Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lisa “Moose” Kral. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Lisa “Moose”, thanks for joining us today. Can you walk us through some of the key steps that allowed you move beyond an idea and actually launch?
From the time that I was given my first camera, I have enjoyed documenting my experiences. With the development of digital cameras and social media, photography became more of a passion and people noticed I had an original style. Comments from many years ago urged me to be a professional photographer and, as I sat at my office job, I joked and replied, “In another life, I would be a photographer.” When my husband and I relocated from a big city to a small town and I could not find a comparable job, my husband encouraged me to just go with it and really embrace my joy of photography. So, what was once a passion and hobby, became my official business.
Backtracking a bit, when I met my husband in 2003, we began taking road trips and I documented them and shared my photos. People wanted to buy them! At that time, I was mainly a landscape photographer, capturing the beauty of our travels. When we relocated to Palisade, CO, I was recognized and hired for event and festival photography. Shortly after our move, I secured a position as the photographer for the Palisade Chamber of Commerce. I was capturing business events and started to love taking photos of people. Now, there isn’t anything I won’t photograph, and I am grateful to earn a living doing it!
Lisa “Moose”, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Where I’m from and how my background and upbringing impact who I am today: I was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago, IL. My parents always encouraged my sisters and me to pursue hobbies. My oldest sister gravitated towards gymnastics. My middle sister took to the piano. And me, well, they tried everything and nothing was sticking until I found dance. I ended up being a dance major at the University of Wisconsin at Madison and continued to dance after college. When I started taking photos professionally, my business name, Dancing In My Head Photography, was born. Why I pursued an artistic or creative career: Once I embraced my passion for dance and started surrounding myself with so many creative people, I knew that these were my people and I had to express myself artistically. Having supportive parents and a supportive husband also helped immensely. Being creative brings me joy, makes me think outside the box, and gets me excited about life and what’s to come.
What sets me apart: I want the world to see what I see. Everyone can see beautiful things, but not everyone can convey the beauty that they see through a photo. That’s where I feel that I excel; I can “capture the dance of life.” This is now my tagline. I’m also pretty funny and can make total strangers smile, which makes for a great photographer who people think of when a special occasion comes into focus. I have a goal to be a comedic photographer, but that’s a story for another day. Also, my nickname, “Moose”, has become recognizable and my purple hair also has become a signature of my brand. I am affectionately known as “The Purple Haired Photographer in Palisade.”
What lessons I’ve learned along the way: I’ve learned to take risks. I didn’t usually take many! After meeting my husband in Chicago and living there for many years, we had the thought of moving to Colorado and took action quickly. I called my parents and said that I was going to quit my job and pick up and move to Colorado with my, then, boyfriend. My Dad said, “Lisa, you never take risks. DO IT! Just don’t burn any bridges if it doesn’t work out.” With that, we took the risk and here we are! In this case, my support network gave me the encouragement and courage to make a giant leap, and I’m glad I did.
Each time I accept a photo shoot contract, I am accepting some degree of risk. Will our personalities match? Will the clients like my photos? Will I be invited back? When I deliver my work, awaiting the reaction is filled with hopes they will return raving reviews. So far, so great!!
What matters most to me: Honesty. While editing tools are now so advanced, I strive to capture an honest photo. Quite frankly, editing is my least favorite part of the entire process. I’d rather capture the shot and the essence of my subjects and spend little time making changes to the images. To capture a moment in it’s true form is so rewarding to me and if I don’t have to spend a lot of time editing, even better! Usually, the moments speak for themselves. I think my clients see an honest representation of themselves, and get a confidence boost when they see themselves through my lens.
Work life balance: As someone who enjoys taking photos of everything, I am constantly taking photos. It may not always be for work; my clicking finger never sleeps. This seems to be a consistent tendency for me. When I was a focused dancer, I was constantly choreographing dances in my head and now I am always thinking about what beautiful shots might find my lens next. My husband does have to insist that I put my camera down sometimes and just take in the moments.
My end goal: I just want to capture moments that will live on in people’s memories. Now that I sell my photos, they live on in people’s homes as well. I imagine that, when I no longer can get out to take photos, I will still be re-editing them for as long as I can see!
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
My parents always encouraged my sisters and me to pursue hobbies. My oldest sister gravitated toward gymnastics. My middle sister took to the piano. And me, well, they tried everything and nothing was sticking until I found dance. I ended up being a dance major at the University of Wisconsin at Madison and continued to dance after college. When I started taking photos professionally, my business name, Dancing In My Head Photography, was born.
Once I embraced my passion for dance and started surrounding myself with so many creative people, I knew that these were my people and I had to express myself artistically. Having supportive parents and a supportive husband also helped immensely. Being creative brings me joy, makes me think outside the box, and gets me excited about life and what’s to come.
Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
Other photographers are a wonderful resource that I wish I had reached out to sooner. Finding a mentor and networking is a wonderful way to grow and learn. Mentors can help you see things in a different way than you do and networking can open up doors for obtaining new clients and trying new things.
Contact Info:
- Website: dancinginmyhead.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dancinginmyheadphotography/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dancinginmyheadphotography/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-moose-levy-kral-6509274/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/lisa_kral