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

Hi Makenzie, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Starting my own business was bound to happen eventually. I grew up with an entrepreneur mindset from my duct tape wallet business to selling lemonade at garage sales. I also have ALWAYS loved to make “Youtube” videos, take photos, etc. Naturally, the two worlds collided and here I am at 17 owning my own photography business. To be honest with you, I never ever expected this to blow up the way it did. I started off taking photos for my schools sports teams my sophomore year of high school. I fell in love with the process and was going to every school event possible to take photos. Eventually people started asking me to take photos at their events… then Covid happened. I used this period as a time of growth. I started taking photos of my friends (who were all going into their senior year) to practice on people. They all ended up loving my photos and asked me to take their senior photos. I then came up with Kenzie’s Krew which is a group of 10-14 high school seniors that have 4 styled shoots with me throughout the year!! After that, Kenzie Paige Photography was growing like crazy and I eventually started charging people in October 2020. Seriously so blessed with all of the love and support I have received through the past year and a half!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I think the thing that sets me apart from others the most is my age. I am 17 in a pool of people who are older and more experienced. I used to think that it was a disadvantage, but recently I have come to the conclusion that I can use it as a pro instead of a con. I am learning and making mistakes now, so that in 10 years my business will be almost flawless with plenty of room for growth. I have struggled with finding a balance between being a teenager and owning my own business. While I am still trying to figure it out, I feel that I have gotten better at it. I think that if I had to choose one thing for people to take away from this article about my business would be that I LOVE WHAT I DO!!!! I have the best job… seriously. I always go over time during shoots and I always give back wayyyy too many photos. I love getting to meet every client and get to know them and their story. My favorite part about my job is when my client sends me a text saying that they are so obsessed with their photos and they can’t wait to book again. I love getting to capture their memories.

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.
I would definitely take them to On The Border because their chips and salsa ARE THE BEST!!!!!! I would also take them to Artist Uprising Studios (MY FAVORITE STUDIO) and do a quick photoshoot with them! I would throw in a little trip to the Dallas Zoo because I loveee feeding the giraffes. Recently my favorite store to shop at has been Zara, so of course we would go there too. The sunsets at White Rock Lake are AMAZING so for sure Chick-Fil -A while watching the sunset. Manyyy Starbucks runs in between all of our plans. Specifically for a venti iced white chocolate mocha with NO whipped cream.

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?
My past, current, and future clients. Not only them, but also the people who are constantly supporting me in person, over Instagram, or even through texts. The constant love means the most, and without that I would not be where I am right now.

Website: https://kenziepaigephotography.mypixieset.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kenziepaige.photo/ (@kenziepaige.photo)

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kenziepaige20 (@kenziepaige20)

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutDFW is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.