Karyn Clements is a Perth-based wedding photographer who has been capturing love on her camera through her very own small biz, Clements and the Fox, ever since the early 2010s. We recently caught up with Karyn to chat about how she first got started in the industry, her favourite part of being a shutterbug and what she enjoys doing when she’s not behind the camera.

Howdy Karyn! Please tell us a bit about yourself. I live in Perth and have been photographing families, couples and people in love since 2013.

What is your earliest memory of photography? My mum’s own creativity was highly influential in my early life, and she always encouraged my pursuit of the arts. She took photos of me and my sisters all the time and always had them printed, so my sisters and I each had our own photo box of memories from our childhood. I didn’t appreciate how special it was at the time, but having those printed photographs to touch and hold, especially the ones where I look exactly like how my son does now, is very special to me. Thanks, mum!

When did you decide to make photography your career? While studying Film and TV at university I really enjoyed writing and directing. However, it wasn’t until after I graduated when I began assisting a friend and wedding photographer that I started to fall in love with photography. It was never a career I had initially pursued, but it really has been a fulfilling journey. I still get to use my desire for directing and writing in the work that I do, so it feels pretty good.

What camera do you primarily use and why? I started out using a Canon 5D Mark III, Mark IV and a 6D, and now I use the Canon R5 & R6. These mirrorless cameras are a dream to use.

What is your favourite aspect of your job? I have been lucky enough to photograph grief and love in the same photograph. And I say lucky because it’s a privilege to be welcomed into someone’s personal space and for them to feel comfortable enough to be so vulnerable with me. These have been humbling moments. Experiencing my own personal losses has also made me acutely aware of how fleeting every single moment is. So I am plagued with the indecisiveness of whether I should enjoy a moment, or quickly go and grab my camera to capture it. I find the process of photography to be quite emotional.

If you could give some advice to any budding photographers, what would it be? Running a small business requires an insane amount of self-reflection, personal development and growth. Not only do you need the technical abilities to be a photographer, but you need to know how to market yourself, sell with confidence, and manage your cash flow, taxes and GST; all skills I didn’t have before I started. It’s been my greatest challenge, with many soul-crushing moments along the way. Surround yourself with people who care about you and are more experienced than you. Let them guide you, influence you and catch you when you fall.

How does wedding photography differ from other styles of photography? Wedding photography is intense. It requires a consistent, high level of energy across an entire day, and there are usually little to no breaks. It requires a huge amount of preparation in the weeks and days beforehand, that smaller types of shoots don’t. If you are interested in shooting weddings, it will push you to be a better photographer, simply because you need to be good at all the different types of scenes and scenarios across the day, including working with varying lighting scenarios, people, traditions, skin-tones, kids, pets, surprises, dancefloors (or empty dance floors!) You need to know how to shoot in every different setting AND have the confidence to do it AND be charming AND know your shit. It’s a lot.

When you’re not snapping pics, what do you enjoy doing? I love seeing my friends and family, they are the most precious to me and help me fill up my cup. I have some close girlfriends who live all over the world and I feel very, very lucky to be able to video call them. Dinner, jazz, and a glass of wine with my local friends and/or walking to the pub on a Thursday is also pretty special. My son takes up all my love and attention and sometimes we get to go to the beach as a family. I wish we could do it every day.