Today we’d like to introduce you to Audrey Klemp.
Hi Audrey, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I moved to San Diego in 2011 and haven’t looked back since. I started working for Breweries including Stone, Bagbys, and Belching Beaver. I climbed my way through these companies where I was eventually promoted to marketing departments. I started creating content for social media and found myself really enjoying that process; I’d throw my headphones and obsess over all the small details. Like most, the pandemic in 2020 threw me a curveball; I was laid off and sitting in my home wondering what to do. Little did I know, but it was the best thing that could have happened to me. It forced me to stop running on the hamster wheel, sit with myself, and evaluate my life. This helped my personal growth by decades. My boyfriend and I decided to pack up my truck and go on a month-long camping trip when the restrictions loosened. That time inspired me to keep going with my passion of adventure, the outdoors, and traveling the Western United States. Fast forward through sweat, some blood, and (many) tears. I was able to blend my love of product photography and taking trips around the West. Now, I work with businesses that send their products, so I can shoot wherever we’re at. It has been a wonderful experience that I hope to be doing for many many more years.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The logistical issues of balancing part-time road travel while living in San Diego, all while working for clients on deadlines, makes me confident that I could juggle Molotov cocktails on a unicycle during a thunderstorm. Weather and a myriad of other setbacks have caused jobs to fall apart and need to be put back together. The ability to capture a business’s vision through all this can be full of obstacles…challenging, but that’s half the fun.
Also, the vulnerability of putting yourself out there has always been an obstacle of mine. From one side of the lens, I’m hyper-critical of my work, but I’ve learned that growth and navigating obstacles with grace is what keeps me motivated. Once I get behind a camera, I’m able to focus, hone in and get creative. I’ve been constantly unlearning my own limiting beliefs. 5 years ago, I would have never believed in myself enough to do this.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m a product photographer, not an influencer. And I think that is an important differentiation. I travel San Diego and the West more broadly to get great shots for my clients. I provide a service that isn’t just meeting the requirements of an algorithmic square someone will see for 5 seconds.
Rather, my work is an investment into your brand and how it’s presented. Businesses have a few different ways they can invest in this process.
They can send things to influencers and promote to their audience with simple, fun photography and video that can reach the influencer’s following. They can pay marketing companies big bucks and outsource the control of their image. Or they can work with photographers and videographers directly to craft their brand in a more potent way. I lean towards the latter.
Technology has leveled the playing field more than ever these days, making it possible to achieve the quality of shot multi-million-dollar brands are achieving at realistic budgets for smaller companies. For a motivated business, this route can ultimately result in a massive step up from their competition.
Look at local brands like Blenders and Vuori. They started their modest climb out of garages (shout out Carlsbad Village) by investing in their brand’s image; they created that seemingly intangible quality that differentiates a professional brand’s marketing material from the others. And that, my friends, is what I aspire to give to my clients every time I get behind the camera.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
As a recovering people pleaser, I enjoy helping others with something that helps them. I’ve reframed creating into a tool to help others. I really enjoy the symbiotic relationship it creates. I derive happiness from surprising myself with my own capabilities, like a morning run on a Saturday, sending a climbing route I’ve failed at for weeks, digesting cheese, and simple comforts – like fresh socks after a long day of hiking or an ice-cold lager after surfing with friends.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://westcoastinfocus.myportfolio.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/audreyinfocus/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/west-coast-in-focus-9b422126a/
Image Credits
Portrait: taken by Kristen Karhio
