Meet Kristen Hazelton

We were lucky to catch up with Kristen Hazelton recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Kristen, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?

How did I find my purpose? It’s equal parts meaningful and mundane. I’ve enjoyed taking photos since I got my first camera in 2005, and loved photographing events for family and friends – the joy and excitement in baby showers, the anticipation of a bride getting ready, or tearful moments at a wedding remembering relatives that have passed on. Capturing these poignant moments was something I found satisfying from the very beginning.

Later, after witnessed firsthand that our time on earth can be fleeting, I was even more driven to capture lively, and meaningful photos as a means of preserving my family’s memories. It wasn’t until spring 2019, though, that I realized that this was a hobby I really enjoyed, and could even be lucrative.

I decided to go for it and launch Kristen Hazelton Photography in spring of 2019. I quickly discovered that I enjoyed portrait photography even more than documentary-styled work: being in control of the lighting, location, outfits, and poses to see my vision come to life was quite appealing! Even better were the emotions I could evoke and results I could get for clients. When I realized that through a portrait session I could boost a client’s confidence and make art at the same time? I realized I’d found my dream job.

Six and a half years later, I still feel that there’s nothing better than watching an unsure portrait client skyrocket their self-confidence over the course of a photoshoot, or know that I’ve helped a family capture priceless memories that they’ll look back on for years to come.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I’m Kristen Hazelton, a wife, mother, scientist, gardener, and artist. I’m originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, and have lived up and down the west coast before moving out to the Chicago area. I’m inspired by the vibrancy and natural beauty of the West Coast as well as the architecture, history, and seasons of the Midwest.

Before becoming a photographer, I was a molecular plant biologist, studying floral gene evolution and elucidating how the circadian rhythm in plants influenced the timing of fragrance release. Despite working with the itty bitty inner workings of plants, I also really enjoy working with plants on a larger scale with vegetable and flower gardening at home. Surprisingly, this background in plants has really contributed to my portrait work! I pay close attention to the seasons and flowering times, and specialize in outdoor portraits with flowers and foliage. I often have clients come to me specifically asking for “fall family photos – but we especially want red leaves” or, “spring senior portraits – but we have to have daffodils”. I didn’t expect the plant skillset to translate to my portrait photography work, but it has definitely come more in handy than anticipated!

Six and a half years into my business, I’m most focused on my high school senior, graduate, and family portrait photography work. I love the energy and enthusiasm of graduates and celebrating their academic accomplishments through portraits, as well as capturing families’ tender memories and connections with photography.

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?

Listening. Being able to really hear your client’s pain points and address them will serve your business so well. To that end, I do discovery calls through Zoom with my clients so I can see their faces, hear their voices, and dive deep in real-time to answer their questions and address any concerns they might have. I love this part of the photoshoot process because I can help guide my clients and create a photoshoot itinerary of their dreams.

Curiosity. Especially on the business end with no formal business training, I’ve relied on curiosity to help forge a path to a successful business. When I see another business, I will ask myself, what are they doing to reach that degree of success? How can Kristen Hazelton Photography give that a try and put its own spin on it?

Persistence. You’ve got to be willing to give things a try in order to reach your dreams – if you don’t ask (or try) the answer is always going to be “no”! As I’m discovering, you can often learn more quickly how to succeed by “failing forward”: giving something a try, then learning and adapting from how things went. By all means, spend some time researching and analyzing to come up with a plan to begin, but there comes a time when you just need to stop researching and start doing.

How would you describe your ideal client?

For me, an ideal client is someone who is willing to share their interests and values, and collaborate with me to incorporate those into a photoshoot that shows off their passions. To that end, I prefer clients with preferences to give me ideas to start brainstorming from!

I have done model calls in the past where I’m the one with the vision, and they’re actually not my favorite! To me, I find there’s less of a personal connection between the model and the final portraits when the photographer is the one that’s totally in control of what story is told. I prefer to foster a more authentic connection between my subjects and the photoshoot for a more emotive end product.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kristenhazelton.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristenhazeltonphoto
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kristenhazeltonphotography

Image Credits

Portraits taken by Kristen Hazelton Photography LLC