We were lucky to catch up with Kyla Mau recently and have shared our conversation below.
Kyla, so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
Let’s talk about imposter syndrome in the Photography community, because it is a big one. Especially today, there are a million photographers doing the “same” thing that I do. Which is capture images of people for a living.
How do you sell your service when there are so many other people willing to take photos, for often much less, than I charge for a session?
Imposter syndrome is hard, especially when you see all of these successful photographers taking amazing images in gorgeous locations.
“is my work good enough”
“am I charging too much?”
“is my work really worth it?”
For me, the answer has never been in the images alone, but rather in the experience and connection I create with each of my clients.
You can only be an imposter if you are not being authentic.
Authenticity is born in raw connection, the human experience and the “why” behind what you do.
I have spent the last 10 years as a full-time photographer and cultivating a client-photographer experience that allows for that connection to truly flourish.
The images I create now are about story telling– getting to know my clients– and creating art that expresses their hearts, their connection to each other, their struggles and making them a beautiful collection that is yes “pretty”, but also it is raw and beautifully them.
I used to try and make these “Pinterest” worthy images that matched what you find online, they were bright and air and very posed. But when I started tapping into what makes me unique as a photographer, my philosophy on making art changed.
What makes an image beautiful for me, is the connection through my eyes.
I am wildly intrigued by, and have heavily studied, psychology and human emotion over the last 15 years and I think my approach to photography is strongly influenced by that.
I stopped trying to make “pretty” images so that I fit in with photo trends and started making images that truly told a story, ones that made you feel, capture emotions and the genuine connection between people.
You can never be an imposter in photography if you are telling human based stories, capturing the beautiful details of the way a couple or a family connects to one another.
Anyone can push a button and edit something that looks nice, or put a filter on an image and have it be aesthetically pleasing. Telling a story through your images that authentically shows their personality, their softness, their strength, and the connection… that takes more.
I have learned to tap into the emotional connection of how I see my clients and my art.
My clients work with me because I learn their stories, I hear their hearts, their life story and I build that into their session so that I can, in the most genuine way, capture THEM authentically.
I stopped trying to fit into a Pinterest style.
I stopped trying to fight for clients on a budget
and instead I learned to articulate my own value through the experience of true connection.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
Hey! I am Kyla but I go by “Ky” (she/they)
I am a wedding and portrait photographer based out of Colorado and Wyoming and have been working as a full time artist for the past 12 years.
I focus on creating really bold and dreamy images in the Rocky Mountains that capture raw emotions and beautiful connections.
I consider myself a story teller through the lens.
My work is moody, romantic and often more candid.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
The most influential part of my work has been my interest in psychology and the human connection. I have always been wildly intrigued by the phrase ” why do you do the things you do, and who do you do them for?”
Taking that thought into a photographic world, I have also wanted to inspire and show beauty but in a raw way.
The next one sounds silly but it is huge! Learn to be a business and not a person for the business side. Setup contracts right away, have everything in writing always.
Find what makes you happy and dive into it. Don’t try to chase everything, cultivate a portfolio that speaks “YOU” and that is consistent with the work you want to do.
Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
Motherhood and photography.
I have been a single mom for the last 5 years and have been SOOO thankful that I have created a business that has supported my son and I and allowed me to be an active and present parent for him in his early years.
I think now the biggest struggle I am facing is how to merge back into the areas I had to put aside because I was a single mom.
I moved heavily into boudoir and portrait photography after my son was born primarily because I could do sessions in a shorter timeline.
Now that he is much bigger, I am wanting to move back into wedding photography more substantially. This requires a lot of reintroductions to vendors, saying hello and reconnecting with people who I haven’t actively seen in a few years.
I still took on weddings over the last few years, but focused on smaller weddings and elopements closer to home.
Finding new ways to connect with vendors, venues, and the wedding industry again has been challenging, but something I am actively working on again!
Contact Info:
- Website: kjeanphoto.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/kjeanphotographyco
- Facebook: facebook.com/kjeanphoto
- Other: tiktok.com/kjeanphotography
Image Credits
All Images by me- KJean Photography Ltd
