Meet Katy Allen

We were lucky to catch up with Katy Allen recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Katy, thank you so much for opening up with us about some important, but sometimes personal topics. One that really matters to us is overcoming Imposter Syndrome because we’ve seen how so many people are held back in life because of this and so we’d really appreciate hearing about how you overcame Imposter Syndrome.

Imposter Syndrome is something so common and I think this is something everyone wishes we could overcome while unfortunately I do not think that there really is a way to fully overcome it. Ways that help me with imposter syndrome is to simply tell myself “it happens to everyone, even some of the most successful people.” While that was not the only way I try to overcome imposter syndrome I have to really focus on myself, focus on my work, and focus on making my work better than it was yesterday. One of the biggest obstacles is jumping over the thought of comparing your work to others, I definitely had to refrain from going on social media and going on some of my biggest influencers profiles and comparing myself to them and I really had to stop asking myself why I could not be as good as them. (hint: that is the WORST way to do things, don’t ever compare your work to who influences you most, you will just beat yourself down and feel so discouraged, tell yourself “I will be as good as them one day”.). Something I notice myself doing a lot is Reflecting back on my achievements and seeing how far I have come since I started my business, the amount of growth that I had made in 12 months would just honestly make me say “wow”. Looking back like this made me realize that it takes time and lots of learning and so many experiences experience!!! Lastly not being afraid to ask for help, this was so big for me, being a photographer your scared to ask for help from other photographers, thinking they might think you just want to copy them, I learned quick that most photographers are beyond happy when you ask for help and it makes them feel that much better knowing you look up to them for advice.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I am a Wedding and Elopement photographer that strives to travel the world, I started Kts Capture Photography, LLC officially in July of 2022, photography has always been a first love. Whenever I was younger my childhood friends and i would always dress up and have a photo shoot with our little camcorders and Nintendo DS cameras (how funny looking back on this). Whenever I was 16 I finally saved up enough money and I went and got me a canon rebel t6 from Best Buy, since then I have always had a camera in my hand and begging my friends to model for me.

I was able to start second shooting weddings for friends I made at styled shoots which is where I got so much practice and good experience with the wedding industry and quickly became hooked, I kept telling myself “I hope I can book a wedding one day”. The day finally came in May of 2022 I photographed my very first wedding that I booked on my own, I was stoked.

Being able to share love stories through a lens is a feeling I can’t get over, as a wedding and elopement photographer, I find immense joy in capturing the raw, genuine moments of love and happiness as couples start their new chapter in life together. Sharing memories that couples will have for a lifetime, memories that won’t fade, small moments shared with people they love. I really try to focus on documenting the day as it was and as it is, it tells such an amazing story of how their day went, the moments that are there to relive.

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?

1-Confidence/Staying Positive: having confidence in your work and in yourself. I personally think as long as you are confident and do not doubt your work and your talent, you can do what you dream of doing. Whenever I first started photography I quickly doubted myself and never thought I was good enough, I finally had a 1:1 with myself and told myself that negativity won’t get you far. Believe in yourself and you will succeed, there is no doubt about that, put in time and work and you will get to where you want to be. Always have confidence in yourself, build yourself up right before a shoot and a wedding, tell yourself this is going to be amazing.

2-A Creative Vision: Seeing potential compositions, playing with light and shadow, and finding unique perspectives. Clients put their trust in you to be able to capture the beauty in things and in the best locations. Being artistic is something that really plays a role in my business for myself. I personally love when a client or other photographers compliment me on a certain shot such as flat lay and detail shots for them being unique and so artistic.

3- Style: Your style is what makes your work, your work. while this is something that takes time to learn how you want all your photos to look, the way you shoot to tell your stories, and posing. I always tell myself clients hire you for your work and not someone else’s.

Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?

As cheesy as it sounds, my fiancé, family and best friends, they continue to always encourage me, support me in everything I do and the decisions I make. There has been so many times where things that stress me out completely take over my life and those people always come to me and tell me, its a lesson now and what did you learn from it, how can you make it better for next time. My fiancé, friends and family really have made me see the bigger picture and I’ve realized and preached, you are human and you are not perfect, you can’t do everything the way it should be.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ktscapturephotography.mypixieset.com
• Instagram: ktscapturephotography
• Facebook: Kts Capture Photography

Image Credits

Katy Allen