Meet Kayla Leitner | Photographer & Model

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

Hi Kayla, what’s the most important lesson your business/career has taught you?
Being in the art industry has taught me a lot about unapologetically exploring the world and inserting myself in it.

While I started out with this sort of crippling anxiety I learned a lot about being confident in my inexperience, until it developed into being confident in myself as a professional. There’s something to be said about people who put themselves out and network with people even when “off the clock”. It used to feel very sales like to throw a casual pitch out in conversation, whereas now I don’t feel like I’m asking something of someone- rather I feel that I am offering a luxury to people. Or I am providing them with information to pursue this luxury if they so choose.

I can say now that I always was offering a luxury however I was unable present it as such when I was younger. The entire ordeal sounds silly to me now but I know when I was younger it almost felt like life and death. At all stages it’s about being self aware, confident in what you know and confidently admitting what you don’t.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Hi, my name is Kayla and I’m a professional photographer and I model in my off time. My biggest theme is stars and the wonders of the earth and space.

As a photographer my creative workflow often starts with a single image, and a backward flow of achieving it.
This started when I was a child, and I haven’t looked back since. I began teaching myself about the subject and it’s workings as a child and have grown into quite a few viewpoints and ideas as I’ve delved further into the career.

Photography doesn’t start and end with the shutter, it takes everything between production, the subjects, the editing, and the interpretation of the viewer.

Being a model is just as much part of the photograph as being behind the camera. As a model I revel in creating art and will always do so. In the contemplating I’ve done I’ve focused a lot on death, and as I’ve grown I’ve found the joy in the opposite being creation, and the middle ground being life. All of which is so exciting and photography in any capacity is the best way I can compose, create, and express.

My latest lesson as a professional was that I as a human can very much fit under the “Just for fun” category. With the skill and experience I have I can take in clients and provide the work they need, and at the end of the day I will always be pursuing what I am passionate about. I aim to go to the stars and back to achieve what I envision, and I’d like people to know they can come along to watch the ride or meet me where my work will end up. It’s quite pompous to assert that it will be somewhere worthwhile, but I am confident enough to say that it will be.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
My favorite places in San Diego have to be the Bayview Park and Renaissance apartments in La Jolla. I am quite sentimental for Coronado as well, and I will always talk highly of Mira Mesa. The PQ trails also were pretty impactful on me, and I’d say if you were to go to a beach it should be Solana.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Before all else my family provided me with the opportunity to discover photography.

From the very start I developed an interest in photography following my dad, watching him and being welcomed to use the cameras he had and my Opa had. Even as a kid I remember them always taking me seriously and discussing photography the way I did with my classmates years later.

My Opa would pull my aside to show me landscape photos he took. He was my first introduction to print photography as far as I remember. He printed calendars every year from photos he would take and with that he also showed me realistic retouching. I’d say he provided a solid foundation for my dad to explore photography which led to me.

My dad not only provided the literal means for my to develop my photography skills but he encouraged and engaged with me every step of the way. We would chat about photos and cameras, which really propelled my understanding as I was learning to be fluent in terminology. Beyond that, most of my favorite photographs I’ve taken remain to be landscapes I took while I was young. I still attribute those entirely to my dad. I used his camera, tripods, lenses, computer, and every physical item necessary to take a photograph. Even more so he knew where the shots were. Being a San Diego baby he brought me to the best locations, and took the time out of his nights to let me go out and shoot.

And yet, still from day one my sister always modeled for me. The very first photo I took in my Opa’s backyard with my dads camera- the photo that I decided was indicative that I would be a photographer was of my sister. From there she just let me dress her up and take photos, never complaining while I know as a kid with adhd I was probably being annoying and always left a mess. As I delve further into modeling I’m finding a lot of my knowledge of posing dates back to when I would photograph her. Between literally just trying things out and being able to observe and photograph a figure similar to me I think a lot of my natural comfort in front of the camera stems from this.

My mom and my best friend keep me sane. Despite the confidence I’ve grown into, I reference back to them whenever I am in doubt. My mom has always been an aid in trying to gage the worth of my work. I remember being a photographer used to seem dreamy- in an unachievable way. I think my mom really helped me find out to make it viable, and she still does.

My best friend chimes in frequently and provides a lot of perspective from a collegue. She does a lot between providing physical space, transportation, and general support when I feel like I’m losing my mind. The best way I can articulate would be that she’s the third eye I never thought I’d have.

While this is already quite long I admit it might be compensating for the lack of verbal appreciation I show those mentioned regarding my work. All of which to say there’s still one more.

My current partner and my best friend are not entirely responsible for my development in modeling but they are responsible for most of it. My innate desire to share my outwardly existing appearance with both of them is essentially what started me on modeling and being an “influencer”. While my best friend assists me in this area my partner has always been the kind of support I need to take myself seriously. He entertains my creative mind, even when it’s a bit broken up and when it’s a bit dark for his taste as well as earnestly supporting me embracing my appearance in modeling. All of the timely care I put into superficial appearances is never berated, only encouraged and celebrated. Without the assurance and encouragement I receive from him I don’t know how much I’d have pursued this avenue of my career.

While I am always grateful to my family for helping me develop, I feel a different appreciation for the two of them as they have absolutely no obligations to me and my career. I take a lot of pride in being mostly self taught, but I find the support I received while teaching myself to be invaluable. I also refuse to neglect my other two sisters. Being one of four, having attention from one parent meant others not having it in that moment. So in all the time I stole my dad and my sister I am always grateful. Even more so, my older sister being an artist provided me with more opportunities to learn and network from a young age. My youngest sister developed into her own art style that I quite enjoy, and being surrounded by art normalized the somewhat unconventional career I’ve taken. So yea, everyone’s pretty stellar.

Website: https://www.kaylaleitnerphotography.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cosmic.k.ayla/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCI6NWJ3GOYXS_bC00M_1Szg

Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@cosmic.kayla?_t=8VNoYUNLvmY&_r=1