Meet Kayla Esparza

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kayla Esparza.

Kayla, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My entire life, I’ve been surrounded by entrepreneurs who chased their ‘impossible’ dream. My dad, who has owned and ran his own restaurants all around Western Washington, my Papa who has built my own childhood homes, and many others in the PNW, I was always drawn to their hardworking characters and wondered if that could be me some day too.

It started with a small 8 megapixel Sony point and shoot camera that my mom brought home in 2005 for my Dad’s fathers day present and she left it to me and my siblings to figure out how to use it (parents with technology, right? HAHA) And instantly, I had a new love. I would go out almost everyday practicing my new skill with nature as my model. Soon nature turned into photographing friends, senior photos, families, babies, birthdays, you name it. This little hobby of mine grew and grew over the years – But everything seemed to change once I left college.

I found myself at a crossroads at 20 years old. I was freshly dropped out of College, newly married to my high school sweetheart, and we were beginning our journey as newlyweds moving states away to Northern California from Washington for my husbands job. I started looking at my photography seriously and wondering, could I really turn this little hobby of mine into a full-fledged business? For months I convinced myself that it would never be me, that I could never be a full-time wedding photographer. I worked at Starbucks and began to set up my plan to finish the last two years of my schooling online. Then one seemingly ordinary day, I got a DM from a photographer named Olivia Markle. She was going to be traveling into the Bay Area and wondered if I had any recommendations for her to stay/travel/see, etc. I offered up my home and time to drive her around and host her on her trip. She agreed, and this would be the week my business took the best U-turn in history.

Before meeting Olivia, I really thought that my little hobby would stay my side hobby. I was beginning to shift gears from trying to figure out how to really launch my business to Starbucks and School. Then Olivia gave me the piece of advice I now tell my own mentee’s. She told me “You can’t go full time until you have full-time availability”. The next day, I put in my two weeks at Starbucks and told myself, ‘you just gotta do this now. No turning back”. My husband and I maxed my credit card to upgrade my camera, one of my best friends/photography friends taught me the in’s and out’s of editing programs like Lightroom Classic and Photoshop, and Kayla Esparza Photography was re-born.

Today I am shooting 30+ weddings a year, alongside my Husband who does videography. We’ve traveled to Iceland, Hawaii, St Lucia, Mexico, New York, Arizona, Southern California, Washington, Oregon, Wyoming, & more to photograph clients and capture their forever days. I’ve also began teaching other photographers on the basics of running their business and going full time. I have an online education group, as well as a workshop with my best friend Alyssa Marie Photography! My husband and I have a 2.5 years old son, Liam, who we typically bring along on our adventures and the cutest German Shepherd. I know the future is bright because everyday I get to make connections with absolute strangers, travel the world, and be blessed enough to call that a day in the office.

Has it been a smooth road?
I’m sure every entrepreneur you talk to will tell you the same thing; Nothing worth having comes easy. I wholeheartedly believe that the struggles you face, and the bumps you go across only help you get closer to your goals. The struggles help build your foundation and help to make you a better business owner.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Kayla Esparza Photography story. Tell us more about the business.
I’m a full-time wedding photography + videography team based out of Northern California but book clients all over the world for traditional wedding days, elopements, or destination weddings. I’m also an educator in the photography industry and help other like-minded individuals on their road to success in running a full-time photography business.

How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
This is a fun question because I have no idea. That’s part of the excitement of running a creative business. I’d like to think I would be doing wedding photography forever, but I know that it’s likely going to change and shift. I’m 100% going to focus more on education for other photographers in the next couple of years & maybe one day run a wedding venue with my dad.

Pricing:

• My wedding collections begin at $4,000 for any west-coast wedding

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.kaylaaesparza.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: instagram.com/kaylaaesparza

Image Credit:
Photo by: Alyssa Marie Photography

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