Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristin Tyler.
Hi Kristin, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I started Anchor and Odyssey in 2015 as a general photography and graphic design business as a side gig for my full-time teaching job. My sister got engaged that summer, and I had the privilege of photographing the surprise proposal. Over the next few months, I started offering to help with things like engagement photos, save the date cards, wedding invitations, and whatever else I could to help them out. From mid-2015 to the beginning of 2017 or so, I learned a lot about what kind of work I enjoyed doing and realized I most enjoyed helping out creatives who were running their own businesses, like I was. It took another year before I transitioned to the world of branding in terms of visual identity and photography. I now focus solely on strategic brand photography for creative small businesses and restaurants, which truly feels like the best use of my talents as a complement to my teaching career.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Is entrepreneurship ever a smooth road? I say that in jest – of course, there have been bumps and obstacles along the way, but I think that’s to be expected with any business. I’d say the biggest challenge for me has been learning to be an efficient and thoughtful business owner while maintaining a full-time job as a middle school teacher. As an introvert, I struggle to put myself out there in regards to networking and keeping up communication with professional acquaintances I meet along the way. I’ve had to learn the hard way about sales, pricing my services, and I guess just general work-life balance, but I’m at a point now where I’m far more confident as a business owner and photographer than I’ve ever been before. The challenges have felt overwhelming at times, but I’m grateful for them – even the future ones.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I specialize in strategic brand photography for restaurants and creative small businesses. I’m a storyteller, and I think every brand has a story to tell to their current and potential customers. Every client I book with receives a questionnaire, and after they fill it out, we go through the answers together on a call. It may sound odd to some, but I get into the nitty-gritty of my clients’ businesses; I want to know about the “why” behind their business, who their target market is, what kind of problems their customer faces, and how their businesses successfully provide solutions to those problems. A standard headshot in a studio is not necessarily going to help people who discover a business online know-how that business is going to help them out. On the other hand, a thoughtful planned out photo session of a business or restaurant owner, chef, and their creative process and end products and services can be so much more insightful for customers looking to spend their hard-earned money.
Food and restaurants are some of my favorites to shoot. Before teaching, I spent several years in the restaurant industry, so I feel like I understand many of the challenges that restaurants face. I’ve long said that “people eat with their eyes,” and when it comes to food photography, this couldn’t be more true. Whether you’re browsing Instagram, Yelp, or restaurant websites looking for a place to dine, seeing appealing photos of menu items can be the deciding factor. Ultimately, my goal is to create custom, beautiful images for every business I work with, allowing them to create connections with people, serve them well, and find success in doing so.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
Growing up, my dad owned a mailbox business in South Florida during the housing boom of the 90s/early 2000s. He had his own workshop, and I spent a lot of time with him there, listening to music, handing him tools as he worked, and going to Home Depot with him for lumber. (Shoutout to the hot dog carts outside Home Depots everywhere – you’ve probably fed more carpenter’s kids than you’ll ever realize.) To this day, I can’t smell lumber without thinking about my dad and our hundreds of “take your daughter to work” days – and any time I visit him in his woodshop up in North Florida these days, six-year-old me smiles a bit.
Pricing:
- Food/product shoots starting at $197
- Central Florida Brand Stories + Portrait sessions starting at $447
- Central Florida Brand Stories + Team Portrait sessions – starting at $797
- Brand Stories + Portrait Session (outside central FL) – starting at $797
Contact Info:
- Email: kristin@anchorandodyssey.com
- Website: www.anchorandodyssey.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/anchorandodyssey
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/anchorandodyssey
Image Credits
Personal photo taken by Leah Payne of Leah Britton Photography
