Today we’d like to introduce you to Kaylee Reagan.
Hi Kaylee, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My journey through photography started after receiving a point-and-shoot camera as a gift from my stepdad when I was in the 8th grade. I started walking around taking pictures of any and everything. There was one particular photo I took that stood out to me and made me think “Wow, this is really good! Let me see what else I can do.” Looking back now, it’s not that special of a photo, just a basic picture of a flower I saw, but it was enough for me at the time. What I didn’t know was that my real reason for choosing to be a photographer would change later that summer as my grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.
For the next seven years, my mom and I had to watch as she gradually lost all memories of who we were, who she was, and even how to do basic things such as eating and drinking. During that time, and especially after her passing, the things that helped get us through it were looking at all the pictures and videos I had taken during family get-togethers. While I know I annoyed everyone by having the camera in their face so much, we were all thankful to be able to have pictures of her before she got sick and videos of her smiling, laughing, or even just talking in general. On October 26, 2017, her suffering finally ended and she passed away early that morning. I was a junior in college and had just transferred to Webster University after completing my associate’s degree at St. Louis Community College at Forest Park.
Two months after her passing I was headed off to Switzerland for a semester abroad. Those five months I was gone was probably the best time of my life. They helped me grow so much as a photographer and as a person. Not only was this my first time living somewhere other than St. Louis, but it was my first time being out of the states and in a place where I did not speak the language. It was such an overwhelming mix of emotions from the excitement of traveling new parts of the world and still trying to process my grandma’s death. One thing I learned from watching what she went through was to cherish every moment and experience you get to have. It’s because of her that I choose to use photography as a way to capture moments that can be relived forever. To this day, whether it’s my DSLR or my phone, I still take so many pictures and videos while I’m out, not even to share on social media, but so I can look back on those memories and relive moments I would normally forget.
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?
There have definitely been some ups and downs between the stress of college and trying to build up my business since graduating. In the beginning, my parents questioned whether or not it was a smart move to choose photography as a degree as they felt I should think about a job that is more secure and stable. In college, there was the stress of so many photo projects to get done and dealing with unhelpful advisors who wouldn’t communicate important details ‘til the last minute, which almost caused me to do an extra year of school. Then there’s now, where I will have times where I’ll be fully booked for a month, then have a few weeks of nothing. Covid, of course, did not help in that matter. During that slow period, I sometimes ask myself, “Was this the right choice,” or “Am I cut out for this,” as I’m sure many other entrepreneurs do. But throughout all of it and even when I’ve been tempted to give up and try something else, I remind myself why I started in the first place. Nothing has made me happier than when a photo project gets brought to life and seeing the final results on my screen as I finish editing.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a digital photographer that primarily specializes in portraits. I’ve been told by friends and clients that I’m known for my editing style and how my photos often have a cinematic feel to them. My editing style alone has been a big reason why many clients have booked with me. I think what I’m most proud of is my passion and drive for photography. While most of my paid gigs are portraits, I enjoy taking pictures of just about anything and usually take my camera with me everywhere I go. I’m always looking for how I can improve my skills and often try to take the time to study new techniques or shooting styles from photographers I look up to. I always get excited after a shoot when I can see how much I’ve improved and even then, I look over the pictures while editing to see what I could have done differently or how I could make it better the next time around. One of the things I miss about college are the critique days we would have after every photo assignment because teachers and classmates would be able to point out things, I did notice myself or give me more things to think about when I’m out on the next shoot. I’ve come a long way since I first started, but I know I can still do better.
How do you think about happiness?
Outside of creating art, what makes me happy is being able to go out and spend time with my friends and family. It’s seeing the look on our parents’ faces as my brother and I embarrass them out in public when he gets to come home on leave. It’s hearing my friends’ laughter as we crack jokes about each other during our family game nights. It’s laughing as I watch my parents try not to throw the Wii remote into the tv when we’re playing during the holidays. I love looking back at the pictures and videos from these days and laughing ‘til I cry, the same way I did as it was happening. I really appreciated these moments when Covid hit and I was no longer able to spend time with everyone as much as I wanted to.
When I’m not spending time with family and friends, I also enjoy traveling the world and experiencing new places and cultures. As I mentioned before, being able to live in Europe was one of the happiest times of my life. I enjoyed trying so many new foods and going to places I thought I’d only dream about. Getting to see the waterfalls in Croatia, the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland, and even the Eiffel Tower in France. Each place was so unique and different that it seemed there was never enough time to look at it all. One of the best parts was that it was so very easy to travel in Europe. Whether it was taking a train somewhere or even finding a $30 flight to Barcelona, it was usually pretty reasonable to take a trip on the weekends. While I’ve still traveled quite a bit in the states as well, I wish we had a more efficient system so that it would be just as easy to take weekend trips.
Contact Info:
- Email: kreaganphotos@gmail.com
- Website: www.kreaganphotos.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/kreaganphotos
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/kreaganphotos
- Other: www.pinterest.com/kreaganphotos
Image Credits
Kaylee Reagan Photography
