Today we’d like to introduce you to Kirsten Moore.
Kirsten, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I grew up in Wisconsin with a passion for singing. I taught myself to play guitar and started writing songs in college which led to me moving to Los Angeles in 2003 to pursue a career in music. I had a lot of fun playing small clubs around LA for about eight years but music turned into more of a hobby and I bartended to pay the bills. I eventually started working at a hotel that offered pretty great travel discounts that allowed me the opportunity to see the world. Once I started traveling my focus shifted away from music.
Over the next few years, I managed to travel all over the states and almost a dozen counties. I loved taking photos along the way and sharing my experiences on social media. To my surprise I started getting a lot of feedback that I was inspiring friends to get out and travel more. It was a pretty cool feeling since I’ve always encouraged people to live a fuller life. Working in hospitality can be a good living and allows for a flexible schedule but I was looking to transition into something else and missed my creative outlet. As much as I enjoyed taking and sharing photos, traveling was just another hobby and I didn’t see how I could make money off of travel photos.
About a year and a half ago I decided I needed to figure out a way to combine my passions in a way that I could make a living. I had been following some creators online that inspired me to finally get the courage to take the leap and take my photography to the next level. I bought my first DSLR camera and watched an endless amount of online tutorials to learn as much as I could about photo and video. I also have a huge passion for yoga and fitness so decided that would be my niche. My first job came six months later when I was offered a work exchange for an international yoga company. I spent a month in Bali going through yoga teacher’s training in exchange for photo and video content. It was totally a new and interesting experience photographing people instead of just landscapes. I quickly realized that I liked connecting to my subjects and being able to show them a side of themselves that they might not normally see.
I’ve since been doing all sorts of photography and video from photographing celebs at award show gifting suites to personal branding shoots. I’ve especially grown to love creating video. It’s a lot of work shooting and editing but I find it allows for much more creativity. It’s an amazing feeling having a vision for something and seeing come to fruition.
I think the common thread that has always run through all of my endeavors has been wanting to create beautiful art that inspires people. From that idea I’ve started “The Passion Project” which is a series of videos profiling people talking about their passion and what it means to them. I was inspired by my own experience of how much yoga had a positive impact on my life. I’ve only just started the series but it’s something that I’m really excited about and hopes it inspires people to become passionate about something in their own lives.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The biggest struggle being a freelance creator is getting steady work. Some months are great and some are slow. I’ve done a good job of learning my craft but not so much learning the business and marketing aspect which is very much part of the job.
Another challenge is getting potential clients to understand the value of a creative’s work because much of the amount of time and effort put in is happening behind the scenes in post-production. I can’t tell you how often I’m asked for discounted or free services.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
I am a freelance photographer and videographer. I do personalized lifestyle and fitness photoshoots, events, and create promotional video. I am also a drone pilot. I’m proud to have had some of my work posted to some reputable online publications. I’ve also reached my goal to combine my love for travel, yoga and photography and have gotten hired to create content for yoga retreat companies internationally.
I think my versatility and my appetite for learning more and trying new things set me apart from other creators. I also do it all. I shoot and edit all of my work myself and do it with a quick turnaround. Additionally, I’ve been told that I have a way of making people feel comfortable and have fun when they’re in front of the camera.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
As someone that’s new to a creative freelance lifestyle the simple answer to what would make me a success would be to be able to do the work that I love full-time. Ultimately though, it is to inspire people and to make my clients happy. Nothing makes me happier than to hear feedback from a client that I nailed the vision that they had for their shoot or that I inspired someone to travel to a place because they saw the beautiful photo or video I created.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kirstenmoorecreative.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @kirstenmoorecreative @kirstenmooretravels
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kirstenmoorecreative
Image Credit:
Erica Duff, Paige Tingey
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