We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kayla Ruiz. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with KayLa below.
KayLa, thrilled to have you on the platform as I think our readers can really benefit from your insights and experiences. In particular, we’d love to hear about how you think about burnout, avoiding or overcoming burnout, etc.
Overcoming burn out can be super hard. But I’ve found as long as I keep doing projects I am passionate about and shooting content just for myself it helps keep my cup full. Shooting for yourself is so important to avoid burnout. Yes of course we want to get paid to shoot but remember you’re an artist first and an artist for hire second. You need to keep feeding your fire before you can warm others.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
My name is KayLa Ruiz. I am a 34 year old Bronx, NY native. I love the Yankees and a good slice of pizza. When I was 20 years old I moved to Virginia Beach, VA. This was pivotal in my career because there is where I focused solely on my photography. I had no idea what route I wanted to take but I have known since I was young that photography was my calling. I have had my hands on a camera since I can remember. My parents noticed my interest and bought me cameras all of the time. For birthdays and christmases. As time went on I felt like I lost sight of my creative outlet but the universe has a way of putting you back on track. At 17 I almost lost my life from an accident at my first job. With that my plans for going to away to college changed and I had to go to the local college in order to stay by my rehab doctors and physical therapist. As an extra curricular I took a digital photography class and I found my way back. Fourteen years later I do work that helps humans be vulnerable and see themselves in a way they otherwise wouldn’t. I’ve become that mirror for them. 2019 I opened my first studios in Norfolk, VA and did my first stranger Sunday session. Stranger Sunday is where I take two humans and match them and we do an entire steamy session as if they were a couple. Hell of a first date if you ask me! I got this idea because of a photographer named Richard Renaldi in NY who photographs strangers physically interacting on the street. So I decided to take it a step further with adding my steaminess into it. In doing so I went viral for these sessions in 2020. In 2021 I ended up matching a couple who got married! I’ve since moved to NY and have two studios nestled in the Hudson Valley in Newburgh, NY right on the Hudson River with my gorgeous wife and business partner. We travel all over the country and soon the world photographing all bodies and showing people the magic that lives inside of them.
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?
I feel like whenever you have a dream and decide you’d like to chase it, it’s scary and daunting. But I feel like one skill is the bravery to do something out of your comfort zone. You don’t know if you’ll succeed or fail and yet you try. Going out on my own to do photography full time was so scary but not trying was scarier. Having regrets or what ifs are scarier. My advice is to keep going. Keep trying. Exhaust all options and avenues before you decide it’s not going to work.
Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?
My ideal client are humans who want to dig deeper. Who want to see the power within themselves. Or humans who are tired of feeling unseen and want to find their power. They come to me to start that process. Self love is a journey. But the most rewarding one. Investing in yourself only nourishes your growth. I hope I get to continue to help tell incredible stories of fierce people who deserve to be seen and celebrated. I am a safe place for all walks of life and all bodies. And I will never stop.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kaylaruizphoto.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaymruiz
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kaylaruizphoto
Image Credits
All of these images are either self portraits or taken by KayLa Ruiz Photography.
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
