Ep. 10 Life in Frames
In the latest episode of our podcast, we spoke with Kezi Husseyin, a gifted family and wedding photographer who's work weaves intimate narratives with the minutiae of her subjects' lives.
Kezi's work is often untraditional, capturing moments others would otherwise overlook. Whether it's a simple family breakfast or things on the floor, there are stories behind these moments.
During our conversation, Kezi shared insights into her creative process, highlighting her penchant for capturing the mess of everyday life. This approach isn't about creating picture-perfect scenes but focuses on authenticity and the beauty of imperfection.
One poignant example Kezi shared involves photographing the remnants of a family breakfast—the crumbs of a croissant, which might seem trivial but hold profound significance within the narrative of daily existence.
"And so those things are what I try and bring through my photography, the ever-changing identity of ourselves, the perspective and is how I'm viewing their story and the appreciation of the small details as well. So, for example, I will always photograph the remnants of breakfast or the wedding breakfast that they've had, like there's crumbs of the croissant or something. Because yeah, those details are the portals, I think to the moment," Kezi explained.
They are not just remnants; they are echoes of lived experiences, snapshots that tell a family's story in ways words don't.
From Social Work to Photography
Kezi's journey into photography was fueled by her desire to continue working with people, a passion she cultivated through her previous career helping vulnerable adults with substance misuse. This transition highlights a fascinating blend of care, empathy, and artistry reflected in her work.
Her photography is not just about capturing images but about understanding and portraying the stories of her subjects with sensitivity and respect.
"From as soon as I left school, I've always wanted to work with people in some way," Kezi said. "And in so many ways, I feel like I've gone in a complete opposite direction in my career and now doing something artistic and creative. But there is such a crossover and it's actually really beautiful to think of it like that because I was working with people in a vulnerable place in their life and I was...part of their story in some way and so I feel like some of those values I've brought through into wanting to capture people's stories."
Engaging with Social Issues Through the Lens
Our discussion also explored how Kezi uses her platform to address and engage with social issues. She views her work as a powerful tool for advocacy, using her camera to document protests and bring attention to causes she believes in. This commitment extends beyond professional boundaries, reflecting her personal values and the impact she hopes to make through her art.
"It became a really fundamental part of my business and me as a person to ensure that I am loud on these things and that my perspective is known," Kezi stated.
This intersection of personal conviction and professional practice defines her brand and aligns her work--ultimately, she enjoys working with clients who share her commitment to authenticity and social justice.
Looking Forward
As we wrapped up the episode, Kezi Husseyin looked ahead to future projects, expressing eagerness to explore more personal and creative portraits, particularly in queer photography.
She also mentioned an upcoming initiative, "Portraits for Palestine," a collaborative project she and I are doing to raise funds for Palestinian aid. If you want to support it, watch our Instagram for more details.
"Life in Frames" isn't just about the photographs Kezi takes—it's about the stories they tell and their impact. It's about viewing life through a lens that captures what is seen and felt, making the invisible visible and the mundane memorable.
Tune in for our latest episode and learn about finding your visual identity.
Don’t forget to hit the subscribe button for more stories and insights from artists, activists, writers, and photographers.
Tom Trevatt
Kezi Husseyin, welcome to Photography Adjacent. This is the final episode of our first season of Photography Adjacent. We do 10 episodes per season. So I don't know if that's fantastic for you or I don't know, maybe it's good that you've got your on the last one. Good finale, season finale of Photography Adjacent. Kezi, it's really, really nice to have you here. Thank you so much for joining us.
Kezi
Well, hopefully it's a good finale.
Thank you for having me.
Tom Trevatt
My pleasure. It's, um, we've known each other for a little while. Uh, you friend, friend of the show, let's say, um, you, for people who follow my Instagram, they may well recognize you because we've done a shoot together and your face appears on my Instagram feed and on my website. Um, which was really fantastic. It was really lovely time to, uh, to work together. Um, you're a photographer, uh, you're a photographer. So tell me a little bit more about the kind of photography that you do.
Kezi
Mm -hmm.
Yeah, I was. I am.
Tom Trevatt
because it's predominantly portraiture, weddings, that kind of thing isn't it?
Kezi
I mean, at the moment, it's probably predominantly family shoots and dipping into portraits. And then I guess the second arm of the business is weddings. But I think probably it's gonna be steering more into portraiture and weddings. Again, still through documentary style and sort of capturing people in what is their space.
their like identity but yeah I think predominantly at the moment it's family stuff documentary style and storytelling but I'm hoping to go more into portraiture and weddings so yeah that's where I'm at at the moment yes London based but we'll travel
Tom Trevatt
And you're London based.
But will travel. Okay, fantastic. So when looking through your, your portfolio, your lovely portfolio of photographs, what strikes me immediately is that you've got a very realized style. You've got an idea of who you are as a photographer. There is definitely a kind of editing style that goes throughout all of your work. And there's a kind of sensitivity there to the, to the clients, to, to them in their own environment. Like you say, it's a kind of documentary style, maybe a kind of like day in the life of, um, rather than the very,
Kezi
Yeah.
Tom Trevatt
cheesy, maybe, posed portraiture that we associate with family photography. How did you reach this point? Because obviously, it's quite a process to get to there, isn't it?
Kezi
Mm -hmm.
I think I'm...
Yeah, I mean, I've never been into photography where it's like, you're all looking at the camera unless it's a very, like, intended pose where you're all looking into the camera and then therefore it's quite classic and traditional, which I love and I always do that in shoots as well. But leading it to be more natural, which a lot of clients will always come and say we don't want the pose ones, we want the natural ones, we want it to be authentic, but.
I think within that there is still an element of posing and still having your voice sort of guiding and leading them. And so what I have found is that the moments that speak the most truth to that person or that family is perhaps after given a direction to them and when that direction has fallen apart and there is a bit of mess, there is a bit of chaos, things don't seem to be going as planned.
there might be like a bit of worrying from them. Maybe they're faffing about with something. That's the moments that are where I'm like clicking away. Movement, it's all about movement. Like, regardless of who I'm shooting and the environment that we're shooting in, movement is really important. It's where there is flow and that energy is, it like really transcends through the photos. So.
Yeah, and also if somebody hasn't been photographed before and perhaps they're feeling like nervous to be in front of a camera, it just allows just just to move, you know, to get the energy flowing and feel less awkward, I think. And I think that sort of does transcend through. So, yeah, and I want it to be authentic to the people that I'm photographing as well. And.
Tom Trevatt
Mm -hmm. Mm -hmm.
Kezi
So it's within those broken moments of forgetting that they're being photographed. That's when their truth is being displayed. So yeah, that's when I'm most active with capturing them. But yeah, it's interesting.
Tom Trevatt
Lovely. And so you're working predominantly with families, so there's kids involved as well. So it gets a little bit wild sometimes, presumably. Yeah.
Kezi
Yeah. Yeah, exactly, which helps, like, bring the wild, I always say, you know, it doesn't, because it doesn't matter if they are playing up or, um...
if things are not going as they had intended, I think it allows the shoot to just to be more a mirror of the daily life. And that's what the goal always is. So, yeah, like my two boys, I've got two boys as well and I know, I know the chaos of home life. And when I'm thinking of photos that I want to have myself, it is the chaos and it is the mess. I will always say to...
keep the mess as well because even if it's just like a dirty cup on the side or the pyjamas on the floor every single piece of the scene is like a portal to that moment because it's ever -changing. So yeah, embrace the chaos and the mess. Yeah.
Tom Trevatt
Lovely. I really liked that approach. And I think it's, it's like, I really want to come back to that in a moment, but let's just zoom out a touch. Let's step back a couple of years in time and you can tell me how, how you got to this position. Like what were you doing before? And like, how long have you been a photographer? What's, what's the story of Kezi?
Kezi
Okay.
This is really interesting and it's something that I've started to think about recently as well because because I've been doing my website, I've been writing about it. So I have always been working with people and prior to being a photographer I was working with vulnerable adults, I was working with people in addiction, I was working with older adults, disability, I was a social worker as well, I went to uni, that's what I did and so...
from as soon as I left school, I've always been wanting to work with people in some way. And in so many ways, I feel like I've gone a complete opposite direction in my career and now doing something artistic and creative. But there is such a crossover and it's actually really beautiful to think of it like that because I was working with people in a vulnerable place in their life and I was...
part of their story in some way and so I feel like some of those values I've brought through into wanting to capture people's stories and it's as well why like I don't always want it to look aesthetic or beautiful because it's meant to be whatever is their life and their identity and it is going to be messy sometimes and not picture perfect and beautiful.
And so yeah, I think those values that I sort of got from the social work world, I want to bring over and bring that through whatever I'm doing. Because yeah, like, I just find people so interesting and everyone's story is different. And yeah, I feel honored to sort of be part of it in some way and capture it.
Tom Trevatt
Absolutely. In a way, it's very, very different to the way that I shoot. I'm very much more kind of, let's get people into a quite, you know, closed environment to sort of, you know, kind of like, like a studio environment, obviously. Whereas you're like, right, I'm going to throw myself into the muck, the kind of muck of people's everyday lives. And that's absolutely fantastic.
Kezi
Yes.
Yeah.
Yeah, but yeah, I mean, I guess it is quite different with some similarities, but I absolutely adore your work. I love it. No, but I think that like your work as well, as much as it is, as you said, like you're closing people off, it's still the authentic self that comes through. And I've been photographed by you as well and it's...
Tom Trevatt
Yeah, thanks. You have to say that. You have to say it.
Kezi
you do similar like when I'm talking or speaking of something that I love that's where the moment is that you're capturing so you know there are similarities as well yeah
Tom Trevatt
Absolutely. Absolutely. In those environments, Kezi, when you're in someone's private space, how, what's the kind of process that you get to, to, to allow them to actually trust you? Because of course, maybe they've, maybe they found you online. They don't know who you are. Maybe you have a phone call or what's the process you go through to, before you get, even get into their, yeah, build trust.
Kezi
Yeah.
Yeah.
Before the shoot? I think a lot of the personality I hope would come through from my voice on my platforms and my website and my work even and so like a lot of the time that people come they will say that they they can tell that I take a natural approach and that my voice isn't like so loud across the imagery because the voice is coming from them.
So I hope that it does speak through the work anyway, why they have been drawn to me. And yeah, I think I take email conversations very...unformally. So I try to just keep it really... just like a friendly chat, like I want to be a friendly person and...
Yeah, we'll always offer if they want to have a phone conversation. Like I had a client one time who was extremely nervous to be in front of a camera. And so we had a phone conversation first and she's gone on to book like five more shoots since where her confidence is like really built up. I think it's also like really important to take a personalized approach to each person. Like it could just be a fairly like almost like a business transaction.
Tom Trevatt
Amazing.
Kezi
or through the inquiry maybe they have poured out a lot of their story already and so I'll like tap into bits of their story to create a rapport and like the similarities between us and stuff so I think before I've even met them I get their vibe and they get my vibe I hope.
Tom Trevatt
I think a lot of, a lot of people have gone from something like social work or some, some kind of care work into photography because they recognize that similarity. Yeah. Yeah. I think there's, I think there's a kind of, I think obviously with care work, you work really incredibly hard and are very, very badly paid for it. And I think what tends to happen is that people get burnt out. So maybe they do sort of 10, 12, 15 years worth of this. And they're like, I, you know, I love helping people. I really want to help people.
Kezi
Yeah.
Have I? Really? Okay, that's interesting.
Hmm.
Mm -hmm. Yeah, for sure.
Tom Trevatt
And then after that period of time, this may well be the same for other kinds of professions as well. But it seems like, Oh, I want to find a way that I can continue to help people, but in an environment that I'm a little bit more like in control of maybe, you know, and photography running your own business certainly is a, is a way to do that. It's the answer. So if you're working with these clients quite closely or being, you know, you're entering into their personal space, into their private space, they trust you and so forth. Like you talk about the idea of there being, leave that cup out, leave the pajamas on the floor, those sorts of things. Why for you is that the kind of an important part of your storytelling process?
Kezi
But I'm lucky.
Mmm.
I think the word storytelling really has become such a buzzword within the industry and I think it's quite a new thing that people are grabbing onto, like clients and photographers. And I feel like there's a real misunderstanding of what the word actually means and how to get that across through sessions and what it looks like on shoot day. So...
Like I love movies and cinematography and I always sort of visualise things as a movie scene. Like image stills from like Fight Club or The Matrix. You have like such an incredible scene where there is a lot of lines from the architecture and then you've got like a really...
intimate moment like right in the centre of it. So I try and always visualise things like this and it's how I view my gallery delivery as well. So from the beginning shot to the end shot I want there to be an actual story being told and in wedding photography like the very first image that they see is going to be possibly the bride getting ready so she's going from
just a girl in her dressing gown, nervous, no makeup, with, you know, possibly there is stuff going on in the background, there's a little bit of chaos, and then all the way to the end image where she's married and possibly a little bit drunk and it's again like a different kind of chaos, but that's how I see it. I do see it like a story from start to finish.
and so yeah like the word storytelling kind of it threw me for a bit because I felt like there was a um something that I'm supposed to achieve from storytelling um but I think honestly it just it is perspective your own perspective as a photographer and your eye and change and identity.
And so those things are what I try and bring through my photography, the ever changing identity of ourselves, the perspective and is how I'm viewing their story and the appreciation of the small details as well. So, for example, I will always photograph like the remnants of breakfast or like the wedding breakfast that they've had, like there's crumbs of the croissant or something.
because yeah, those details are the portals I think at the moment. And yeah.
Tom Trevatt
can really imagine that if you're in a, you know, bridal party, you're there getting ready, there's makeup flying, hair colors, whatever, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. And you're there kind of capturing those little moments, those little kind of intimate moments that actually the way that you actually construct that story is through this kind of description of the environment. So like you say, the crumbs on the table, maybe you've got the hands that are, you know, sort of curling someone's hair, those sorts of things. And in a way it's very important to have.
Kezi
Yeah.
Mm -hmm.
Yeah.
Exactly. Yeah.
Tom Trevatt
those things, not just the sort of, you know, clean image.
Kezi
Exactly, exactly. Yeah. And I think that's really important as well. Like for my presence in the room to not be overpowering. And I'm there to document the things that I'm seeing and every single part of it is important and adds to the story. Whether it is like a really close up detail of the hair shot.
or a complete scene of the chaos that's happening. So yeah, I think it's, and it's always really appreciated afterwards because it's, yes, they've lived it, but it's not how they've seen it. It's not like the small things that are happening. And the day just goes so quickly or the shoot, if it's a family shoot and it's ever changing, it's in a few months time, it's not gonna be like that in their home anymore. There's gonna be different things happening.
And so it's just, it's like clinging onto those moments that soon become so valuable.
Tom Trevatt
Absolutely. And in a way it's, it really is those little moments because what I was thinking about while you're talking was actually that the only reason this is possible is because of digital. Cause if you, if you were a film photographer and of course we do, you know, there are photographers that do come and do these kinds of intimate moments on film photography, but in a way it's like very expensive. Whereas the kind of, you know, the fact that you can come and shoot like 10 photographs of some crumbs.
Kezi
Yeah.
Yeah.
Hahaha!
Tom Trevatt
know, it's unlikely to be something that you can do really on film.
Kezi
No, that's true, that's true. That is true. Yeah, I mean, every shot would be essential for film. Not that crumbs are not essential, they are absolutely. Yeah, no, that's interesting.
Tom Trevatt
Mm hmm. Yeah.
Crumbs are very essential.
Um, in a way that so, but that leads me onto the idea that actually, you know, you're looking at something that you're looking at something in a way that creates, uh, you know, your frame of this creates a kind of cinema cinematic approach to even crumbs. So even the smallest of detail is, is, is worthy of being kind of appreciated and, and savored and kind of is part of the kind of cinema of the day.
Kezi
Yeah, yeah.
Yes.
Tom Trevatt
which I think is really, really lovely because actually we do have a very strong tradition in cinema of the kind of the everyday and presenting those.
Kezi
Well exactly, it's romanticising those small moments that actually make up the big picture and it's like, yeah, just like honing in on those and I think it can be really beautiful and they deserve to be appreciated and brought into the story.
Tom Trevatt
No, absolutely. I think so. I think so. Yeah. And in a way there's something a little bit like it, that's why this is interesting. This kind of relationship between social work and photography, right? It's not just about that kind of connection that you're creating with the client, the trust and the helping and those sorts of things, but precisely in a way it's like, okay, here I am taking care of, you know, sort of.
Kezi
Mmm.
Yeah.
Mmm.
Tom Trevatt
bringing into light the kind of little moments, the little important kind of moments.
Kezi
Yeah, yeah, no, for sure. I want them to be fully seen. That's really, really important to me. It's probably the most important thing about my business. I want everybody to feel valued and seen. And I'm stepping into somebody's home, which is their safe, sacred space. Every single thing within that home, I want to, is important.
Tom Trevatt
Hmm.
Kezi
and I want them to know that through me as well. I want them to see it through me or through the lens. And so, yeah, like little details in people's homes are always like fridge magnets, for example. I love photographing fridge magnets and the way that it's been displayed on that day because that is part of the childhood of their kids or wherever they are in their life.
Tom Trevatt
Yeah.
Kezi
and again it's going to change next month so yeah it's a way of pausing time right there and then.
Tom Trevatt
Absolutely, absolutely. Yeah, in a way like the, the people that book you are the adults, the parents, but the people that will appreciate these photographs the most are probably going to be the kids in like 30 years time. They're going to discover these photographs and be like, Oh my God, I remember that fridge magnet. You know,
Kezi
Yeah.
the generations to come exactly.
Yeah, how cute is that?
Tom Trevatt
It's so lovely. They remember those because actually that's right. They, they, you know, they will be the ones that come back and say, mom, do you remember this, like this, like this color teacup that we had? And mom's like, Oh my God, yeah, we lost that. Or, you know, and it's because of those, those, that kind of memory that created by those little kind of things that we don't actually consider as, you know, they're just kind of incidental things to our lives. But for a kid, it's like, well, these are really, really important kinds of parts of the life. Like,
Kezi
Yes, exactly.
But exactly.
Right.
Tom Trevatt
If my mom serves something up to me in a pot that she used to use when I was a kid, I'm like, oh, I remember that. So I think that's really valuable. That's a really valuable part of it. It's lovely. You've got kids yourself. You've got two little ones. What's life like and running a business like holding down the fort with those two as well?
Kezi
Yeah, yeah, yeah, no it is. Yeah, yeah, I do.
It's chaos, Tom. There's like, honestly, there is no secret to balance. And I think to maintain a balance is a really unrealistic, unachievable expectation to put on yourself. And I think that being aware of feeling unbalanced is just the most important thing that you can do. And...
Tom Trevatt
Mm -hmm.
Kezi
to regularly re -evaluate what's happening in your life and if you're feeling unbalanced is the way that I kind of do it. But yeah, every day is different, every week is different. It's the reality of self -employment as well. Sometimes it's quieter, sometimes it's really busy. How does that then tie into being a parent with...
the expectations on motherhood. So yeah, it definitely goes through waves. And I think that that is just the reality of life at the moment. And yeah, I'm just surrendering to it really. I'm trying. I'm trying. I've just bought a small, like much smaller lens to just have around the house. So I'm gravitating towards picking up my camera a lot more.
Tom Trevatt
Absolutely. Are you documenting their lives as well?
Kezi
yeah I'm definitely behind on editing their photos but it's a forever goal.
Tom Trevatt
Well, they're not paying you, are they? So, you know, you can take all the time in the world. To be very geeky for a second, you just mentioned a lens. So what do you shoot on predominantly? Like what camera system or what lens is?
Kezi
Yes.
Well the lens that I mostly have on my I mean mostly it's 35 and 85 but I have so the new lens I've got is just a 50 nifty 50 which I really love shooting with I really love the 50 and then another new lens I've got is the 70 to 200 which I've been bringing to the protest which all of my protest photos are shot with that lens.
which I absolutely love and I can't wait to use that more in like shoots and stuff. But yeah, predominantly it's the 35 and 85.
Tom Trevatt
Yeah.
and which camera system.
Kezi
Sony a7 III. Yeah, I'm a Sony.
Tom Trevatt
And so, and so we'll get we'll touch on the on the process photography in a second, because I think that actually feeds from the kind of work that you've been doing. But I just want to ask you a little bit more about the sort of your personal engagement with this kind of con with with with what you do as a photographer, because obviously, on your website, you've got the work that you've done for clients, but there's also a lot of personal work on there as well. So there's some self portraiture in various different kinds of stages of your life.
Kezi
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah, for sure.
Tom Trevatt
feels like you're kind of charting or diorizing your life through photography. So in a way you're kind of treating yourself in the same kind of way as those subjects. Yeah.
Kezi
Yes.
It's so important. Self -portraits are so, so important. And I know that you're not exactly asking about self -portraits, but I think it's really important for anybody to do, not just, you know, a photographer, but I think it's a way of like, it's a way of self -therapy. And especially in your darker moments or moments where you're not feeling particularly...
Tom Trevatt
Sure, but I am a bit too.
Kezi
like beautiful to be photographed are the moments that should be captured because when you look back on that in years to come you will see your growth and you will really value the person that you was in that photo. Yeah I am I'm a really big sort of like fan and pushing of self -portraiture I need to do it more actually.
Tom Trevatt
I need to do it a little bit as well. I don't, I don't do it at all. No, of course not. I've tried to, um, I think I'd find, I think I'd find it quite tricky because of the way that I shoot. If I, shooting with manual focus, shooting with very, very low apertures, wide apertures. And yeah, it's something to explore maybe later dates, maybe with.
Kezi
Really? Have you ever, Tom?
Mm -hmm. Okay.
Yeah.
I would love to see it.
Tom Trevatt
I don't know if I would. You mentioned protest photography and both you and I have got quite a lot of protest photography on our Instagram. Certainly for me, it was something that I, when I picked up the camera again in 2020, I was doing a lot of stuff with the BLM marches and all sorts of things, extinction rebellion and so forth. And of course, both of us have documented you to a greater degree than me.
Kezi
Mm -hmm. Mm.
Tom Trevatt
our involvement in the pro -Palestine marches over the last six months. This is clearly something that's very important to you. This is something that's important to me as well. But tell me a little bit about your engagement with the marches, but also your kind of, using photography to think through your engagement with sort of political activism.
Kezi
I mean, I think there was a really, not just for in the photography industry, but anybody in work and their businesses, should I speak on this or should I stay quiet? Should I wait until there is a big wave of it or not? And I think really early on, like even during Black Lives Matter as well, it became a really fundamental part of my business and me as a person to ensure that I am loud on these things and that my...
perspective is known because at the end of the day that's kind of like the connection that I want to be building with the people that I'm working with anyway. And I think it's sort of, I want it to be part of my identity as a brand as well. And it's almost like a grounding and framework for the type of work that I want to be capturing, as it should be in my opinion. Yeah.
Tom Trevatt
And you could very easily make the argument, and I would understand it very well, that you can't care for the person directly in front of you if you can't care for the person on the other side of the world. You know, there are people suffering in great numbers in Palestine. And actually, if you're going to be producing, you know, if you're going to be producing work that is really about care, then that care has also got to spread to people that aren't proximate to you. And, you know, we...
Kezi
Yes.
Yeah.
to extend, yeah. Yeah.
Tom Trevatt
we are living through a time in which care is necessary, not just for Palestinians, but for refugees and all sorts of people around the world. But it is a very, very pressing and important part of that. And I think what's really valuable actually about us, especially you working in this kind of arena and putting this kind of at the front or forefront of your business, is that what it does,
Kezi
Mm -hmm.
Mm -hmm.
Yeah.
Tom Trevatt
is it makes it impossible to ignore. It says something along the lines of we can't have a normal conversation without this kind of having been part of the conversation. We can't ignore it. We can't say business as usual. And, you know, we've actually gone through multiple versions of this in different ways. Like we might say the Me Too movement was a kind of, sort of a part of that kind of, we can't have those conversations business as usual. BLM, another.
Kezi
Hmm.
Mm -hmm.
Mm -hmm. Mm -hmm.
Yeah.
Tom Trevatt
we can't kind of work business as usual. I think the Palestinian cause is very much the same thing. I mean, you know, the Palestinian cause is very much part of the BLM movement in a way as well. So I think that that's vital for your work, actually, like you can't do what you do without it being kind of part of that. It seems a little bit more divorced from what I do. There's something a much more kind of commercial kind of focused in terms of what I do.
Kezi
Mm -hmm.
Yeah.
Tom Trevatt
which I've actually been struggling with in terms of like, how do I talk in these particular registers? I can really see it working with you, but in a way for me, it's like I'm, you know, I also teach, I teach in the politics department. So I teach in an environment in which there's politics is like key and it's constantly happening, but also not, not my particular colleagues in my university, but colleagues in different universities are losing their jobs by speaking out.
Kezi
Yeah.
Tom Trevatt
in the U S especially, um, you know, Jody Dean being a really key example, someone who's just, just, uh, who wrote a very kind of important article about, um, about the Palestinian cause and she lost her job, um, in her, her university. Um, so in, in very, very real ways, it is a, it is a, um, it is dangerous to speak out, uh, especially in the U S I think maybe a slightly less so in this country, but it's not, it's not.
Kezi
Mm.
Tom Trevatt
without its risks. So I think it's very brave to be able to do that. So that's fantastic.
Kezi
Mm -hmm.
But I think that I feel, I do feel like at an advantage because I'm my own person and I am my own business and my business is an extension of me. And so the losses that I could potentially have are risks that I'm willing to take. And actually I don't see it as losses. I see it as I'm reframing the type of people that I want to be working with. And it's like a magnet and...
Tom Trevatt
Yeah.
Kezi
It's not just about speaking politically, which it's not political, it's just caring. But, you know, speaking on things that are potentially provocative for some people, I think it's all part of your brand identity and that does also feed into your ethics and your values as a person.
I think it makes it very obvious and like yeah I don't understand why wouldn't you want that to be part of your brand? Yeah and it doesn't have to be the definition of your business. It's part of your identity so you know like what is, how is your perception of the world?
Tom Trevatt
Hmm.
Kezi
What is your personality? Are you extroverted or introverted? Are you queer? All of these things make up the person that you are and extend to your business and there creates your niche and there creates your target audience. So yeah, that's kind of the way that I perceive it and how I'm just sort of going forward with it.
Tom Trevatt
Mm -hmm.
Yeah. I think it's really important. I think it's, it's very valuable for us to understand those sorts of things about ourselves as business owners and as people, um, you know, about attractive, you know, you're putting out there in the world, kind of like you say magnets, but also like you're putting, you're turning the magnet the other way around and pushing people away that you don't want to work. And you know, you certainly can't, uh, you can't have a business, you can't have a business niche without repelling some people.
Kezi
Yeah. Yeah, for sure.
Mm.
Yeah right exactly.
Mm -hmm. Mm -hmm.
Tom Trevatt
You're not for everybody, you know, we can't, we can't sort of go, Oh, well, I serve everybody. Well, no, actually you can't, you can't do that. Um, so I think it is really important to kind of hold onto our values and present them in a way that is, is true to who we are. So that's, that's really fantastic. Um, Katie, before we wrap up, um, I want to ask you, what does the future hold? What's, what's the next six months, year, two years looking like for you in terms of your photography?
Kezi
Exactly, exactly. Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah.
Oh man, I mean, I'm really hoping to do a lot more weddings. I absolutely love shooting weddings because I think it is just the perfect opportunity for the documentary storytelling style that I was speaking about earlier. I would love to do more creative portraits, but of people in their own environments, whether that is like a small brand or anything really, just...
Tom Trevatt
Hmm.
Kezi
People with a story. One to one portraiture, I'd really love to do more of that. I'd really love to do more queer photography as well. So yeah, I'm gonna be thinking about how to incorporate that very much into my business. And yeah, still, you know, the protests and protest photography very, very much in there as well. And I wanna start selling some of the photos that I've taken for...
like charity profits. So yeah, there are definitely small reachable goals. But yeah, exciting times.
Tom Trevatt
Lovely.
And one thing that you didn't mention is that you and I are working together on a small project which is called Portraits for Palestine. Do you want to tell us more about that?
Kezi
Yeah.
Yes we are. I can't wait, I can't wait for this Tom. I mean it's kind of like everything that we've just spoken about like put together like working with people and how like passionate we are about speaking on world ethics and values. So yeah we're going to be combining our skills and our different eyes on...
capturing some portraits of people that would like to donate to a chosen charity, right?
Tom Trevatt
Absolutely, absolutely. There will be much more information on both of our Instagrams about that coming up, I'm sure of it. Talking of Instagrams and talking of online, where can people find you online? How do they find you?
Kezi
My Instagram page is Kezi Photography so K -E -Z -I photography and the other page which I have is stories by Kezzy that's more wedding portfolio I don't really engage too much on that one but it's it's more just for like the grid and what it looks like and my website is just kezzy photography .co .uk
Tom Trevatt
So, no, that's great. And I love your work and it's one of the things that I notice about your work is this kind of real sense that both on the one hand that it feels cinematic or looks cinematic in one respect, but it also feels very everyday. It's this kind of slight kind of the muck of the everyday, which I really love. But it's also got this kind of sense of there being like a photographer, because it's not just a snap, there's a artistic eye to it.
Kezi
Yeah.
Thank you, Tom. Appreciate that.
Tom Trevatt
And it does feel a little bit close to film photography in that respect. It sort of has a sort of sense that it could be captured on some like older film stock or something like that through a vintage lens or something. So Kezi, it was really lovely having you on the podcast, wrapping up this first season. Is there anything that you wanted to mention or anything you want to promote or shout about or anything like that before we wrap up?
Kezi
I appreciate that.
Yeah.
Thank you.
I mean the portraits that we're going to be doing, I'd really love as many people as possible to come to that. I think it's going to be a really cool day. Hopefully we can do like, you know, back to back and just get as many shots as we can and raise as much as we can. Yeah.
Tom Trevatt
Fantastic. I'm going to do a little bit of a roundup about telling people about that. So essentially what Portraits for Palestine is, is something that Kezi and I decided that we wanted to do, which was a way to raise money for a Palestinian aid charity. We've got a couple in mind, but essentially the idea is that you book a shoot with us, you get a shoot with me, you get a shoot with Kezzie, and all you need to have done is shown that you've donated some money towards one of these charities in order to book a shoot.
It's going to be a much, much shorter shoot than we would normally do so that we can get as many people through the door in one day as possible. Um, and I believe it's the 5th of May, the 5th of May. So, uh, that will be coming up in a couple of weeks and we'll, I'll be shouting about it on my Instagram for sure. As well, you do.
Kezi
Yep.
Tom Trevatt
Fab. Okay. Kezi, thank you so much for joining me. Have a nice afternoon. Bye bye.
Kezi
Thank you. Bye.