Meet Kelsey Swanson

 

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kelsey Swanson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Kelsey, thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?

My creativity stays alive through my excitement of something new. I love seeing a new place, new activity, and new face in my photography work. I look for all the things that make each shoot different and unique from each other and I’m always looking forward to what will come next and planning my next step.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I bring travel to you through my remembrance of locations I capture in photographs. I make photographs that encapsuate a location I seek out through saturated colors, a staple landmark, and admiration. My photographs range in long exposures, explosive colors, and a new view. I sell calendars, prints, and books of my work for you to enjoy travel from where you are.

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?

First and most importantly: the most basic and easiest rule of photography to automatically make your photo look more professional is a straight horizon line. I’m known to be a stickler about this, but it makes the image look more natural, professional, and finished.
Second: Take a photo differently than the photo that inspired you to take the photo. This is very hard and forces you to be creative but you don’t want to make a literal photo copy. Switch things up, add things, take things out, put your style on it, experiment with the camera or editing.
Third: Seek out network and business opportunities at the earliest you possibly can. I wish that I learned the skills to get a broad range of jobs, exhibits, business deals, connections, etc, much earlier so that I didn’t have to learn while I need results in business sooner than later as I’m trying to make photography a full time career in my 20’s.

What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?

In the last year I improved on how to find exhibits to enter and have been in more exhibitions since then. It’s more simple than the single way I was taught to look for artist calls and I can find more in my own state and build a connection. My next goal to start researching is a solo exhibit!

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Kelsey Swanson – KMS Photography

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