Today we’d like to introduce you to Kim Clegg.
Hi Kim, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Photography found me twice. The first time was in middle school, when a teacher recognized something in my eye and pushed me to take it seriously. I never forgot that feeling — but like a lot of things we love, life got in the way.
The second time was a date night with my husband. We were doing one of those exercises where you share your unrealized dreams. I almost said I had no unrealized dreams — my life felt full. But my husband knew better. He pointed out that photography came up more than once when talking about what I wished I’d done or wanted to do one day. That conversation started me on a whole new path. He bought me a camera not long after, and I haven’t set it down since.
Portrait work called to me right away. There’s something about the face — the way it holds a whole person’s story — that I find endlessly compelling. I’ve spent years honing my ability to read people’s emotional and sensory needs, because I believe great portrait work starts long before you pick up the camera. When someone feels genuinely comfortable, something shifts — the guardedness drops, and the real person shows up. That’s the shot I’m always after.
My whole philosophy comes down to this: I want everyone who works with me to feel the way I’ve been lucky enough to feel — seen by someone who actually paid attention.
Alright, 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?
My kids come first — always — and our family has been through hell and back making sure they’re okay. There were seasons where photography had to wait, and I made peace with that. But even in those seasons I had notebooks everywhere and endless lists — gear, settings, business, editing — because I refused to stop learning even when I couldn’t shoot.
All that grinding through the technical side had a shadow side though. I kept losing the thread of why I started — that photography is also an art, that the creative instinct matters as much as the craft. And when my spirit was already worn thin from everything at home, I reached out to another photographer for advice only to be told my work wasn’t good enough which absolutely crushed me. I didn’t pick up my camera for six months.
Coming back from that was slow. But it was also the beginning of something — a quiet decision to stop waiting for permission and start trusting myself. Which is exactly the mindset I needed when life brought us back to my hometown just a couple of years after I’d started my business. A place I wasn’t quite sure I was ready to return to just yet. I had to rebuild from scratch, and somewhere in that rebuilding I finally stopped questioning whether I belonged here — in this town, and in this craft.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I specialize in portrait photography and I’ve built my business around one core belief: that everyone deserves to feel good in front of a camera, not just the people who already do.
What sets me apart is the human side of the work. I’ve spent years developing my ability to read people’s emotional and sensory needs, because a lot of people carry real anxiety about being photographed. I take that seriously. I create an environment where someone can exhale and just be themselves. Because that’s when real photography happens.
I’m known for work that feels natural and elevated at the same time. And I back it up with fast turnaround — sneak peeks in 48 hours and full galleries in two weeks.
But what keeps me coming back is the look on someone’s face when a photograph makes them feel seen — maybe for the first time. That’s what this is all about for me. Portraits tell people: you matter, you belong, you are worthy of being celebrated.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
Learning to trust myself — imperfect as I am. I spent a lot of time waiting until I felt ready enough or good enough before fully committing to this. What I’ve learned is that the confidence doesn’t come first — the showing up does. You figure it out along the way, and that’s okay.
My kids have taught me that more than anything. They keep me humble and grounded in a way nothing else does. Watching them navigate their own lives reminds me every day that none of us have it all figured out — and that’s not a weakness. That’s just being human.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kimcleggphotography.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimcleggphotography
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KimCleggPhotography
