Meet Kim Swain

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kim Swain. 

Hi Kim, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
As a child, I was really drawn to creative outlets; I loved taking photos, drawing Sailor Moon and animals, painting, and crafting. One of my favorite things to do when I had time to myself was sift through our huge boxes of old photos and try to imagine stories for all of the people in them. I started working in a portrait studio part-time around 2010. After a few years there I ended up with my own camera and became obsessed with nature and macro work. I started taking portraits of my own children, and family members soon after. I eventually quit there and wondered if I would be able to start my own business. A brave friend asked me to photograph their wedding in 2011, and then it kind of cascaded from there. I started shooting locally, but was soon travelling all over MI, then doing destination weddings all over the US and even Mexico! I was also accepted by an incredibly wonderful stock photography collective (Stocksy United), Where I have been able to continue my nature and macro photography work and have my work published commercially, 

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
I don’t think being a small business owner has been smooth at all. Balancing being a parent and business owner is a lot. It’s so hard to be 100% in those roles all the time, and some days are really hard to be both simultaneously. I think the biggest struggle is just showing up for myself every day. Having anxiety makes believing in yourself, your work, and your worth so difficult. I have to be my own biggest supporter sometimes, and that has been pretty hard. Being a small business owner can also be pretty lonely, I spend a lot of time alone editing, shooting, etc., 

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m a photographer specializing in weddings, elopements, portraits, and nature and still lifes! I am known for my dreamy and creative use of lighting, getting lots of authentic emotions and perfect detail shots all in a very relaxed, and fun environment.

How do you define success?
Success is being fulfilled and excited in what I’m doing, and having whomever I am working with be ecstatic about what I’m creating with them. I really enjoy that I am able to connect with so many different people, make them laugh, love how they look in their photos, and serve them in such a meaningful way. I am also able to support my family financially, and my plethora of other hobbies and trips through photography and that has been very rewarding.  

Pricing:

• Portrait Sessions $400
• Weddings start at $2800

Contact Info:

• Website: www.innerlightphotos.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/innerlightphoto/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theinnerlightphoto
• Other: https://www.stocksy.com/TILPHOTOS/showcase?page=1