Conversations with Kelsey Admire

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelsey Admire.

Hi Kelsey, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I started shooting film when I was a little girl. I loved controlling a camera and trying to capture a scene from my perspective. When I was in high school, I purchased a moderately decent professional camera, so my friends started asking me to take their senior portraits, and that’s how it all began. I focused on college for a while, but as soon as I graduated, I upgraded my gear and started taking sessions as often as my schedule allowed. Funnily enough, it was a while before I began capturing weddings. The thought of doing those always intimated me, so I worked with families and seniors for a long time. Eventually, enough people asked me to shoot weddings and wore me down, so I started taking wedding clients. I don’t know why I avoided them for so long because wedding days are now one of my favorite things, and I rarely shoot senior sessions anymore. I took some time away from the real world before COVID, lived in a van, and traveled full-time, year-round. During this time, I found my love for elopements and destination weddings. I’ve been shooting for about 15 years now, and I have no plans to stop anytime soon.

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It certainly has not always been the smoothest road. I work full time with my photography business, but I also continuously have had a full-time office job on top of that. Currently, I’m the operations manager at a cleaning company. I lucked out with working for a business that supports my photography career and allows me to work it into my regular 8-5 day. However, working full-time hours and the time I put in for my business each week can take its toll on my personal life/mental health. I’ve had to learn when to say no and to schedule days off so I don’t overwork myself. However, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I have always thought that I didn’t want photography as my main source of income because I fear I wouldn’t love it as much if I had to rely solely on it to keep my dog fed, you know? Another challenge I run into is my physical appearance. I’m a tattooed Latina and I am a part of the LGBQTIA+ community. People don’t always respond positively, which is fine because that shows that I am not the photographer for them and vice versa. I’ve encountered everything from dirty looks, snide remarks, and offhandedness from one-off family members at weddings. I choose not to let those people affect me. As long as my couples are happy with their images, I’ll keep doing what I do. Sometimes I feel like telling those people that my being queer does not affect the images I create.

Thanks for sharing that. So, you could tell us a bit more about your work.
I specialize in engagements, weddings, couples, and families. That said, though – I love being a photographer for all. No matter who you love or what you look like, you can come to me to capture your day or your family and know that you will be treated as an equal. I’m proud of being a queer photographer for queer people.

What changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
This is a weird time in the photography business world. Every day there’s a new photographer that pops up and another one that’s been around forever going out of business. For a long time, it was super competitive, but lately, it’s been more about community versus competition, and I love that. I love that so many different photographers cater to so many kinds of people. Just like shoes, photography isn’t one size fits all. You have to find who you mesh with and who you want to be around. I’m friends with so many of my clients now because of their trust in you for their big day. I hope photographers continue to support other photographers. I’ll randomly get messages from other photogs with questions about locations, editing, assistance, etc., and I’m always happy to lend a hand to a fellow creative.

Pricing:

• Wedding packages start at $1275

Contact Info:

• Website: www.kelseyadmirephotography.com
• Instagram: @kelseyadmirephotography
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/kelseyadmirephotography

Image Credits
Personal Photo by Abigail Powers of See My Side Photography