Today we’d like to introduce you to Kathryn Ann Waller.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I was born and raised in Savannah, GA, which definitely influenced my photography journey. Growing up, I never considered myself a creative person, but I always loved photography or taking pictures of my friends. I remember getting my first digital camera when I was 12 and editing pictures through a website called Picnik and I have to say, I’m glad I have learned some more advanced editing skills than those days. Over the years, I would go through phases of being really into photography and then not touch my camera for a few months. I was really young and didn’t really know where to find the resources to expand my skill. I was lucky enough to go to St. Vincent’s Academy, located in the middle of downtown Savannah. Our art classes offered the opportunity to work with graduate students from the Savannah College of Art and Design, so when I was a senior, I was placed into an art class that focused on photography.
I explored the medium more that year than ever before, and that’s when I consider the passion really starting. I won a few photography awards that year and had two pictures displayed in the Jepson Museum of Art in downtown Savannah. It was cool; I had never really known what it was like to have a hobby and achievements like that before. When I left for college, I dropped the hobby for a while, and it took a year and a half to get back into it. I started to get burned out from studying and my daily routine in college, so when I was 20, I saved up and bought myself a new camera and started offering portrait sessions to anyone who wanted pictures. That’s when my business really started, and it has been an amazing learning experience, and I have met the best people along the way. Over the last two years, I have been fortunate to photograph over 600 clients, including students, families, professionals and been featured in a few publications, but mainly I have loved the different creative experiences I’ve had in experimenting with different types of photography from nature and landscapes to food to portrait sessions. It’s all been fascinating and incredible and has taught me more than I could have ever hoped.
Has it been a smooth road?
We all have our good and not so good days, and like most things, this journey has definitely had its ups and downs. I have to say, I’ve been pretty lucky that nothing terrible has happened but also in the grand scheme of things, I am just starting! I am a full-time student at the University of Georgia, so when business goes through busy seasons, it can get overwhelming. Sometimes, one part of my life doesn’t get as much focus as it should, whether that be school, socially, mentally, etc. I have had to learn a lot about organization and balance throughout the last few years. I would say I was not the most organized person before business started, but when things got busy, I knew I kind of had to force myself to become organized in a lot of aspects of my life to optimize my success and continue achieving this dream I have. All of my friends and family have been incredibly supportive of my photography business over the last few years, but there will always be people who don’t particularly love your visual taste, and as artists, we have to be okay with that. Sometimes, it’s important to take the supportive comments and the critical ones with a grain of salt and remind yourself that you’re doing the best you can. I think the most important thing I’ve learned is that when I move forward with a positive spirit, I find things always work out.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
I am a photographer based out of Savannah and Athens, GA, and have recently expanded to Charleston. I would say I am known for portrait photography, but I find a lot of my creative inspiration through nature and landscape photography. Growing up in the south and particularly the coast has been a huge factor in my creative direction, and all of my pictures reflect those blues, greens, and golds you find in the low-country. I try to go through periods of distance from portrait photography because I really don’t see the world as a set of poses, and it’s important to remind myself why I started and fell in love with photography in the first place.
What are you most proud of? What sets you apart from others?
I started this as a hobby, and I have gotten asked a few times before what I am most proud of, or my greatest achievement is, and I never know what to say because I really do just have fun doing it. I would say I’m proud of how far I’ve come over the last few years and my photos being published on Vogue Italia’s PhotoVogue website. I have had to take a lot of leaps and do things out of my comfort zone to figure out my style and expand my knowledge, but I have found the braver I am, the luckier I get. While I haven’t had an extensive amount of training, I would say I was trained with a photojournalist perspective to “touch nothing and observe everything,” which I think sets me apart from a lot of portrait photographers. I provide guidance and direction for my subjects, but I just try to let things unfold in front of me and capture those in-between moments. I love learning from other photographers and creatives, but I also believe that we are born with a natural sense of creativity, so I try to distance myself from too much outside learning and teach myself through a lot of trial and error which has definitely benefited me over the years.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Georgia is a great place for a business, especially photography because we are arguably one of the most beautiful states in the world, so there are many location options for your specialty. The South has been a great source of inspiration for me, and while it is full of history and beauty, it is also full of so many inspiring and amazing creative people! Athens, Atlanta, and Savannah all have had a great deal of growth and improvements in promoting and supporting young artists. There is always room for more support because there is so much talent that deserves to be recognized. I think, as a young creative, it’s important for me to use my social media accounts as a creative outlet, but also to support other local artists as well. We are at a time where supporting each other goes a long way, it’s just something we can all practice every day even if it’s something small.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kathrynawaller.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kannwallerphotography/
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