Meet Kayla: A Salem-Area Real Estate Photographer

Lightly edited: Filler words, repeated fragments, and obvious transcription
errors have been removed. The speaker’s wording and meaning are otherwise
preserved.

Hey, everyone. I’m Kayla. I am your Salem and surrounding areas real estate photographer, and I am so excited to meet you. Yeah, we’re super, super excited to have Kayla here. So let’s get to know her a little better.

So where are you from? Are you from around here? I am originally from Salem. I spent about four years out in South Dakota from 2021 to 2024, and then I came back. So I am back in Oregon, and I’m really happy because I missed the giant trees in all the mountains.

That’s fair enough. But how did you first get into photography? My photography
journey started with my grandparents’ Olympus camera and a trip to the coast.
There’s a little spot outside of Depoe Bay where I think I took my favorite
photo, and I actually still have a three-by-five print of it on a shelf in my
room. I really started diving into photography in high school at Sprague. I
started doing film photography and found a deep love for developing my own film
and making my own prints. That led to becoming a portrait photographer. I
started my own business in 2015 and have been doing that since.

And now I am working with Realiant, as you know, as a real estate photographer, and I’m really loving it. Yeah, I mean film and portraiture, those are awesome. It’s very different than real estate photography. So what have you liked so far about doing real estate photography? I really enjoy going and just getting to check out the houses before they go on the market. I really enjoy kind of taking it back to just basic principles, you know, because there’s a lot of artistic ability that goes into taking portraits based on time of day, where you’re shooting lenses, all of that.

Real estate photography is more scientific in a way because it’s very
measured. You’re looking for specific angles to make sure the rooms look
accurate. They don’t look blown out and giant, as we’ve all seen in those
wide-angle listing photos. It’s really dialed in and very accurate. There’s a
level of detail that comes with it. That is a big change, and it’s exciting
because it makes you stop and go back to basics, which I really enjoy.

Yeah, absolutely. I like how you mentioned that it’s very precise and almost like scientific. I think that’s how we get the quality that we have and can repeat it no matter what the house is. Right. Because if our process stays the same, then our results will stay the same.

Everything will look nice. It is a lot less creative in a way, and less
personality-filled than our other kinds of photography. But that doesn’t mean
that we’re trying to be further away from the people involved. There are still
plenty of people involved. How important is it to have great interactions with
all of the people we’re working with on a day-to-day basis? Yeah, absolutely.

What’s really cool about having done portrait work with people and having to
navigate relationships is that you still have those relationships. When we’re
working with agents, it’s about making sure that we’re getting the shots they
want for that property. Once the photos are delivered, we want them to be
really happy and receive the exceptional quality they’ve come to expect from
our work.

If homeowners are present, we make sure we’re friendly and helpful. We give
them a rundown on the process because some sellers might be nervous: Is my
house perfect? We’re going to make it look beautiful. We assure them that the
work they’ve done to prepare the house matters, and give them compliments. This
bathroom is stunning. This backyard—oh my gosh, the view is amazing.

I can’t wait to see the sunset. It’s building that relationship. Even though
the photography is scientific, there is a people aspect that makes us really
phenomenal. I think it sets us apart because it’s not just about going in,
taking the photos, and being done. It’s the follow-up. It’s checking with our
agents afterward to make sure they are truly satisfied with the products we’re
providing them. Yeah, absolutely.

I think that’s really key. Like you said, what can set us apart is that it’s
not just transactional. It’s really easy for this business to be in, out, no
words—just do the thing. Like you mentioned with the sellers, if I were selling
a house I had lived in for years, I would be nervous having a random
photographer come in, go through everything in my house, and take all the
pictures. So I do think it’s very important to make those relationships and be
friendly with everybody. It’s beneficial for everyone involved. Yeah, I think
so too.

So away from the real estate photography a little bit, you served in the military for some time. Tell me about how that has sort of shaped your outlook on who you are and everything.

I love that. We’ll talk about the outlook part first. I think the military has
given me a really great piece of resiliency within myself: the ability to adapt
and overcome when things change quickly. It also built a real desire for
structure. I love using checklists, which Realiant is great for because I have
all of the checklists I need to make sure I get everything when I go into a
shoot.

I served in the Oregon Army National Guard for 12 years. Out of those 12
years, I was on active duty for seven, but I was active duty within the state.

I held MOSs—which are my job specialties—ranging from medical to logistics to
maintenance. I was a recovery mechanic for four years. The truck that you saw
was my truck, which I got to drive around Oregon when Humvees would break down,
because it’s inevitable. I got to drive that super-giant truck and honestly
felt like the coolest person alive. It was huge.

It was really fun. But I think I’ve definitely learned a lot of structure and
the ability to be professional even when things are challenging. It’s one of
those professions where you don’t get to just say, “Oh, this job sucks,” and
you kind of have to drive on. I think that has really helped shape me.

That’s awesome. On a more fun note, I’ve heard and seen mention of a rather
horse-sized dog that you may have.

Tell us a little bit about that because I think he’s a pretty big part of your
life.

Yes. I adopted this big boy. That’s Apollo. He’s nine months old. When I got
him, he was the size of probably a large potato and maybe six pounds. Now he’s
about 100 to 110 pounds. He is half King Shepherd, one-quarter Cane Corso, and
one-quarter Rottweiler. So he’s huge. He’s my big boy. He’s a pain. I’m working
on training him right now, and it’s been the most challenging experience I
think I’ve ever had.

I’ve always had dogs that were anywhere from 45 to 75 pounds, and this is the
biggest dog I’ve ever worked with. So he’s truly a horse.

Yeah, elaborate a little on how having a 100-pound puppy affects your life and
what you learn from that.

You really have to be much gentler with a bigger dog because they know they’re
very similar in size to you, and they do not like to be challenged. Especially
with Corsos, you have to train them with loving leadership. You can’t just be a
dictator with your dog.

With a little dog, you can scoop them off the floor and be like, “That’s bad.
Don’t do that,” or whatever it is. No, I cannot scoop him up. I also have to
hide the woodpile from him because he steals six-foot logs out of it when he
wants to. He likes to chew on them and sometimes bring them inside, which is
kind of a pain.

Overall, it’s a huge lesson in patience. This is his first time being a puppy.
He’s never been alive except for the last nine months. So it’s having grace for
the dog, which ultimately, I think, gives him grace for me. It’s a nice little
bond.

I think that was really well said. Let’s end with a fun one. What’s your ideal
weekend? What do you like to do when you’re away from work?

My perfect weekend, I am outdoors with my hands in the dirt—probably pruning,
planting flowers, or mowing my lawn on my riding lawn mower. I love the
outdoors. I enjoy cultivating houseplants, exterior flowers, all of the
different things. So if I am doing anything that I enjoy, it is gardening.
Indoors or outdoors, the weather doesn’t matter. I’m out there. That’s what I’m
doing on my best weekends. When it’s sunny, I’m getting my hands dirty.

Awesome. Well, thank you so much, Kayla.

Of course.

I really appreciate having you here.

Thank you so much. I can’t wait to meet you all.