Meet Kristina Graff

We recently connected with Kristina Graff and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Kristina, thank you for joining us today and sharing your experiences and acquired wisdom with us. Burnout is a huge topic these days and so we’d love to kick things off by discussing your thoughts on overcoming or avoiding burnout

Being a family photographer, this is something I have to be very mindful of! Most people want their family pictures done in the fall-either because of wanting fall foliage or because they want a current picture for their Christmas card. With so many people wanting pictures in 2-3 months out of the year, I have had to put firm boundaries on how many clients I can take a week. This came about partly naturally-during Covid I had had a baby and developed a form of tendonitis in my hands that stopped me from shooting as much as I would like. I discovered that one shoot a week was actually really good for me-it kept me busy, but it didn’t feel like too much and I was able to not get bogged down by my editing queue. I now alternate 2-3 sessions a week during the busy months and this has been so hard for me because it means I have to turn people away. But I always remind myself that it’s worth it to avoid the burnout-I want to show up for my clients as the best possible version of myself and I can’t do that if I’ve committed to too much and am burnt out as a result. It’s also something I’m constantly keeping on top of and reminding myself of because it can be so hard to say no to people. But every time I take on more than what I’ve set as a boundary for myself, I end up regretting it. So the most important thing to do is to set boundaries, stick to them, but also periodically re-evaluate those boundaries to see if they need to be adjusted for the current season of life I’m in.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I’m a family photographer in the Portland, OR area. I started my business in Albuquerque, NM and moved to the Portland area less than a year ago so it has been a big change, but I’m excited to photograph more families in all the beauty of the PNW.

I love to try and notice little things that make each family unique and to portray that in my photography. It’s such a special thing to witness how each family interacts in their own way, how one family may be more quiet and soft while another family is crazy and loud. I love seeing the dynamics of how each parent interacts with their kids, how little moments can mean so much, and how quickly things can change. I love the chaos of big families, and I love the chaos of young families, and I love the ribbing and teasing with families of teenagers. It truly inspires me to notice those moments in my own life with my own kids. Often it’s so much easier to look past the bad for the good in someone else’s family, it’s a lot harder to do that in your own family when you’re dealing with everything day in and day out. After each session I come home energized and just so grateful to be part of my family. It helps me to try and focus on the good and find that sliver of light throughout the chaos.

I also truly want people to feel uplifted after a session with me-it’s so hard these days with social media and constant comparison to feel like you’re ever doing enough. But what I see even in that short hour that we’re together is so much evidence of love and hard work that parents are doing for their families every day. I want to communicate through what I capture that even though it may not feel like it, their hard work is paying off. That’s why I love the style of photography that I do-we do a lot of prompts and games to bring out those natural moments and interactions that you can’t get when everyone is just smiling at the camera to get it over with.

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 first quality that was most impactful in my journey was just the tenacity to learn and figure out things I needed to do to start this business. When I started I knew nothing about websites, SEO, client education, workflows, etc. I knew I had a camera, a good amount of skill, and I wanted to try. That was it! Everything else I learned along the way-first through the internet and books, then later through paid courses and business coaches once I had the funds to invest in myself.

The second quality that has been impactful is committing to building my business. I’ve always been the type of person that once I say I’m going to do something, I do it. I think that has really helped me because once I decided to go for it, I was all in. I didn’t stop even when things were moving slowly, I kept going and learning along the way.

The third quality I would say has been impactful is being humble. There have been times in my business that I’ve had negative interactions with people. In those cases it would be easy to dig in my heels, insist I was right or that they didn’t know what they were talking about, and keep doing what I was doing. Instead, I’ve tried to look through anything hurtful that has been said and focus on what might possibly be true. I try to take it as a learning opportunity and make changes if I need to. I also know that I don’t know everything, and if anyone can teach me anything I’m willing to listen and consider what they’re saying, even if they’re not an “expert” in the field.

All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?

My number one challenge right now is to stick with it! I’m really having to use that tenacity currently. Moving a business is hard! I had to leave all my regular clients behind that I fell in love with, and move to a completely new state where I didn’t know anyone and had zero connections and basically build up my business from scratch again. I’m having to do a lot of things that I’m uncomfortable with to try and get the word out that I’m here and looking for clients, and I’m having to use a lot of patience because these things take time. I have to constantly remind myself to think on the bright side, look for little wins, and to keep pushing myself and doing what I’m doing even if it feels like it’s doing nothing right now. Finding clients and getting established in a new area is a long game and it’s hard to be in the middle of it right now, but I’m hopeful that things will pick up soon as long as I keep on with my SEO and marketing strategies.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kristinagraffphotography.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristinagraffphotography