Rising Stars: Meet Ksusha Kay

Today, we’d like to introduce you to Ksusha Kay.

Thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Some time ago, while traveling and working remotely in marketing, I started thinking about photographing babies one day. For some reason, however, I had this idea in my head that I had to have my own kids before I could photograph other people’s children for a living. I lived with that thought for years until, one day, I could no longer fight the desire to start creating something for other people. So two years ago I bought my first camera.

At the time I lived in a tiny cottage in a small village about 40 minutes from LA called Sierra Madre where everyone knew too much about their next-door neighbor. Every day on my evening walks I would see the cutest little Chinese girl with her grandparents who spoke zero English and were as friendly and warm as you imagine village people to be.

We would wave at each other and smile, and I was just fascinated with this beautiful little girl who, after some time, started calling me che che, which I later learned meant “sister” in Chinese. So, as soon as I acquired my long-desired possession in the form of a device that could capture the world around me, I offered to take photos of this girl whose name turned out to be Faora.

Somehow, using Google Translate, I explained my intentions to her grandparents, and we agreed on the date and time. Miraculously to me, they showed up with Faora holding both of their hands and, like all children, having no idea of how adorable she was. So I started photographing her. There was no posing, no directing; she was simply running around being her lovely little self, and I took photos.

I adored being around her for that hour among southern Californian trees. She did all the things a two-year-old would do within a span of an hour – she laughed, cried, played hide and seek, smiled, curiously observed me and my camera, hid behind her grandpa’s back, and more than once stared right into my camera. I loved it, and I think from that moment on, I was hooked.

I loved that all I had to do was observe and capture moments. I loved that she didn’t care what she looked like. I loved her innocence. And I loved the honesty of the images that I took. I later found out that it was her second birthday that day, so it made my very first child photoshoot particularly important for the reason of being able to capture a very special moment of that little human’s life. So, after much research and consideration, I decided to specialize in studio baby photography. I rented a small studio in Los Angeles and started photographing babies.

Every time I saw a cute baby in a grocery store or on the street, I would invite the parents for a photoshoot. I made a website, built my portfolio developing my distinct minimalist all-white style (which was inspired by photographers in England and Australia). Very quickly, I started booking paid shoots, and what I discovered was that parents absolutely loved my work. They loved how simple yet profound my style was. They appreciated that the focus was on the baby and their connection rather than the busy artificial prompts that are often used in baby photography.

Fast forward two years, I have moved three studios within two cities and ended up in Denver (LA turned out to be too much for me, so I moved back to Colorado, where I lived before the pandemic). Over the course of these last two years, I have photographed hundreds of children and families and further developed my style. I have been living, breathing, sleeping, and eating with photography on my mind over this time. So, I made enormous progress, and I feel like my work is improving every week.

I specialize in baby’s first year, offering newborn, sitter milestone, and 1st birthday cake smash photoshoots. I also do quite a bit of maternity and family shoots and older baby and child portraits. I am forever grateful to each and every parent who chooses me as their baby/family photographer so I work tirelessly to deliver the best possible results to make sure their special moment is captured as beautifully and honestly as possible.

Alright, let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what challenges have you had to overcome?
My experience has been pretty positive. Not only have I been making very quick progress as a photographer with what seems to be a natural talent for capturing baby portraits and moments of connection within a family, but I’ve also been getting a steady stream of clients almost from the beginning.

I think my style is so unique to the US since it originated in places like England that the moment my parents find me, they decide to hire me right away. I shoot in natural light and bring all focus on the baby in clean, minimalist settings. And I’ve been told that the work I create is not only beautiful but also timeless. I don’t follow trends but rather try to create images that will last for generations to come. So, in terms of my journey as a photographer, I would say it has been pretty smooth.

There are a few things I hadn’t realized, however, when I was getting into this business. First of all, I hadn’t considered the amount of time I would have to spend on my computer picking out and editing images. I also didn’t realize I would have to do all of that inside with as little light as possible to avoid overexposing my images. So I actually end up spending significantly more time in front of my computer rather than shooting, which can be quite exhausting.

Second, I vastly underestimated the amount of work needed to set up a small natural light photography studio. Although I have to admit, I went a little overboard with it – I built an extensive baby and mama wardrobe with pieces from some of my favorite baby clothing brands, ordered neutral wooden toys from England and Spain, and bought and returned dozens of items to finally get exactly the ones I wanted.

As a perfectionist, I simply couldn’t settle for just about anything. I wanted it to be as good as it possibly could be.

And finally, as it is my first time starting my own endeavor, I had no idea how much effort all other aspects of running a business would take. Between shooting, editing, marketing, client management, accounting, and day-to-day operations, I hardly have any time for anything but work right now. I was recently able to hire an assistant to help me with some tasks, and I do see a silver lining with things getting easier over time, but my first two years have been pretty demanding.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a natural baby and family photographer specializing in maternity, newborns, baby’s first year, child portraits, and family photography. My style is minimalist, simple, authentic, and timeless. I strive to create honest images that will last for generations to come, and I always keep the focus on the baby and the parents, trying to catch moments instead of forcing poses and using artificial prompts.

I guess I am known for authentically capturing the personalities of the little ones at different stages of life and the connection between a mother and a child, which I am absolutely fascinated by. I am often told that I make people feel so comfortable that they forget they are at a photoshoot, so they just relax and enjoy the time with their babies.

I am most proud of moments when moms tell me things like, “Oh my God, I am crying! I will cherish these images forever!” when they receive their photos.

I think what sets me apart is my ability to see people beautifully. My friend recently told me, “Moms in your photos look like models.” I guess I can see beauty in every person who gets in front of my camera; that’s why all my baby portraits and baby/mom & family images come out so nice. I am also pretty good at capturing the in-between moments that often tell the most important part of the story.

Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
I grew up in a city, but my grandparents had a small house with a little piece of land in the countryside where I would spend summers with my brother.

My favorite memory is waking up on a chilly rainy morning to the sound of a rooster, the smell of my grandmother’s pancakes, and the thought that no garden work would be asked of me on this day because of the weather. Perhaps that is one of the reasons why, to this day, I am so fond of the rain.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.milkandsoul.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/milkandsoulphotography/