Conversations with Kathleen Dreier

Today, we’d like to introduce you to Kathleen Dreier.

Hi Kathleen, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Everyone has a story and if we are fortunate, we continue to evolve despite the labyrinthian twists and turns of life. Where do I actually begin to tell you my story as there are many, many points of initiation and alterations on the course. So, I will choose to begin here but it is only one measurement:

My mom was a shutterbug with point and shoot cameras in my family’s formative years in the 1960’s-1980’s. At the time, we all found it mostly annoying as she was always taking pictures of every moment, but in retrospect, the seed of photography was a gift my mother unknowingly gave me. Each of my siblings and I have our own respective boxes of images that my mother created given her tendency to print her 4×6’s in many multiples.

I didn’t formally begin photographing until I was in my 40’s well after my mother passed due to Alzheimer’s. I purchased my first entry professional camera in 2005 shortly after I moved to Tucson from Denver as a single mother with my then 9-year-old son. While I, too, was using point and shoot cameras to document my son’s life, it was nearly a decade before the seed of photography germinated and sprouted. My path unfolded incrementally:

Taking a couple photography classes at our local community college. Bring my camera everywhere to photography everything I saw in Tucson. I went out to photograph musicians performing and shared the images with them. I photographed my son’s cycling and martial arts teams which led me to photographing more sports and gaining name-recognition from the social media posts I was continuously uploading.

People who saw my community-based photography began to hire me for their personal events. From there, my network of photography opportunities grew. I worked a full-time social work job in child and adult protection during the week and then operated my fledgling photography business in the evenings and on the weekends.

Fast forward to 2014 when I being to think about leaving the social work field to pursue photography as a full-time business. I had to figure out the minutiae of how I was going to handle my $30K debt from being a single mother, medical insurance, marketing, etc. And, most importantly, I had to develop the courage and will to take the leap.

For 4 years, as I sat at my desk at my social work job, I rhetorically asked myself the question: “Will I regret not trying to do photography full-time even if I fail?” Each and every time, the answer resoundingly was “Yes.” In September 2018 when my son was in his last year of college, I jumped the chasm of my fear and haven’t looked back.

Since 2018 I have focused on being primarily an event photography for individuals, families, small and large businesses, and corporations. Over the years I have self-produced several books based on personal photography projects including Bus Stop Dreams and The Cacophony of Engagement. During the pandemic, I created a portrait series entitled Voices of Race which has been shown on multiple platforms and publications.

Most recently, I have been learning the art of hand-colorizing photos to sell as prints. Just this summer, I converted my living room into a small boutique for doing portraiture (especially Soul Portraits, which is another story to share), display my photography prints, as well as relaunch my 20-year plus custom fragrance business (yet another very in-depth story to share). I donate some of my photography services to documenting local networking groups. Additionally, many social justice groups have come to see me as trustworthy ally to document their work in the community.

Even with this lengthy response, this is but a taste of “my story”. I want the reader to know that there are many other corridors but there is only so much room here, eh?

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Oh yes, being an entrepreneur in any industry is not for the faint of heart. It takes great tenacity and courage to push forward again and again and again, riding the inconsistent wave of incoming business, slow seasons, keeping up the industry technology/equipment, constantly growing one’s skills, diversifying service offerings, countless hours of non-incoming-earning activities to keep the business operating, being underbid by a colleague for an important photo opportunity, to name just a few.

All of the aforementioned are common to any small business owner. One of my personal struggles included figuring out how to occupy myself and keep my business alive during the pandemic as I lost all of my paid work in 2020. From struggle can come rebirth of doing one’s business with a new approach. As I mentioned above, the pandemic led me to taking the portraits of people and sharing their stories on social media platforms as a way to foster community and compassion during a very difficult time.

The biggest metaphorical boulder regarding my business is, and always has been, my mindset that goes through periods of raging self-doubt. Am I good enough? Wouldn’t I know more about technical stuff and photographic history if a were a “real” photographer? I have been able to objectively self-observe that whenever I am in a negative headspace, my business opportunities decrease (beyond the normal offseason slow down periods).

Another hurdle is that after all of these years, I still have challenges scheduling time off to truly rest and regenerate my creativity. I feel compelled to use every moment for the growth of my business; but after a while, if I don’t take sufficient breaks, I re-learn the lesson of “the law of diminishing return”. For example, I may accidentally harm myself or get sick which forces a slowing down. I am far better at taking breaks, especially to have fun and laugh with friends.

Other struggles have occurred when I got jealous of another photographer’s success or compared myself to colleagues. With intense work on myself, I have overcome many of these challenges and strive forward each day to serve others through my photography. In essence, I work on myself as much as I work on my photography business as they go hand in hand.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Locally, I am most known for my ability to capture events in a way that authentic without my interference or manipulation. People are drawn to how I experience individuals and communities, telling the story of who they really are.

Whether it is a wedding couple, a non-profit fundraiser, a corporate outing, or documenting a protest, my orientation consistently comes from a practice of being loving towards and being in love with each of my subjects, visually telling the truth, and wanting to be of service. People will often say to me when they look at a photo of themselves that they had no idea I was photographing them or that I blended into the group so much it was as if I became part of their family or organization.

My creative actions initiate from my long-time spiritual practices which include being present and attentive. One client captured my intent clearly when she shared this testimonial: “Kathleen’s photography makes you fall in love with total strangers.”

In addition to be a well-regarded event photographer for individuals, families, non-profits and businesses, I am also drawn to develop other aspects of who I am as a creative being. Recently I turned 64. I recognize that at some point, doing multi-day, 12-hour events may not be practical or possible. Fortunately, I am still very healthy and athletic; and while I hope and wish to continue being an event photographer until I’m in my early 70’s, I am answering an internal call to expand the services I offer.

In the Spring of 2024, I was able to obtain a small business loan which allowed me to get newer and lighter camera gear which supports my body’s health as well as the quality of my imagery. With the remaining loan monies, I was also able to re-launch my custom fragrance business which I previously operated from 1992-2014. As a custom perfumer, I design one-of-a-kind fragrances for individuals based upon their preferences, body chemistry and what I intuit about them.

It is a highly personal and intimate service. I become a confidant of people’s most sacred stories and my intention is to create a blend that empowers the individual with their own atmospherics. I am now beginning to pair a person’s custom fragrance appointment with a Soul Portrait session where I guide them in a specific exercise of honoring who they are.

I have also been learning the craft of hand-coloring photos which I am making prints available. Finally, I have been also experimenting with expressing myself through voice and dance on some social media platforms. I want to always be evolving creatively.

What matters most to you? Why?
Social justice for all. The older I get, the more I have been unpacking our country’s colonial history and my understanding of the phrase, “None of us are free until all of us are free.”

Along with that, it matters to me that I use my platforms, privileges, and skillsets to do my part to make things better. As I told my son, I want him to know deeply that his mother did her best to be on the right side of history.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kathleendreier.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kathleendreierphoto/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kathleen.dreier
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/kathleendreier
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@kathleendreierphoto
• Other: https://kathleendreierphotography.smugmug.com/

Image Credits
©KathleenDreierPhotography