Today we’d like to introduce you to Kinley Weber.
Hi Kinley, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
During my first semester of high school, I took a photojournalism class as one of my electives. I was told by my teacher that I needed a DSLR camera. At the time, I had no idea what that was or how to use one. But my parents generously bought me an affordable Canon DSLR camera so I could meet the class requirements and learn a few things.
As I grew familiar with photography basics, I became more and more interested and eventually took my new hobby outside of the classroom. All throughout high school, me and my friends would go to the park and have little “photo shoots” for fun. Once I graduated during the pandemic, I slowly lost interest and forgot about photography for a while.
On a typical day in late 2021, I decided to bring out the forgotten Canon and bring it to a function with my friend group at the time. We went out to an abandoned building on the side of I-45 and had a blast taking turns in front of the camera. Something about this experience sparked my hobby, and in early 2022, I started up my photography Instagram page. Slowly, I began taking clients, but they were all friends of mine, and I’d shoot for free as a way to build a portfolio.
A few months after starting this new journey, a friend in a local band reached out and asked if I could photograph their upcoming show. I reluctantly agreed, worried I wouldn’t meet his expectations. However, to my own surprise, I actually did a good job shooting in a low-light live music setting for the first time. This sparked inspiration, and I began bringing my camera to any show I could, getting a little better each time.
Eventually, I started applying to local music blogs to see if they’d let me become a contributor. Although none of them responded, I proceeded to apply for photo passes to big concerts on my own. In July 2022, I scored my biggest gig yet — Third Eye Blind on their Summer Gods tour. The pride I had in the photos I had taken was incredible, which motivated me to keep reaching out to publications.
In March 2023, I applied to be a photographer with Off Record Media and was accepted. Since then, I have shot some of my favorite artists, such as Greta Van Fleet and Corey Taylor. I am still with Off Record Media today, and I am doing portrait shoots almost every weekend with my own clients.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
One of the biggest challenges I have faced has been struggling to find consistent work. Photography is a saturated industry. Anyone can pick up a camera and become a great photographer in no time.
After two years of hard work and promoting myself, I have fairly consistent work for the first time. It’s a great feeling when a new client reaches out to me, and we get to plan and bring everything into fruition.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I feel like I am most known for my concert photography — it’s what I specialize in. I primarily focus on that because it’s two of my biggest passions put into one: music and photography. Being in the photo pit for the first three songs of a performance is such an exhilarating experience every time, and it never gets old. Lately, I’ve been really locked in on portrait photography, however. Since, up until recently, it’s been concert off-season, I’ve had a lot of time to work on my brand and build up my portfolio even more, which feels so great.
We’d love to hear what you think about risk-taking.
As a worrisome person, it can be challenging to take risks. And to be honest, I haven’t had to do much of it within my field. I think the biggest risk I face is the possibility of a client being disappointed in my work. I think there’s so many photographers out there who are far better than me, so I feel a bit of pressure to meet up to expectations a client may have when they book with me. I know that most of them find inspiration for their shoots on Pinterest, which contains the best of the best photos from highly talented photographers. So, it can be scary feeling the need to live up to those expectations. But all in all, taking risks is just part of life, and the worries are usually over nothing.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kinleyerinphotos.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kinleyerinphotos?igsh=MWIweHN5dGFuaTVqZA==
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555180442940&mibextid=LQQJ4d
Image Credits
Kinley Weber
