Today we’d like to introduce you to Kirsten Smith.
Kirsten, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
As a teenager, I had saved up money through babysitting and other various extra chores for a digital camera. At the time, I loved just capturing moments and memories with friends (lots of selfies with them), and nature. That kinda died down towards the end of my high school years after I got a cell phone with a decent camera on it. I never really thought of myself as a photographer, but it was something that I had an interest in.
I got my first big girl camera from a friend in fall of 2017 who wasn’t quite sure how to use it, because at the time we had a small online boutique and didn’t have the means to hire and pay a photographer (paying for everything out of pocket). My husband said that “there is nothing anyone else knows that you can’t learn.” and I took that and fueled my desire to learn more about photography. I looked up youtube videos, talked to friends who were photographers, took photography classes through Pinners Conference in Arlington, TX, and truly jumped into the deepest end I could. I felt like I picked up how to shoot in manual quicker than I anticipated, and by January 2018 I upgraded my camera. Thats when I started doing photoshoots for money and started to really play around in Lightroom. By January 2019, I upgraded my camera to the top of the line gear.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I wouldn’t say I’ve had a rough time with photography or being a photographer. I would say that it’s sometimes hard to find the balance of life and making sure I manage my time well. I’m a full-time mom and wife, and do photography part-time, so I sometimes struggle with this big balancing act that my kiddos are loved on and played with enough, I’m keeping up with my house, maintaining a healthy relationship with my husband, and of course, keeping up with my workload 🙂 It’s difficult some days, but I love it! Always keeps me on my toes.
Kirsten Smith Photos – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I am an entrepreneur (have been since I could walk, but thats a story for another time), and I’m in the business of capturing timeless memories and moments. I don’t specialize in any one aspect of photography yet, I kinda just do it all. I do have favorites though! I love weddings (TOP FAVE), maternity, senior/graduation, and portrait photo sessions. There is nothing more satisfying than pouring my heart and soul into making sure every photo is as perfect as I can get it, sending the gallery to my client, and them loving the photos. It makes me feel so proud and makes me continue to love what I do. Something that I would say might set me apart is my editing style. Right now the “dark and moody” style and overly warm photos are in, and although I think they are beautiful, that’s just not me. I love “Bright + Light” mood, and more of true to color photos. I believe that will never go out of style and will remain to be timeless.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Probably when I shot a wedding (becoming a wedding photographer is my #GOALS), and I booked a wedding that same night, and booked another wedding a few days later. I remember wanting to scream because I was SO excited and I couldn’t believe that I was finally starting to reach my goal of booking and shooting more weddings. Since then, I’ve booked five more weddings, and it almost feels like a dream that I get to be there and capture these memories that they will look back at again and again.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kirstensmithphotos.com
- Phone: 6822340335
- Email: info@kirstensmithphotos.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/kirstensmithphotos
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/kirstensmithphotos
Image Credit:
Kirsten Smith Photos
Suggest a story: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
