We recently connected with Kenzie Cox and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Kenzie, 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.
This is very much a work in progress, I still have times where I struggle with this. Connecting with other photographers in my area significantly helped this area of anxiety in my life! Being a creative business owner and basically teaching yourself every thing you know can be kind of scary! Something that helped me that I wish I would’ve learned sooner is that it’s okay to ask for help! I feel like I always had so many questions and I never felt comfortable asking them because I didn’t want to come across as unprofessional for not knowing. But it’s okay to not know everything! Once I started connecting with other photographers and building relationships in person and online, it was so validating to talk about my struggles or concerns and get feedback! I don’t second guess myself nearly as much as I did when I was trying to do everything on my own. Kansas City has a really awesome photography community. If you’re a photographer struggling, don’t be afraid to reach out to a photographer that you admire!
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I’m Kenzie Cox, a wife and a mama to two sweet boys. I’m also a wedding and couples photographer based in Kansas City. While my work is primarily centered around couples, I still enjoy taking on maternity and family sessions as well. I truly love what I do and I can’t get enough. Something that feels really special about what I do is thinking about all of the people that get to enjoy my photos. It’s not just my clients but their friends and family as well. It’s surreal to think about how many homes have my photos on their walls. It’s something I don’t take lightly!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Early in my photography journey, I would say the tools that became most beneficial to me were understanding my camera, posing and developing a consistent editing style! I didn’t start with the nicest camera out there, but I learned how to use it really well and it was so satisfying to feel confident in my ability to shoot in any lighting scenario. There’s so much that goes into posing but I think that being able to connect with your client and helping them to feel comfortable in front of the camera is everything. If your client is uncomfortable, it’ll show in your photos. I do my best to ease my clients’ nerves by playing music so there’s no awkward silence and giving really clear direction so that my subjects are never left hanging! For the longest time, I struggled with my editing style and how to achieve the same look no matter where or what time of day I was shooting. Editing is so much more than just slapping a preset on an image. I think it’s super important to always edit to what pleases your eye and to pay attention to what features you’re consistently using/tweaking when editing. My best piece of advice for other photographers starting their journey would be to invest in a mentorship with a photographer that you really admire! A few years ago, I completed a mentorship with Liz Rudman, a local Kansas City creative and it was such a pivotal moment in my career! If anything, it gave me so much more peace and confidence in my skills and process!
We’ve all got limited resources, time, energy, focus etc – so if you had to choose between going all in on your strengths or working on areas where you aren’t as strong, what would you choose?
From my experience as a wedding photographer, I do think it’s important to be well rounded in all areas! I think that there are a lot of important factors when it comes to being a successful photographer that often get over looked. It’s more than just taking a good photo or being great at editing. Like I previously mentioned, developing a relationship with your client and connecting with them is super important when it comes to helping them feel comfortable with you. For example, I’ve always been extremely introverted, meeting new people all the time was a little out of my comfort zone when I first started pursuing photography. Something that I had to improve in is becoming a little more outgoing than I naturally am in order to get to know my clients better. Being personable and interacting with your clients leads to an overall better client experience and better photos!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://kenziecoxphoto.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kenziecox_/
- Other: Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/kenziecoxphoto/
