Here's a great article about a very special person to me. Since she was born, I've always considered myself Kelli's uncle. I'm so proud of all she's done (and fondly remember when she was little and we sang songs together). Recently, Voyage Phoenix did a great article on her photography business. As a proud uncle, I had to share it !

Meet Kelli Jackson of Kelli Marie Photography in Gilbert

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelli Jackson.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My husband and I were married at the end of our senior year in college. We were definitely operating on a pretty tight budget and were both completely naive to how important photographer selection was… the short version of the story is that we have, maybe, 5 pictures from our wedding day.
The ceremony was at sunset, in a barn overlooking a golf course and the city in the background. We have just about nothing to show for it.

Fast forward to five years later, we were both preparing to transition out of the military and into civilian life. At the time, our son Carter was nine months old and we were over our heads in change. I needed something for me. My husband is good at everything he touches, and I hadn’t been truly passionate about something that was just for me since playing sports in high school.
I had always loved photography but hadn’t summoned the courage to venture into shooting in manual mode. It wasn’t until a friend of ours essentially gifted me a Canon camera that I decided to give it my best try. I started taking pictures of everything, the most harsh lighting scenarios, anything. I would do shoots for anyone that would let me. The turning point in my photography journey was after I did a session with my best friend and her growing family. I looked through the folder a hundred times before I sent them, and when I finally did she flooded me with compliments and encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone and start taking on clients.
I have now been taking on paying clients for a little over a year and am at a point where I can start really focusing in on

the sessions that bring me the most fulfillment. Dealing with my wedding photographer was an absolute nightmare, she turned out to be an absolute fraud, using other pictures as her own on her website. I didn’t want that to happen to anyone else.

Great, 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?
The biggest struggle has been finding the confidence to jump in and find my place in a somewhat saturated market. I have had to figure out what makes me different while reminding myself that I am qualified and capable. I love what I do, I care, and I am passionate about capturing a person’s story.

Kelli Marie Photography – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I specialize in raw moments, the real stuff. Of course, I pose my couples, you have to give everyone a starting point, but I talk to them. I make them comfortable. I make them remember why we are taking pictures in the first place. I pull out the intimate parts of them that deeply love one another, and I capture it from every angle.
I’ll entertain as many texts back and forth as necessary, I’ll let you bring as many extra outfits as you want, and we won’t leave until we have pictures that I would hang in my own living room.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
The absolute best moment of my career was when I did an engagement session for my brother and his fiance. They are planning a huge wedding, gatsby style. The fact that I was able to gift them with pictures on the day of their engagement, at the beach where it happened, so that they could have that memory forever, was a gift to me. I stayed up all night editing, on our vacation, to get them the pictures. I was so proud.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.kellimphotos.com
• Phone: 480-744-8958
• Email: kellimphotos@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kellimphotos/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kellimphotos/?view_public_for=516092452156538