Episode at a glance: Kiarra Stommes, owner of Kiarra Rae Photography, shares how she went from working in a biology lab to running a full-time wedding and lifestyle photography business. She talks about learning by second shooting weddings, the backend work behind every gallery, building a client experience, and the value of networking. Her advice for young creatives is simple: make sure you love it, because a creative business takes far more than 40 hours a week.
Listen to Episode 070 of Behind the Brand
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Episode chapters
- 00:00 Welcome to Behind the Brand
- 02:07 Meet Kiarra Stommes of Kiarra Ray Photography
- 02:37 From Biology Lab to Photography
- 04:21 How Kiarra First Picked Up a Camera
- 05:25 Weddings, Families, Seniors, and People-Focused Photography
- 06:02 The Real Work Behind Wedding Photography
- 08:09 Taking the Leap Into Her Own Business
- 09:14 Going Full Time and Learning the Business Side
- 11:17 Joining a Networking Group and Building Local Connections
- 12:24 Kiarra’s Photography Style and Approach
- 14:54 Working With Couples Before the Wedding Day
- 17:49 Boundaries, Systems, and Wearing Every Hat
- 21:25 The Impact of Community and Referrals
- 23:39 Advice for Young Creatives Starting a Business
Building a business around something you love sounds exciting from the outside, but anyone who has done it knows there is a lot more to entrepreneurship than passion alone. It takes long hours, constant learning, a willingness to adapt, and the confidence to keep going even when you are figuring things out as you go.
In this episode of Behind the Brand, Taylor and Kelly sat down with Kiarra Stommes, owner of Kiarra Rae Photography, to talk about her path from working in a biology lab to becoming a full-time wedding and lifestyle photographer. Her story is a great reminder that career paths do not always move in a straight line, and sometimes the thing you once considered a side hobby becomes the thing you are meant to build a life around.
How did Kiarra Stommes go from a biology lab to photography?
Before Kiarra became a full-time photographer, she went to college for biology and worked in a lab for a couple of years after graduation. Photography was something she did on the side, originally as a creative outlet and a fun addition to her everyday life. While biology and photography may seem like completely different worlds, her story shows that creativity and science are not as disconnected as people often assume.
Photography requires technical skill, attention to detail, and the ability to understand light, composition, timing, movement, and people. In many ways, it uses both sides of the brain. There is the creative eye needed to capture emotion, but there is also a technical side that determines whether the final image feels polished, intentional, and true to the moment.
Kiarra’s start in photography came through a family connection. After sharing the cost of a camera with her brother, she eventually got the camera back and began learning from her cousin, who had a photography business. Kiarra tagged along to shoots, learned by watching, and eventually started second shooting weddings. That hands-on experience became the foundation for everything she does today.
Learning Through the Wedding Industry
For Kiarra, weddings quickly became the space where photography felt the most exciting. While she started by helping with family sessions, seniors, and other types of shoots, weddings gave her the opportunity to be part of a full day of emotion, connection, and storytelling.
Today, Kiarra Rae Photography focuses mainly on weddings, but Kiarra also photographs couples, families, seniors, newborns, branding sessions, and other people-centered photography. Her style leans documentary, which means she loves capturing the candid, natural, in-between moments that show people as they really are. Rather than forcing every photo into a stiff pose, she focuses on movement, laughter, emotion, and genuine connection.
Her editing style stays close to true color with a slightly warm and creamy feel. Instead of chasing every photography trend, Kiarra keeps her work timeless while still allowing room for a few fun, current elements when they fit the session. That balance matters because wedding photos are not meant to feel outdated a year later. They are meant to be loved, printed, shared, and looked back on for years to come.
How did Kiarra Rae Photography become a full-time business?
Kiarra officially started Kiarra Rae Photography in 2023 after her cousin stepped away from the wedding side of photography. What could have been the end of that chapter became the push she needed to start her own business.
At first, she did not necessarily plan to go full time. Photography was still something she enjoyed on the side while working her lab job, but as her calendar filled up, the reality of balancing both became harder to ignore. She was working a traditional job during the week, photographing weddings on weekends, editing late into the night, responding to emails, and managing the growing list of tasks that come with owning a business.
Eventually, as her photography work became busier and changes happened within the company she was working for, the transition into full-time entrepreneurship felt natural. In August of last year, Kiarra made the leap and began running her photography business full time.
For many small business owners, that leap is one of the hardest parts. There is rarely a perfect moment where everything feels completely figured out. Sometimes, you have to recognize the momentum, trust the work you have already put in, and give yourself permission to grow into the next version of your career.
What surprised Kiarra Stommes most about working for herself?
One of the biggest misconceptions about entrepreneurship is that working for yourself automatically means more freedom and less work. While business ownership does allow you to create a schedule that works for your life, it also means you are responsible for everything.
For Kiarra, wedding days can mean eight to ten hours or more on her feet, followed by a full week of editing, client calls, emails, website updates, social media, questionnaires, timelines, and backend systems. She joked that her most productive hours are often between 8 p.m. and 2 a.m., when things are quiet and there are fewer distractions.
That kind of schedule is not traditional, but it is one of the realities of building a creative business. The work does not end when the wedding ends. In many ways, the wedding day is only one part of the client experience. The rest happens behind the scenes, where systems, communication, editing, organization, and follow-through make the business run.
Kiarra shared that one of the most surprising parts of entrepreneurship has been how much work happens on the backend. When she was second shooting, she got to show up, photograph the day, and hand over the memory card. As the business owner, she is now responsible for the full client journey from inquiry to final gallery.
How does Kiarra Rae Photography build a great client experience?
A strong photography business is not only about taking beautiful photos. It is also about helping clients feel comfortable, understood, and taken care of throughout the process.
Kiarra starts with consult calls to learn what couples are looking for and to make sure they feel aligned with her style. Engagement sessions also give her a chance to see how couples interact together before the wedding day. Before the wedding, she sends questionnaires to understand must-have photos, special requests, and the overall priorities for the day.
While some couples come in with Pinterest boards and specific inspiration, others simply trust her to do what she does best. Kiarra prefers when inspiration gives her a general feeling rather than an exact image to recreate. That gives her room to capture the day naturally while still honoring the couple’s vision.
That trust is a major part of any creative client relationship. Whether you are hiring a photographer, designer, marketer, or another creative professional, the best results often happen when there is clear communication, shared expectations, and enough trust to let the expert bring their perspective to the work.
Community Over Competition
Like many creative industries, photography can have a mix of competition and community. Kiarra has found that some photographers are more protective of their locations, editing styles, or processes, while others are open to helping, mentoring, and encouraging one another.
She has also seen the value of building relationships outside the photography industry. After being invited to a networking group, Kiarra joined and began making new connections in the local business community. Through networking, she has gained referrals, met other business owners, and found herself in rooms she may not have been in otherwise, including this podcast episode.
For entrepreneurs, especially solopreneurs, community matters. It is not only about finding new clients. It is also about having resources, support, referrals, and people who understand what it means to run a business.
What advice does Kiarra Stommes give young creatives?
Kiarra’s advice for young creatives thinking about starting a business is simple but important: make sure you love it. When you turn a creative passion into a business, you will spend far more than 40 hours a week thinking about it, working on it, improving it, and managing everything that comes with it.
That does not mean every moment will be easy, but it does mean the work should still feel worth it. For Kiarra, the reward comes when she sees the final gallery come together, hears that clients love their photos, or knows that the images she captured will become part of someone’s life story.
Her journey from biology lab to wedding photographer shows that building a business does not require having every answer upfront. It requires curiosity, flexibility, hard work, and the willingness to keep learning as you go.
For creatives, small business owners, and aspiring entrepreneurs, Kiarra’s story is a reminder that your path can change, your skills can evolve, and the thing you once did on the side might become the thing that defines your next chapter.
Tune In and Get Inspired
To hear more about Kiarra Stommes’ entrepreneurial journey, her transition into full-time photography, and what she has learned about building a creative business, listen to the full episode of Behind the Brand.
Frequently Asked Questions
What photography style does Kiarra Rae Photography use?
Kiarra Stommes describes her style as documentary, focused on candid, natural, in-between moments rather than stiff poses. Her editing stays close to true color with a slightly warm and creamy feel. She aims for timeless images with room for a few current elements when they fit.
What does Kiarra Rae Photography photograph besides weddings?
Kiarra Rae Photography focuses mainly on weddings. Kiarra Stommes also photographs couples, families, seniors, newborns, branding sessions, and other people-centered work.
When did Kiarra Stommes start Kiarra Rae Photography?
Kiarra Stommes officially started Kiarra Rae Photography in 2023 after her cousin stepped away from the wedding side of photography. She kept her lab job at first, then made the leap to running her photography business full time as her calendar filled up.
How has networking helped Kiarra Stommes grow her business?
After being invited to a networking group, Kiarra Stommes joined and began making connections in the local business community. Networking has brought her referrals, introductions to other business owners, and opportunities like her appearance on Behind the Brand.
