WindowStill Spotlight: Wes Kitten

This week under the WindowStill Spotlight, we have Wes Kitten!

 

Wes is a real estate photographer in Grand Rapids, MI. Keep reading to see what he had to say…

 

 

What is your role at WindowStill and what does a day of work typically look like for you?

I’m a photographer at WindowStill. A typical day starts with me dropping my kids off at school or day camp, as I typically have a shoot scheduled after that.

 

Since most of my shoots are around an hour away, I spend the drive listening to an audiobook or podcast. When I’m done shooting for the day, I head home to upload my photos to be edited.

 

 

What do you like to do in your free time when you’re not working?

Some of my free time is spent working with local breweries on photography and marketing projects. Besides, that I spend as much of my free time as possible with my wife and kids.

 

Whether it’s as simple as sitting on the porch together or going hiking, camping, cycling, or fishing, we just like to spend time together as a family.

 

 

What advice would you give to an aspiring photographer?

Always ask for criticism and guidance from those who have more experience than you. When I was first starting out in photography, I had mentors who were working professionals that had a lot of experience. They gave me insight into what I was doing well and what could use some work.

 

The echo chamber of positivity that is social media is a great way to build up confidence, but seek out creatives that have more experience than you and ask for their advice on how you can improve and expand your skillset. Following photographers is another great way to improve as you learn their styles and become inspired in your own work.

 

 

What do you feel is the most important quality in a photographer?

Being humbly confident.

 

Be confident that you can succeed and deliver on whatever it is you are working on. At the same time, realize that you don’t know everything and there are always ways you can improve or new practices you can implement into your skillset.

 

I’ve been working as a professional photographer for about 15 years now and I am still learning new things and improving myself.