I started as a “lifestyle photographer” shooting everything with people.
For most of the last nine years, I was a wedding, family, birth, commercial and senior photographer. I did it all because I liked it all. I didn’t want to find a niche because everything lifestyle was exciting and connected me to new people. I was very profitable but I was also doing way too much to do anything one thing amazing.
I loved being a wedding photographer but giving up all my nights and weekends was hard on my family
I LOVED being a wedding photographer. I love the chaos of a wedding day. I love the relationships I got to build with my clients through engagements, bridals and the wedding day. I felt like I left every wedding with a new family. BUT my kids were getting older and working nights and weekends was getting harder.
I realized I could have a successful and profitable business without giving up any nights or weekends
In the beginning of my commercial photography journey, I just took one or two shoots a week during the day. And then I realized didn’t have to work nights and weekends to have a successful business. I could work while my kids were in school. I could work during naptime. I could work from my guest room.
So that’s when the transition began. I cleared out my office, and turned it into a makeshift studio. It was squishy, but it worked for two years. We constantly were running upstairs to my room or my kids room when the 10×10 room wouldn’t suffice for the brand we were shooting. I even bought a new crib to put in my office so that I could start shooting more baby products.
If you build it, they will come.
A year later, we began building our home and dream studio in the backyard. At that point I was a part-time commercial photographer, and still doing all the other things, too.
“If you build it, they will come.” Well, that’s exactly what happened. I started a new instagram account and website for my commercial work, opened the studio and I have been full-time in brand photography ever since.
Now I teach photographers how to find their niche in brand photography.
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Kylee started Kylee Ann Photography 9 years ago, and has since grown from a one woman amateur show to a full associate team. We shoot 50-75 weddings a year, and thrive on kindness and service. After a year of teaching Intro to Photography at the local technical college, she discovered that helping other entrepreneurs create thriving businesses is what fires her up! She hosts semi-annual Kylee Ann Sleepovers all over the US, speak at conferences and teach online courses about running a small business and marketing.
September 3, 2020
Kylee Maughan