Today we’d like to introduce you to Kaylah Dawkins.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Kaylah. So, let’s start at the beginning, and we can move on from there.
When I was younger my older sister would have me take pictures of her and her shoes, and I used to get annoyed, but there was always a passion there for me when taking pictures. As I got older, my mom got me a canon digital camera, and I would just start taking pictures of everyone and anything, I just used to always find joy in pictures and capturing memories. I even joined the yearbook club in high school and loved taking pictures, just seemed to always find joy in it.
At family gatherings I was always the one with the camera, my family would call me paparazzi. It wasn’t until after high school when I started taking it more seriously and wanting to do freelance photography, shooting a little bit of everything and anything. A lot of people found interest in the pictures I took and would get so many compliments on my work, and even when I had such a what I consider a now bad quality camera at the time I would get hired to do different events.
I shot my first wedding at 16-17 by myself, and the fact the couple was still in love with the pictures I took, showed that no matter what I have something I love and have a passion for and others see that and that was pretty cool. After high school, I got accepted to do attend Johns Hopkins University for a summer program, and I took a photography class there while attending I learned so much more, and my love for photography grew even more.
Couple years went by, I would go on a hiatus because I tend to get discouraged of my work, or I have so many ideas that I tend to want to execute, and If I couldn’t execute any of them, it would just put in distraught. I would go on a rollercoaster of events from stopping and then going when it came to uplifting my photography business.
Present day, I am more in tune with my work, still gradually learning new things each day, and from fellow photographers. I have the support of family and friends who push me; and I enjoy meeting new clients and creating new relationships with them, from capturing moments that they can cherish for a lifetime.
Has it been a smooth road?
No, not at all, I don’t think anything that you love and want to succeed in is ever a smooth road. I had many falls and setbacks where at times I just wanted to say forget photography as a whole because I stopped seeing the passion I had for it when I first started. I had to remind myself why I started, why I loved it and get back to my self back together.
A lot of the struggles came from seeing fellow friends (photographers) succeeding more than me especially when this was something I’ve been doing for a while. I had to stop and think, what are they doing that Im not doing?
Once I reminded myself that everyone has different paths and my path is a totally different one from my friends, I stayed focused and true to myself, but still up my drive and pushed myself harder to bring more to the table.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Kaydee Photography – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I am a photographer, and sometimes I’ll step my shoes in creative directing when need; well a lot of times when I am executing a photoshoot. I specialize in a little bit of everything, from family, newborn/maternity, portraits, and fashion photography.
I am proud of the growth of my company, it’s still small, but it’s big to me, I love all the struggles because it mended me to be humble about my work and the time I put in it to see it continue to grow. I think what sets me apart from others is just the love, I get so excited for each shoot I do, and learn new things by each client.
Then when it comes to getting angles, I am on the floor on top of unsteady things (safety is out of the picture for me a lot of times) just so I can get the one picture that set out from the rest.
Contact Info:
- Phone: 9543369774
- Email: kaycdawkins@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaydee_photography/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/photographykaydee/
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