JUNE 9, 2022
Rising Stars: Meet Kristi Watson
Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristi Watson.
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?
Looking back, I’ve always had a passion for photography though I didn’t get started until later in life.
I love to tell this story. I had a coworker years ago who always carried around a stress ball. This particular stress ball was just a green foam ball but he never put it down so our office always joked that the ball “carried the power of the universe”. One day I stumbled across this ball (the power) unattended and I saw my opportunity and took it. From there a hilarious summer prank ensued where I took this ball on all of my travels and captured creative photos with it to send to its original owner. I traveled a lot that summer so some of these photos were on the beach, at Niagara Falls, the Las Vegas strip, and many more locations. But from this prank, I found that I was actually really good at creative photography and editing. This inspired me to pursue my dreams of photography branching out to nature, sunsets, and abandoned architecture. Eventually, with much training and some upgraded equipment, I felt confident enough to start a business and start working with families and it has grown from there.
Since then, my career has blossomed and I’ve been so fortunate to be a part of so many journeys. From capturing engagement sessions, to then the same couples wedding, then their maternity, newborn shoots, and so on. Just being a part of a journey like that is really something so special.
I’m very community driven so many of my favorite things to do is capture community events (like Kenmore’s First Fridays, partnering with The Chapel Kenmore to capture church services & Just A Dad From Akron events). I love doing this because these photos are raw, candid and you really feel something when looking at them. Remembering those moments and capturing the beautiful fellowship our community has to offer is indescribable.
I am completely self-taught and really appreciate the opportunity to grow and continue learning from mentors.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I think I am my own worst critic so my biggest struggle is myself. I want every image to be captured perfectly, and especially when looking back at some of my older sessions I think of a million things that I would’ve done differently. Stood in a different spot. used different settings. edited something different. But at the end of the day, I have been so fortunate for amazing clients who have stuck with me through the “growing pains” process as my work has improved over the years. I’m sure that in 5 years I will look back on the sessions that I am doing right now and think the same thing, but that means I am continuing to learn and grow and that is a beautiful thing!
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a photographer/business owner (Power Photography. LLC). By day I work for a Cleveland Law Firm (Mulhall Zion. LLC) and also the trusty sidekick to my boyfriend Kenny Lambert who is the owner of Just A Dad From Akron.
I always tell people I haven’t found my niche yet haha! I cover such a wide range of photography from weddings, to headshots, to real estate and more. I love every aspect of this job so it’s hard to say no to an opportunity to take photos. Being able to keep a wide range of specialties helps the job to never get boring. One day I might be capturing maternity photos and the next on a construction site for branding photos. It’s such a fun way to mix up each day.
I am most proud of the moments that I get to capture within our community. Especially the opportunity to capture a family photo for someone who may not have the means to hire a photographer. Or the ability to have a platform for people to see the good works happening in our city when so often the media does not portray things in the most beautiful light. I want people from the outside who wouldn’t/couldn’t attend an event to be able to look at the photos and feel like they were right there for all of it.
An unfortunate but real situation that comes with this job is capturing people who have since passed away. This is such a tough thing, but unfortunately, death is very real. Despite the sadness of this, I love that I have been able to give families the gift of capturing happy moments that will live on long beyond our years.
I think what sets me apart would be the genuine passion I have for creating memories in the form of a photograph. I love being able to use my creative gifts to give back to others even if only in some small way. To me this isn’t even work, it’s a blessing. I’m blessed to meet families and watch their stories unfold; I’m blessed to have a front-row seat to the good works happening within our community. I’m blessed to be able to give back by just simply doing something that I love.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
What an excellent question. I think the most important lesson I have learned is to not let go of my values and to not lose sight of the reasons I started doing what I do. I am very fortunate that I have a day job and that I don’t rely on the income I make from photography to survive (though it certainly helps). But that means I CHOOSE to do this job, and I choose it because I love it. But that also means remembering that I should keep my values and myself at the top of my list. I guess what I’m getting at is that I do this because I love it and not for the money.
Pricing:
- 30-minute sessions $175
- 1-hour sessions $350
- Other Session Types Vary
Contact Info:
- Website: www.powerphotographyllc.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/powerphotographyllc
- Facebook: facebook.com/powerphotographyllc