends. A lot of that is because it allows me to visit my family and still serve many of the people who helped me get to where I am today. All the while, I am trying to establish my business in the Lehigh Valley. My ultimate goal is to be able to build a client base here like I did in Maryland, but moving locations makes that a challenge. 2024 was a really successful year in doing this, and client reviews and referrals have been the best form of advertisement for me personally. I am forever grateful.
This is just another example of why I love this job – learning. Every step of the way is a challenge and a learning opportunity that allows me to grow as a person and business owner. I’m grateful for all of the clients, friends, and family out there that say my name and have supported me in picking up this business and moving it so far away. It has truly been a pivotal moment in my career and life.
Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?
I mentioned this briefly elsewhere, but what’s easy to overlook is how much more goes into a photography business than the session itself. There are resources: wedding guides, outfit guides, pricing lists, wedding prep sheets, and so much more that we develop to support clients. There are calendars, contracts, subscriptions, inquiries, questionnaires, emails, templates, and many more aspects curated and managed behind the scene to make things go smoothly. Even further, there is editing, backing up photos, storing photos, sharing client galleries, shipping flash drives, and so much more. Those are just a few additional aspects that keep the business running, and that doesn’t even include holding the session itself.
Others may not get visibility to all areas of the business, but I do think it’s good information to put out there to remind everyone how much more time and effort goes into making the experience smooth for our clients. We are not only photographers: we are accountants, bookkeepers, advertisers, marketers, content creators, assistants, coordinators, planners, graphic designers, writers, and the list continues. I highly recommend considering some of these things the next time you are wondering why you haven’t received your gallery yet or why you’re waiting on a response to that inquiry you sent in 2 days ago.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kylienorwoodphotography.com
- Instagram: @kylie.jpg
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kylienorwoodphotography
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylie-norwood-11b466180/
Image Credits
All my own photos, or family members taking photos for me.
Sky Gold Design