(By BONNIE McGUIRE)
You hear the sound of clicking. You shift positions, and click some more.
You are in the zone, only focused on what is in front of you.
You are aware of your surroundings. You manipulate light and objects through angles to create images that are visually appealing.
Your art is therapeutic; an escape from life’s stressors. You know how to direct people to positions in ways that are flattering.
You swiftly edit pictures to make the colors more vibrant and adjust the lighting. You thrive on helping others feel beautiful and confident.
This is life as a photographer, through the eyes and lens of Kalee Sorenson.
“When I first started, it was just a way to make money,” Kalee remembers. “I was taking pictures with no real focus.”
But the focus soon became sharp during her shoots for weddings, fantasy and pin up. The reward, she says, was seeing the happiness in her clients’ faces as she presented them with images that they will always cherish.
Kalee believes a key part of photography is having an eye for angles that can take you from someone who merely takes pictures, to being an artist whose canvas is any and everything behind their lens.
Photography has become a fast-growing small business in today’s society and advertising through social media has never been easier. It’s seemingly easier for artists to gain confidence in their skills by seeing it laid out on platforms such as Instagram or Facebook business pages.
“I used to have a very small pool of potential clients before social media,” Kalee says. “It was pretty much my friends and coworkers. I now have further reach and have been able to connect with people I know, to extend that base of customers.”
Every photographer has a unique style to their art, and utilizes their surroundings to reflect that vision. Looking at these social media pages, you will find portfolios showcasing the talent of photographers from around the world.
Through social media, starting up a small business is becoming easier to promote and showcase one’s work. Kalee, a photographer in the Denver area, says modern technology has certainly impacted her small business, through her Instagram and Facebook sites.
Kalee started her journey in 2010, by having her friends and family allow her to practice her skills on them. The venture started off as a way to experiment and to bring in extra income.
As her skills have been honed, she has been able to adapt her side hobby to a small business. While she is still working a day job, her ultimate goal is to be able to do her art full time.
After dipping her toes into wedding photography she has been able to get in contact with a company that specializes in partnering with small business photographers on event photos.
One of the biggest challenges of building a small business is the confidence to go for it. “I kept comparing myself to photographers, when really I needed to keep to myself and judge my own work. I’m not like any other photographer out there, and that’s okay. I love my own style now.”
A major turning point for Sorenson’s business, Hocus Phocus, was when she reviewed her portfolio, and truly looked at her journey. Having confidence and seeing her progress really became a driving point in the advancement of her business.
One of Kalee’s clients, Kristina McFadden, was nervous before her shoot. But that didn’t last long.
“Kalee has a wonderful way of making sure you’re comfortable,” says Kristina about the experience. “Even if you start out anxious, she will help you not only create beautiful pictures to last a lifetime, but beautiful memories of the experience as well.”
When your business is built around confidence, it’s no surprise that your advice to people getting into the industry shares that common theme.
“Have confidence in yourself,” Kalee says. “Know that you are good enough to do this, keep that confidence and you will never fail.”
Kayee has discovered that photography is a fluid business.
“You will never be done learning a new technique or style,” she says. “Your art will never stop getting better. Just have confidence in yourself.”
