We were lucky to catch up with Lindsay Kagalis recently and have shared our conversation below.
Lindsay, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.
I love that when you break it down, photography is really all about allowing others to see life through your eyes. No matter what, you are telling your story from how you experience it. And just as you grow and change in life, I think your creativity does the same.
Because of this, I believe that creativity has its ebbs and flows. Some days, everything feels aligned and I have a million ideas to try. On other days, everything feels stuck. So the best way I keep my creativity alive is by listening to my body and heart. When I need to step away and take a break from creating, I take a break. I don’t try to force myself to do something that doesn’t feel aligned with my heart.
I also think the best way to stay creative is to give yourself space. For example, when I’m feeling stuck creatively, I’ll take my camera out just to shoot and experiment. It’s in those moments I unlock more of my potential — playing with light, composition, and the subjects of my shots. It’s also a chance to step back and try to see the world from a new perspective. There’s inspiration everywhere, but I think we get tied up in comparing ourselves to others and stuck in our comfort zone. Sometimes, we just need to see things from a different angle.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
Since I can remember, I’ve always had this voice in my soul telling me to see the world. I had been taking photos as a hobbyist since I was gifted my dad’s film camera at 13 — it wasn’t until about 6 years ago that I thought, “Maybe I can make something of these two passions”.
I began my photography career dabbling in various types — portraits, food, events — you name it, I’ve probably shot it. But it was the intersection of traveling and photography that really sparked the fire in my soul. I started small, taking my camera with me on local hiking trips, and slowly made carrying my camera gear everywhere a necessity.
As I’ve grown as a photographer, my niche has shifted. While I used to focus on adventure photography — hiking, backpacking, climbing, etc. — I’m feeling invigorated to embark on a new lens. Now, I want to focus on capturing travel in all its moments. We live in a world where social media shows us all the “Instagrammable” spots when in reality, there’s so much more to explore. On top of that, I want to connect humanity back to traveling. Immersing myself in an area, meeting locals, and learning their stories to then share with others.
My goal is to use my photography to help not only inspire people to travel, but to do so intentionally. Whether that is spending time in your city for a staycation or exploring the opposite side of the world, I hope my photography can inspire you to also look beyond the highlight reel and really connect with the community you’re visiting.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
One of the most important things I’d advise folks starting out in photography is to trust yourself. Find what feels right and aligns with you and go with that. It’s very easy to compare ourselves to others, but your view is unique to you — that’s what matters most. When I started pursuing photography, I shot anything and everything I could. Part of this was because I wanted to get more practice behind the lens, but it was also a chance for me to figure out what I liked the most. What type of photography invigorates me the most? Allowing myself to listen to my heart helped me focus my efforts on what makes me happiest, and I think you can see that happiness in each shot.
I also think it’s important to educate yourself if you want to hone in on your craft. ASK QUESTIONS. Reach out to artists / someone you admire and see if they are accepting mentors. As a millennial, I feel like we grew up with an “I can just Google it” mentality. But there is so much knowledge and insight we can learn by connecting with people personally. Whether that’s finding an online group to participate in or joining a local club, it’s a great way to learn from others and, in turn, build your professional network.
Tying the top two together, my third piece of advice is to take the shot. I spent years talking — about what I wanted to do, the shots I wanted to take, and the places I dreamed of visiting — but was too afraid to take the first step. I think that fear of failure can make you freeze, keeping you from reaching any of your goals. It sounds simple (and a little cliche) but that first step is the scariest.
One of the best ways to move from fear is by adjusting your mindset. I used to think “What if they say no?”, which left me feeling nervous that I could potentially “fail”. But when I shifted to “The worst they can say is no”, the world of possibilities truly opened.
Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?
I’d say that my ideal client is someone who has a similar view on traveling that I do. Someone who believes that traveling is more than just a beautiful picture, but freezing a moment in time that can encourage others to experience a similar moment.
It’s also about relishing in the in-between moments — watching the sunrise, taking a moment to read your favorite book, an afternoon siesta, made-at-home meals, or making and meeting with friends. All of these ingredients create the perfect recipe for travel photography.
If you work for accommodation, travel tours, or tourism companies and believe there’s more to travel, let’s make some magic together!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.lindsaykagalis.com
- Instagram: @lindsaykagalis
Image Credits
Images by Lindsay Kagalis
