Today we’d like to introduce you to Libby Kyhos
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I began taking photos when I was 13. For my 14th birthday I received a camera that was an upgrade from the simple point and shoot that I had been using. I posted on my Instagram asking if anyone would be interested in doing a photoshoot. At that time I honestly had no clue what a photoshoot would really entail. I had a group of five friends who agreed to model and we spent most of the “photoshoot” just recreating images we found online. After that day I knew that I wanted to keep going and that I got a lot of joy from working with people. From there, I convinced many of my friends to model for my photos and I started to get some recognition around school for my work. When I was 16, I got hired for my first Senior Photoshoot where I made $20, but that was when I realized that people may be willing to pay me to do this hobby that I loved. I continued to use photography as a creative outlet and as a way to make some extra money and as my business grew I began to realize my missions and my purpose for being part of this industry. My ultimate goal is for people to feel comfortable and confident in front of the camera. I do this by being personable, prepping my clients about what to expect, playing music during photoshoots, asking for their input, and by having a large repertoire of poses in my back pocket so that they have directions to follow and options so they can choose what is most comfortable for them. Additionally, I aim to make my photoshoots affordable, as I believe that everyone should have access to photos to celebrate their special moments. Now, eight years into my photography journey, a majority of my business is grad photos for Florida State University students, business headshots or branding photos, and the rare couples photoshoot or creative inquiry. I am so honored that people allow me to capture their achievements and special moments and I hope to have many more opportunities to do so.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
While I have been very fortunate to have friends and family that are incredibly supportive, there have been some struggles in growing my business. I have struggled to grow my business online using social media, which can be very disheartening when others seem to be finding massive success on the same platforms. Additionally, I moved to Tallahassee, Florida for college in 2021, which caused me to struggle both creatively and in my business. I felt that I had finally gotten my footing in my business in Orlando. I was finally working with clients who weren’t my close friends and I was recognized at school and even in public for my work. Moving meant starting over for my business. For two years I mainly did photoshoots when I was back in Orlando for school breaks which was difficult because I would have to save up ideas and then try to fit them all into a small time span when I was back home. Finally, during my third year in Tallahassee, I was able to expand my business by doing Grad Photoshoots which have been very fun and I am looking forward to doing them again this year.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I would like to say that I specialize in styled photoshoots. While this isn’t often the work that I get paid for, it is the work that I am the most proud of because it is my idea from the conception all the way to the final product. To me, a styled photoshoot is a photoshoot with a “theme”. The shoot should have intentional styling, props, posing, and editing to match the theme. I have a vault of conceptions waiting to be brought to life and I work very hard to make the final product match my vision. For instance, I did a photoshoot a year and a half ago with the theme “Sun and Moon”. This was a couples photoshoot because I wanted to play with the idea of the sun and the moon being lovers. One model dressed in warm tones and gold, with a large head piece that had protruding rays. The other model was dressed in black and silver, with a head piece that came downwards with dangling charms to juxtapose the sun’s headpiece. Both of the headpieces and the other accessories were made by hand by myself and the models, who are very talented friends of mine. The location was the beach because of how the moon impacts the tides. The shoot lasted from golden hour into blue hour. During golden hour, the sun was in a position of dominance, often kneeling over the moon. However, when blue hour hit, the moon became the dominant figure and worked to shield the sun from the impending darkness until the sun eventually had to leave. When editing the photos I worked to create a stark difference between the golden hour and blue hour photos. Every decision made for this photoshoot was very intentional and detail driven and I think that, as well as the creativity of my concepts and willingness to try new ideas, sets me apart from others.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
I forecast that the photography industry will continue to grow exponentially in the coming years, as social media has made it more and more popular. I hope that this will, in turn, make photoshoots less expensive because they will be more readily available.
Unfortunately, I also think we are already starting to see a shift in photographers putting a lot of their effort into their social media content, rather than the content of their photoshoots. This is because many social media algorithms are not pushing the work of photographers, but rather their video content. I hope that we see a change in the algorithms and that photographers can get recognized for their work again, rather than their participation in online trends.
Pricing:
- Mini Sessions (20 minutes) starting at $50
- 45 minute Sessions starting at $100
- 1.5 hour Sessions starting at $175
Contact Info:
- Website: https://libbykphotography.wixsite.com/my-site
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/libbyk.photography/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@libbyk.photography
Image Credits
All photos from Libby K Photography
