Today we’d like to introduce you to Kennedi Malone.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Kennedi. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
As long as I can remember, I have always loved technology. The idea of controlling a device stimulated my creativity and incited my imagination. Growing up, instead of playing outside, I would much rather spend my time familiarizing myself with new and innovative technology. I did this so much that my family started calling me their little ‘technology genius’. I began to study the variation of products from tech companies such as Samsung, Apple, Microsoft, and Google, taking note of their differences and how the various components of each of their unique devices appealed to potential consumers—such as, the functionality and convenience of its general applications, the physical appearance of the device and also what capabilities set it apart from its competitors and earlier models.
And as I would assess these components, there was always a function on just about every given device that stood out to myself the most—the camera. I always found the idea of taking a snapshot in a matter of seconds and for that moment in time to preserve itself across time exceptionally fascinating. Cameras literally show the power to visually capture history and memories. At around the age of twelve, my passion to capture the aesthetic beauty of such memories grew; however, unfortunately, I did not have the equipment to do so. After a year of constantly begging my parents to buy me a camera, they finally did so on my thirteenth birthday—it was a Nikon COOLPIX B500 Digital Camera. And since I was already fairly familiar with the basics functions of cameras, it took me no time to figure out all the features that the device had to offer.
A couple of months after my birthday, I began to take pictures of my friends as well as creating short films in my home to enhance my videography skills since it goes hand in hand with photography. And although I wasn’t anywhere close to being a professional photographer— let alone getting paid for my work — nonetheless, the excitement of having a camera and being able to capture priceless moments in time was much more important to me. The way I see it, eventually with time, status comes and goes — just as how money does; however, with photographs, they defy the nature of time and define the time in which they were captured. Two cameras later, May of 2017 was when I began my photography career. I wanted to showcase my talents to more people. After years of improving my photography skills, I thoroughly understood that it wasn’t as easy as it looks. In addition to having an exceptional understanding of a specific camera’s qualities, you also have to know what type of photographer you want to be — a photographer for sports, fashion, food, wildlife, documentaries, and etcetera.
However, with me, I have decided to identify myself as being a portrait and event photographer. On one hot summer’s day, I sat in my room, looking through all of the hundreds of thousands of photos I had taken. And that was when it hit me, “Wow, I’m an actual photographer.” The feeling was absolutely surreal. To think that I was capable of turning my dreams into reality was beyond me. My hopes, my dreams, and my work were finally evident and I had more than enough evidence to prove that with all the memories I captured at every given moment. Now, after two years of my very own start-up photo production company called, Kennedi Malone Photography, I also created a website, http://bit.ly/2pD673g, to not only show customers what I am capable of but also to display for myself the work I have done and how my artistry as a photography has improved over time. Thanks to my mom who has been my main support system throughout all of this, I have received plenty of new clients. My dream of being an actual photographer is now actually coming to life. And although it can be stressful and demanding at times, it always ends up being exceptionally rewarding. Having for people to thank me for simply doing something that I’m passionate about is beyond fulfilling.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
One of the main obstacles I have faced with my photography business is that I am also a full-time college student. Once I got into college, it became a struggle with trying to balance photography and school. It had come to a point where I felt obligated to decline photoshoot requests because of my school work. That, later on, created me to become guilty as well as stressed because it was also my first year of college. After the first semester of panic, I taught myself a theory of balance. At this point, I knew what I could and could not do and I took that into consideration. I would set dates for my homework times and my photoshoot days. For instance, my homework days would be Monday-Thursday and the rest of the week were photoshoot days. While this was a challenge, I know I will have worse in the future and will try my hardest to push through them as I did with this one.
Kennedi Malone Photography – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I am the CEO of Kennedi Malone Photography. I take bookings, take photos, edit, and send photos by myself. As I started my business in high school with no business or management skills, I show honor towards the people who have helped create this platform. I take recognition to address my “momager” (mother) and “uncleger” (uncle) as they make Kennedi Malone Photography more successful. My high school teachers, Mr. Robinson, Ms. Gaines, Mr. Reed, and as he rests in heaven, Mr. Rich. While my proudest moments are celebrated with glory towards myself, I would not be where I am today without the names mentioned.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
My proudest moment would have to be once I first received positive responses from people that enjoyed my work. I tend to be very harsh when it comes to my work, and once when I heard my first compliments, it was a feeling I cannot explain. It made me feel like I was doing something right. You may hear some say that art isn’t a real job or that it isn’t making a difference in the world, well while that isn’t true at all, I believe I was created for such a passion and I am thankful that I have a talent for art and that I discovered it at such a young age.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kennedimalone.com
- Email: kennedimalone@yahoo.com
Image Credit:
Erik Rodriguez
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