Today we’d like to introduce you to Kynzie Story.
Kynzie, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I grew up playing nearly every sport. As I got older, my focus became solely basketball, and I was competing at the highest level through junior high and high school. My self-fulfilling prophecy as an athlete began at age two, so my mom says, when I would take the heads off of my Barbies to shoot hoops with them.
My senior year of high school, I signed a National Letter of Intent to play basketball at Abilene Christian University on a full-ride scholarship. One word: predictable. This had been the plan for years, to get a college scholarship. Well, during that same year, I began to hang out with a new group of people which consisted of photographers, musicians, artists and writers. They were, and are, beautiful people and they opened up a brand new world for me. More and more time spent with them resulted in a new talent of photography. One word: curveball.
I played basketball at ACU for one year. I gave up my full-ride scholarship at a private Christian school to pursue the creative side in me. If you think that sounds absolutely absurd, to give up free tuition and 13 years of my life for a camera I didn’t know much about, well, you’d be right. To put it simply, it was the most painful decision I’ve ever had to make. Disappointment does not sit well with me, and I had to stare that feeling straight in the eyes for what seemed like an eternity.
With this massive change in plans, I switched my major from journalism to multimedia. My new pursuit at ACU opened up new creative territory I had unknowingly longed for. From designing magazine spreads to being a reporter and videographer for the school news; from learning typography to taking a class called Social Media; from conducting video interviews to building a website from scratch. I loved all of it. I felt like I was “home”, in a sense. Photography, though, has always been my number one creative outlet. I have a deep respect for the ability to see something no one else can. In a society of comparison and predictable expectations, I find the notion of photography nothing short of refreshing.
Story Photography was recently created with a rooted belief in connecting. Whether it be with nature, sports or people, there is an opportunity to connect. I think our culture desperately lacks that kind of attitude. We’re so timid when it comes to in-person connection, but we’re suddenly outgoing as can be when we’re behind that screen. See, I have this wild ambition that photography can overlap with the raw, honest stories of our culture in which we all seem to instinctively disguise as “put together.” I’ve been given this charge to revive an unashamed vulnerability in the presence of others (something I’m working on for myself as well). Story Photography has such an immeasurably higher aim than merely pictures. It’s about presence, unscripted emotion and honest connection. I want to be everyone’s greatest source of encouragement because I know what it’s like to be unhappy, to be scared, to be ashamed, and to be lonely. I will persistently strive for Story Photography to bring light to darkness. Life is too beautiful to be filled with anything but joy.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Story Photography story. Tell us more about the business.
Story Photography specializes in portrait photography, but also does family photography, sports photography, and pet photography.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I’m not sure luck has had anything to do with my life. As a believer in God, coincidences and karma don’t exist. Everything has purpose; even the bad times have purpose. I was entrusted by God with certain talents for the lone objective to glorify Him. As I continue to live the life he’s gifted me with, I believe he’ll continue to uncover other talents of mine along the way. When a baby is born, it doesn’t immediately start to walk, talk, become potty trained and give itself a snack. Life is about development, and through development God gives us certain platforms to display the work He’s done in our lives. That’s how I treated my time with basketball, and that’s how I’m now treating my time as a photographer. As long as I’m pursuing God’s desires for my life, I trust every season–good or bad–to be eternally profitable.
Contact Info:
- Website: storyphotog.com
- Email: kynzie22@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/story_photog/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/storypho/
Image Credit:
Story Photography
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