Check Out Maddie Kamp’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Maddie Kamp.

Hi Maddie, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I have always loved taking photos for as long as I can remember. From disposable cameras to a point-and-shoot to my first DSLR, I’m always capturing everything I do. It helps me to remember moments in my life I don’t want to forget and allows me to relive experiences I want to look back on.

In high school, I finally saved up for my first Canon Rebel DSLR and just started taking photos of anything I could—flowers in my backyard, my dog, friends, family, and my surroundings. I definitely didn’t know much about how the camera worked yet, but I was determined to learn on my own.

Throughout college, if I wasn’t taking photos with my camera, I was capturing everything on my phone so I wouldn’t forget all these important moments in my life. I’m a very nostalgic person and tend to save a lot of things so I don’t forget past experiences.

Slowly I started doing more and more portraits for friends and family as a hobby on the side. It was always what I loved the most but never thought I could make a career out of it. Then people who I didn’t know began to reach out to me online and I found a network of other creatives in St. Louis who really helped me to grow and learn what it’s like to be a working photographer. I had been working full-time for other companies until recently taking the plunge to run my photography business full-time. It’s been a journey to get here and not always easy, but I’m so excited for the future and to see where it will take me.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
For me, it hasn’t exactly been a smooth road to get here. While I have always had photography as a side hobby, going full-time felt like a huge leap I wouldn’t ever be ready to take. I felt no matter how many more photoshoots I was doing or how much work I put into my business, it was never enough to support myself entirely. I’ve doubted myself and compared myself to other people who were doing what I always hoped to do. At the same time, they helped me to know it was possible and could be done as a career in the city I live in. That’s what kept me going and gave me the courage to pursue this full-time with all the unknowns and uncertainty it brings.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I currently take lifestyle, branding, and styled portraits as well as product photography for small businesses. I’ve always loved taking portraits and getting to know someone through that experience. I especially like to work with small women-owned businesses, as it’s important to me to support my local community and the other women who live here.

We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Success to me is living a life that makes you happy to do what you do every day. It’s waking up in the morning and being excited for the life you have and maintaining a healthy work-life balance that allows you the space and time to just be.

Contact Info:

• Email: contact@maddiekamp.com
• Website: www.maddiekamp.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maddiekphotos/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MaddieKPhotos

Image Credits
Maddie K Photography