Today we’d like to introduce you to Kylee Guilliam.
Kylee, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
For me, photography just started out as a class I could pass easily in high school, but once I got into creating the photos, I fell in love with it. I started taking photos of everything around me because I soon began to realize how amazing and beautiful the world is. Photography was an amazing outlet for my depression and anxiety because it showed me the light in the world, even when I thought I could only see the darkness. My photography didn’t really take off until my freshman year in college, which wasn’t really that long ago. I lived in a small town named Silver City in New Mexico. I was on multiple Facebook pages for the area. I began to see more and more people posting about wanting photos done, but not having the money that the high priced photographers wanted. That’s when I decided to start Kylee Guilliam Photography. I didn’t do it for the money, and I still don’t.
People want photos of their family members so that they can remember them even when they are gone. People want photos of themselves so that they can look at themselves and say, “Man, I really am beautiful.” I know this because this is what I want out of photos. I hired a photographer and took some boudoir photos and for the first time, I really loved myself. I wanted to be able to create that self-love and happiness in other people. I moved back to Arizona about a year ago. Since I worked full-time and went to school part-time, my photography died off. I started getting depressed and started having anxiety again. I remembered how happy I was when I was doing photography, so I dove straight back into it. I joined about five different Facebook photography/modeling groups and started doing a lot of trade work. After a couple weeks, I felt a thousand times better. I met amazing people that have helped me both personally and professionally. I recently did a Disney princess photoshoot which has been the best photoshoot I’ve done so far, and I have to say one of the models, Joanne, really brought me to tears because she posted an appreciation post about how beautiful my photos made her feel. I strive for that response in every photo I take for every model I meet. I have started trying to build my business bigger, and hopefully, I will continue helping people love themselves and the world around them.
Has it been a smooth road?
This has definitely not been an easy road to take. One of my biggest struggles is juggling work, school, and photography. I often have long nights after work either doing homework or editing photos, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I love what I do, so I will push through any struggles I may have with a smile on my face.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Kylee Guilliam Photography story. Tell us more about the business.
Kylee Guilliam Photography is pretty diverse in the fact that I take photos of anything and everything. I don’t like to limit myself to just portraits or just macro. I like to have all those different areas to show that I am very flexible with my photos. Most of the time, I am doing portraits. I love doing portraits because you can capture so much in one imagine: emotion, fashion, color. I am most proud of the responses I get back from my clients. People love that I work with them, and I keep the mood light. They love that I work with both adult and children really well. When a client loves the work you do for them, that is the best feeling. I think what sets me apart from other photographers is that I try to connect with my all of my clients on a personal level whether it be by talking to them, joking around with them, or telling them they are doing amazing. I try to make people laugh, or at least smile, by saying things like “Yes!” and “Beautiful” after each shot I take so that they feel more at ease which in turn make the photos turn out so much better.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I am very excited to see what the future holds because I am already starting some big changes for my business. I recently got my logo created and ordered new business cards. I am also getting a ton more clients. I already have a big Harry Potter photoshoot planned in December which I’m sure will get me even more clients. I am also going to start offering mini photography sessions for the Christmas time. I am looking forward to my business growing.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://kyleeguilliam.myportfolio.com/
- Phone: 5207271917
- Email: kylee_guilliam@yahoo.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/kyleeguilliamphotography
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/kyleeguilliamphotography
Image Credit:
Memories Imagined, Erin Garcia, Joanne Zunino, and Kai Leigh Bowen
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