Meet Kelly Miller | Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kelly Miller and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kelly, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
Growing up we were always encouraged to create – to draw, paint, and take photos. A lot of my memories as a kid are the adventures, travels and creative moments. It has been something that has been a part of life for as long as I can remember. In high school, I applied to be a part of an integrated school of arts. I remember feeling overwhelmed by all of things that life brings at that age. The pressure to find a passion, to pursue something wholeheartedly, to designate a future path to sucess, and to get a job that will build into a career. I’d say that my creative brain got a little clouded by all of these factors. Seeing all the other artists and creatives that were so versatile and talented, further discouraged me. Then I ended up taking a break from being consistent in art to focus on going to college and work. I had felt like I needed to pursue something serious – something that could set me up for the rest of my life I felt like everything was pushing me that direction. The other main passion I had growing up was the outdoors. I worked in a bike shop and that influenced me to pursue my degrees in the business field where I really wanted to work in a field that would allow me to connect other to outdoor sports. I continued to dabble in taking photos for fun, along my travels, and time spent outside. After following through with chasing a career, I found myself wanting more, and to pursue more of the creative things that I once enjoyed so much. Finding my path back to photography has been a journey. It’s been an ongoing realization that I can have a life filled with my passions while simultaneously supporting myself and pulling in my educational background too. I came to realize how so many of the aspects that I enjoyed in a business setting, were the same things that I do about running a photography business.

What should our readers know about your business?
Being a wedding and elopement photographer, the summer and fall months tend to be my busiest. They’re often packed with lots of time on the computer – editing photos, answering emails, traveling and being at my client’s celebrations. There isn’t a “regular” schedule in this field, and it’s been a constantly changing thing for me to improve how I balance that with my other job and life. I’d say this is a huge challenge for anyone looking to pursue a creative career while running a business. “Wedding season” is so exciting though, and I look forward to how each and every wedding or elopement I shoot is truly unique and is a testament to the personalities of the people I get to work with. Client experience is something that I carry from my job experience, and I realize how important it is for that to be the center focus of my work and business. There are so many amazing vendors out there and when a couple chooses to work with me – I realize the amount of trust they are putting in me for their day. I get so excited to help them plan and celebrate, and to help them capture these moments that they’ll be able to look back on. Throughout the experience working with me I want to provide my clients with resources and to be their expert, I want them to feel taken care of, and I want the relationship that I’ve established with them to help set the tone on their day to create a totally fun and stress-free day! Getting to know my clients helps me capture their love story in a way that is meaningful to them. One of my favorite parts of being a photographer are the raw, emotional, and care-free parts to the job – it’s those moments hearing people exchange vows, it’s the happiness you see being surrounded by loved ones, and it’s the deeper understanding that you get to have about a couple’s connection. My style and workflow are really influenced by all of those things. I’m here to capture those genuine moments, to tell the story of your day, and ultimately be the judgement free photographer that will cheer you on!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
It’s so hard to pick just one place to visit or stay in Colorado. There are way too many amazing little mountain towns, and places to see – you really can’t go wrong. I’d recommend road-tripping the state over the course of two weeks. I’d recommend visiting a hot springs and relaxing, stopping at some breweries or distilleries, going on a raft trip, drive up one of the 14ers, checking out Rocky Mountain National Park and some of the state parks along the way! Crested Butte, and Buena Vista are two gems I love.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My sister is a big piece of my story as a photographer so far. She had a small elopement and had me photograph it. Once she shared the photos, it took off from there. Her friend ended up hiring me to photograph her wedding and following that I shot a lot more portraits. The confidence that she had in me and what she instilled in me is why I even considered the possibility that this could become a reality for me. Throughout the last few years, she’s been there to bounce my ideas off of, and to help with some of the administrative aspects.

Website: kellymillerstudios.com

Instagram: @kelly.miller.studios

Image Credits
Taken by Natalie Dyer, Edited by Kelly Miller