We were lucky to catch up with Kara Powell recently and have shared our conversation below.
Kara, appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?
We all loose that spark every once and a while. So how do I find mine again? I like to go be a tourist in our own city. Find new places that I haven’t been before and take my phone or real camera and go have fun! Join the masses and see what you can see. Different angels, new locations, people having a great time. I find this to be really refreshing. And it takes a lot of pressure off of me when no one is paying me to get the perfect shot. So I can try artsy things and if they don’t work – it’s ok. Or I can do things just for me.
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 Kara, owner of Kara Powell Photography.
Want to know a few tid-bits about me? Well, let’s see. I’m a TCU horned frog. I LOVE yoga pants and super fancy ball gowns, go figure! I adore al fresco dining, and traveling to new places. I have two education degrees and some say I’m the most patient person they have ever met.
My all time favorites? My boys! My husband and my son; who is now 14. I also have a golden retriever ( named Cash) and a sweet little girl kitten. We have lived in the Woodlands, TX for almost twenty years.
I have earned the nickname the Baby Whisperer by doing fifteen years of newborn/family sessions. I love to shop at fellow small businesses. And I am a fierce advocate for the infertility community.
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?
The 3 skills that have been most impactful in my journey have been: – networking – in my business it is really important to leave your desk and meet other businesses and photographers. The more people you meet in the community; the better off you will be. People need to know you exist.
-perseverance – it takes time to build any business. I have been doing this 15 years and I feel like I am just now getting my name recognized. Especially with the delay of Covid. Things do not happen overnight.
-communication- I am a big, big proponent of calling people. Anything I can do to make sure that my clients fully understand my contract, sessions and what is happening. I try to communicate everything fully.
Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?
At Kara Powell Photography we know that you want to be a proud and confident parent knowing your family’s memories are captured. In order to do that, you need a photographer that creates beautiful photos of her growing family. The problem is you know you need to hire a photographer for family photos, but you don’t know where to start which makes you feel guilty about missing those important memories. We believe every family should have yearly family portraits that they can be proud of.
I understand watching your kids grow up so fast is hard; I get it, Mom’s guilt is real. As a mom to a 14-year-old, I have been intentional about capturing my family as often as I can. Which is why as a Houston resident for 20+ years, I have been capturing families professionally for over 15-years. I have multiple awards in Newborn, Family and Child photography. I have been published in numerous publications.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://karapowellphotography.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kpphotostudio/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karapowellphotography
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/karapowellphotography
