We had the good fortune of connecting with Kristen Ryan and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Kristen, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Although I have always had an entrepreneurial spirit, once being a freelance harpist as well as dreaming of opening my own coffee shop, my photography business came out of an organic love for creating photographs and teaching others rather than from a desire to “start my own business.” As I fell in love with landscape photography, I also found both a love of teaching others and for cultivating a community of similar creatives around me.
The launch of my ladies’ landscape photography retreats was driven by my love for the community of women that had developed from my online teaching and a desire to further the connections among us.
I believed that there was a need for a workshop experience for women that provided an opportunity not only to grow their landscape photography but to create and build connections with other creative female photographers. From this belief, my business and the autumn Magic in the Tetons ladies’ retreat was launched in 2017. After it’s success led to significant interest in the experience, my business expanded to add more retreats in the Tetons and in additional locations.
Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
While I can’t remember a time when I didn’t love to ‘take pictures’, it wasn’t until 2011 when my twins were babies and my older boys were toddlers, that I ventured into truly learning the ins and outs of the camera and exploring the art of photography. While I initially found myself photographing my children, a solo trip to my grandparents’ home in the Tetons during the fall of 2012 was a turning point in my photography. Spending time alone with my camera in the place I loved most in the world was the spark that led me to a love of landscape and nature photography. As I explored my love of this genre and shared with others, I began to get a lot requests to help others, and teaching became an organic extension of my work. In the beginning my teaching was focused online, which worked really well with my family life as a full time mom to 4 young children. As my children got older and my community of students expanded, my desire to teach and connect in the field kept growing. That’s when I began my ladies’ retreats in the Tetons. With a long family history in the valley, this was a natural place to launch my in person experiences.
One of my greatest challenges in expanding my business to offer additional retreats in the Tetons and in other locations has been juggling my two jobs as a photographer and mom of four. It’s not always easy to arrange everything for them while I’m away and even now that they are more independent teenagers, I try not to miss the things that are important to them, like dance competitions, basketball games and school events.
But I do think these challenges make me increasingly grateful for the time I get to be out in nature and share experiences with like minded photographers. Over the years, my photography has become more deeply focused on the experience, slowing down and responding to whatever Mother Nature brings. The images are just icing on the cake.
It is my goal to instill that same philosophy into my retreats. My brand is about more than just the photos we capture but about embracing the experience of nature and the connections made with our surroundings and each other.
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
While I currently live in the suburbs of Chicago, I lived in the city for nine years. If a friend was visiting me to spend time in the city I would suggest they come in during the warmer months. Summer in Chicago is an amazing time to be here. The lakefront is definitely one of the best places to be on hot sunny days. We would hit up the Lincoln Park Zoo and North Avenue Beach and get some bikes to ride along the lakefront path. Catching a Cubs game at Wrigley field is a great way to spend an afternoon or evening. I would take them to Michigan Avenue along the Magnificent Mile for some shopping or at least a walk amongst the tall buildings of the city. We might have afternoon tea at The Drake Hotel, where I once was a regular harpist for their daily tea.
We would take a walk along the riverwalk and enjoy a meal at one of the many restaurants that line the river. While there we would enjoy the Architectural Boat Cruise.
The Shedd Aquarium is a great place to spend part or all of a day and the view from the Adler Planetarium is a must see as well. Another day we’d spend walking around Navy Pier and Millennium Park. The Bean is definitely not to be missed!
I would take my friend to see the views at either 360 Chicago or the Willis Tower skydeck. And of course no trip to Chicago would be complete without some deep dish pizza at one of the famous Chicago pizza places!
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?
Over the last 10+ years of my photography career, there have been an incredible number of people that have come into my life and had an impact on my photography, the growth of my business, and my life. The nature and the people are the best things to come out of my journey into photography. More than anyone else, I’d have to shoutout to my husband for his unwavering support of my photography. He always believes in me and encourages me to pursue my passion, recognizing how important it is for me to do something for myself outside of being a full time mom.
Secondly, I would never be where I am today without the many women photographers who have been part of my community. Early in my photography, Click Community was central to my growth as an artist and where I met so many photographers I still call friends today. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to teach landscape photography with Click Photo School and to all the women that invested their time learning with me. To all the women who have joined in one or many of my retreats, I have deep gratitude for their enthusiasm and openness to embrace the experience with me. My success is because of them.
Website: www.kristenryanphotography.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristenryanphotography/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kristenryanphotography/
Image Credits
Justin Smith