Today we’d like to introduce you to Kaitlyn Stoddard.
Hi Kaitlyn, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I first fell in love with photography as a kid. I remember receiving my first 35mm point and shooting film camera for Christmas when I was 8. I used to dress up my pets and try to make them pose in front of windows as my “photoshoots.” In high school, we had two levels of photography classes where I learned to develop my own film and print my own photos.
After graduating, I traveled internationally modeling for a period of time, which afforded me the opportunity to work with many creative teams, and also see world-renowned art and architecture. Eventually, I returned to school to get my degree and began dabbling in all different types of art, psychology, and anthropology courses. It was then that I re-discovered my love for photography and in particular the darkroom.
I had some incredible teachers who I am still very close with today, and I credit them with a lot of my success. They challenged me to really figure out the “why” behind my medium, processes, and ideas which is something that translates to my teaching today. Although my degree culminated in a research thesis on the benefits of art therapy in adolescence, I actually started working for a non-profit where I put my photography, design, and art therapy research to use in less traditional ways than expected.
I traveled to Kenya and Uganda where I worked in orphanages in some of the largest slums in the world and implemented art as therapy lessons for kids ages 5 to about 14 or 15. It was eye-opening because many of these kids had never had the chance to hold a crayon or a marker much less a paintbrush or camera. After leaving the non-profit, I began working for myself as both a commercial and fine art photographer.
I did that for about 4 years, before being offered a position to teach high school photography. Since becoming a teacher, I have taken our photography program and grown it from a two-year program to a four-year program progressing from Photo I to AP 2D Design.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There have definitely been ups and downs!
Working for yourself or starting a business requires a lot of guts, determination, and hard work. It can definitely be scary at times, and you must have faith that you and your product are worth the investment on top of the practical challenges such as; determining a business model, accounting, how your packages are structured, etc. Above all that, I would say work/life balance was my biggest challenge when starting my business.
Regarding teaching – there has been nothing easy about it. Ha! In my first year, I was writing a curriculum basically from scratch and managing a darkroom while also making sure it was EPA and OSHA compliant. My second year, Covid hit halfway through the year so I had to take all of the curriculums I had just written which incorporated using a darkroom and having an art room and making them compatible for online learning.
It was tough, but it really made everyone realize how much we valued working in person. My third year had its own challenges with Covid because our students had the option to be online or in person. So I was adjusting curriculums to be compatible with each group of students. On top of that, I had recently gone through Advanced Placement training with College Board, and it was my first year working with students who were submitting portfolios for college credit.
This year has been no exception either, although I am thankful we are all back in person. It changes every day. So there have definitely been challenges, but I love teaching so it is worth it.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a photographer, and while I shoot commercial photography, fine art photography is my passion. I’m also a high school teacher, and Director of Creative Media and handle creative projects and marketing for my school.
I am known for my abstract photography work, particularly photographs that address eating disorders and body image. I’m also an avid equestrian so horses are often incorporated in my work as well as travel – my husband and I love traveling. I am probably most proud of my “Intimate” series, that I created as I was recovering from an eating disorder. I am also particularly proud of a piece called “The Measurements Don’t Add Up,” which was featured at The Center for Fine Art Photography where Kristy Havranek, Director of Photography at Huffington Post, was the juror.
On top of that, I am really very proud of what my students have accomplished. So many of them have one Regional and National Award in the Scholastic Art and Writing Competition, which is the most prestigious student art show in the country. One of my students even won a Gold Key at the National level, and her work was exhibited in Manhattan.
It is really amazing to watch them grow technically and conceptually, and some of their work addresses really hard topics such as immigration, environmentalism, women’s rights specifically when it comes to education. Many of them are very self-aware and informed on pop culture and current events on a global scale.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
I would say my work ethic has been a very big determining factor, but above all, I think my ability to adapt, be flexible, and go with the flow has allowed me to find success across different platforms and paths. I frequently joke at school that my motto in life is “I don’t know, but we will figure it out. We always do.”
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kstoddardphoto.com
- Instagram: @kaitlynstoddard
