We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kailah Winston a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Kailah, so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
In all honesty I haven’t overcome imposter syndrome. This is something that I struggle with on frequently, leaving me questioning my work, which drives me to ensure I am continuously learning and improving my skills. I do have to remind myself that as I look over my portfolio my photography is only for my client and I. It doesn’t matter what other people are doing and I shouldn’t compare myself to them. Having my photographs published in magazines has helped reassure me that I belong in this community.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
Throughout my life I have always been interested in photography. In school I loved taking photographs of my friends playing on skateboards and of the flowers in my mother’s garden. I had dreams of working with National Geographic, traveling the world taking photos of anything they would allow me to. Yet, life happens. I developed new interests and photography as a profession was just a dream but I still always had a camera with me to document my adventures through life. Fast forward to two years ago when I began to really consider trying photography again after spending a lot of time taking pictures of my kids and nature around me. That’s when Foxtrot Photography was created. I live for the details in my subjects, the love between couples, the magic of childhood or the single individual who wants to celebrate who they are. No two sessions are the same because the world is full of amazingly beautiful diverse people all with their own stories, their own journeys, and that’s what I try to capture as I look through the lens.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Continuous education, practice, and giving yourself grace when you make mistakes. I think the biggest piece of advice would be to not compare your work to other people’s work, but to compare your current work to your past work and identify the areas you’ve improved. It’s important to take classes, workshops, and ask questions to stay spirited and continuously improve.
What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?
Where I live there are new photographers introducing themselves and competing for clients every week. It’s great having such a large community of photographers here, but it does create a challenge when competing for clientele. My answer to this challenge is to constantly work on improving the quality of my photographs and to provide as comfortable an experience for my clients as possible, always thinking outside the box, in the hopes that my clients will come back to me for future sessions. Managing a photography business alongside having a family that includes two young children and ensuring both my professional and personal lives are balanced certainly isn’t easy, but they are supportive of my passion and keep me grounded through the chaos that is being a lifestyle photographer. We like to call it “playing on hard mode”.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.foxtrotphotography80.mypixieset.com
- Instagram: @foxtrotphotography1
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whatthefoxphoto
Image Credits
Foxtrot Photography
