Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristina Wirt.
Hi Kristina, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I think my story starts like a lot of other people who that board when COVID started. I am a middle school math teacher and when COVID hit we went out on spring break and ended up not going back to school. It was such a strange time that I didn’t know what was going to happen with my job, with my students, or my family and I was just sitting at home thinking what can I do.
As a child, I loved photography and I loved taking pictures of my family I went on Facebook one day and this young man was selling a used camera. My first thought was okay, I can start a hobby that will allow me to be outside but not around people and just learn how to do photography. I purchased the camera from the young man on Facebook and I began my journey of learning how to work my camera. In this process, I watched many YouTube videos and just learned the ends and outs of my camera in different modes.
Once I got used to the camera, I purchased it from the young man on Facebook, I upgraded to a better camera which I love and I did my first shoot with my best friend and her family. After that first shoot and after that first moment of editing I knew that this was something that I wanted to pursue more in my life. I have been able to do engagement shoots, birthday parties, babies, and so much more. I am now getting into the boudoir setting. I love being able to capture a moment between whoever I am photographing and bring it to life.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
This journey has definitely not been a smooth road. There have been times when I struggled to get the shot that I wanted and there have been times when I was just so lost in my own process of how I wanted to build this business that I almost gave up.
I want to grow my business but having the time to do so is so hard especially still being in the classroom. I would love to venture out more in my business and be able to grow with the people that I meet in the process of possibly having my own standalone studio.
Learning something new and taking it from nowhere to somewhere is definitely a struggle within itself especially if you have moments of self-doubt. You see other people out there creating this whole brand and you’re struggling to figure out how to build yourself up.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Photography is my favorite pastime and passion however in my professional career I am a teacher. I love teaching and watching my students grow and learn from whatever we are doing in the classroom.
I feel like I am most proud of the moments where I have a student who is struggling and I give them the tools needed in order to see the light bulb turn on. As a teacher, you have to have commitment and understanding that each student is going to learn differently and no matter how you present what you’re teaching you’re giving that student the opportunity to learn from you.
In my school, we have clubs for our students and I loved that I was able to bring in the photography club for my students to have the opportunity to learn more about photography.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk-taking?
I don’t think I’m that much of a risk-taker but I believe that you have to take some risks in order to grow and gain perspective on where you see yourself in life.
I’m definitely not the person that’s going to go and put it all out on the line not knowing if there’s a backup plan behind it. I’m definitely a planner and I’d like to know how my day or week is set up before I ventured outside of that plan.
I would love to be more of a risk-taker, but I also have to think about my family and what I have to do to make sure that everybody is taken care of.
Contact Info:
- Email: kjwirtphotography@gmail.com
- Website: http://www.kjwirtphotography.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kjwirtphotography/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KJWirtPhotography
