Meet Kailey Cloud | LGBTQ+ activist, Photographer, and College Student

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kailey Cloud and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kailey, what makes you happy? Why?
The people I have in my life currently are the creators of my happiness. My beautiful moms, Stacy and Barbara, are the center of my world and I would not be where I am today without them. They have continuously supported me in everything I do and have helped me build this journey called life. Both of my parents work so hard and I will do everything I possibly can to make them proud. They deserve the world and so much more. My parents are absolutely everything to me and I am forever grateful for them. My friends are incredible human beings and I am so glad I met them when I did. The happiness they bring me is something I have always wished for and I am so grateful to have such beautiful and talented people in my life. They are the type of friends that you see in the movies and can never believe that there are real people like that. Every single one of them works so hard to achieve their goals and I love that I can look up to them. I am so excited to see what we will all accomplish in our years to come. Thank you guys for being the source of my happiness every single day.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
For a few years now, I have been really interested in learning more and more about the different aspects when it comes to photography. I was always extremely excited to see what I could do with my camera, but it took a while for me to feel comfortable enough to reach out to people for models. When the pandemic hit, I was graduating high school and a ton of my fellow graduates wanted pictures in their cap and gowns. That’s when I finally began shooting with real people instead of landscapes and buildings. It was really exciting and I began searching for more and more models. Models came easy and I made so many connections with people who wanted to help me and teach me more about photography like Thomas Jay! Slowly but surely I was shooting with many different people all around the city of Tyler and I began to start building my small business. A ton of people started reaching out to me and I began to figure out my own personal aesthetic with my pictures. The experience I was getting really helped me with my small business and I was growing more and more every day! I was doing birthday shoots, anniversary shoots, graduation shoots, and even got to work with a few companies! This was all happening because of the connections I was making with people all over East Texas and I was receiving so many opportunities that I had to take in order to grow my small business. However, I want to use this platform to inform people about topics that need to be talked about a lot more than they are. My family and I are a part of the LGBTQ+ community so I plan on setting up a photoshoot for Pride month coming up in June! I make sure to stand with the BlackLivesMatter movement because I believe that racial injustice and police brutality is something that needs to continuously be talked about. I’m also a Lakota Sioux Native American and I feel like it is my responsibility to educated people about the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirited People (MMIWG2S) social crisis movement that focuses on keeping Indigenous people safe. Native women are more likely to get kidnapped than any other race or ethnicity. We have lost count of how many Indigenous women have been taken since 2015. I plan on using my platform to continue raising awareness of these communities and movements.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Tyler has such a beautiful downtown area with amazing restaurants and shops. This city Is dedicated to recognizing artists which is such a blessing. I would definitely love to show them the museums and art pieces that are located all over downtown Tyler. The galleria located inside of Plaza Tower on the square is a place to admire the art locals and residents make while also indulging inside the local coffee shops, taprooms, and sweet treat restaurants near the Tower. Tyler is also known for the rose gardens located all around town so that is a must when it comes to visiting Rose City!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I wouldn’t be where I am today without my parents setting an example for me. My mother continued going to school to become a Licensed Vocational Nurse after I was born and still managed a full-time job. Now she’s a full-time home health nurse for pediatric patients in East Texas alongside my other mother who is an Air Force veteran working two jobs in the food industry. They are the hardest workers you will ever meet and I plan on following in their footsteps. I also want to thank the people who consistently helped me with my academic career and granted me the opportunity of working alongside them as a student worker at Tyler Junior College. Their names are Matthew Ramirez, Augusta Robinson, Gaje Wiseman, Emily Mass, Megan Burns, and Jeanie Brookshire. They have each individually taught me so many lessons and I look forward to seeing what more I can learn from them.

Instagram: kaileycloudsphotos

Twitter: kaileycloudss

Facebook: KaileyCloudsPhotos

Other: kailey.cloud snapchat and instagram