Daily Inspiration: Meet Kelsey Justice

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelsey Justice.

Hi Kelsey, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers.
I have been messing with a camera and a computer for as long as I can remember. I have always had an obsession with photographs. The way prints feel in my hands. The way they instantly bring back that moment in time to your mind. The way you feel when looking at them. Raised in the deep south, I developed a love for capturing people as they are in the life they are living. That has stuck with me throughout my life and career, and I continue to put that as my number one goal when photographing people.

Music has also shaped me in so many ways. You will rarely find me in silence. I have been singing and listening to the music of all genres since I was a baby. In high school, I developed a passion for graphic design as well. My love for music and design led me to Belmont University in 2007 where I earned a degree in Design Communications with a minor in studio art. I studied graphic design, film photography, and fine art painting all four years of college. I started my career in Belmont right after college where I worked in a variety of industries in marketing departments. While working full-time, I continued to photograph weddings, families, and portraits on the weekends, growing my experience and portfolio.

I got to see Nashville boom during those years. East Nashville was just starting to be a fun destination. I saw friends pursuing and thriving in music and art careers. It was all very exciting. But I was missing home. And I needed a big change in my life. So, I moved back to Birmingham, Alabama in 2015 and started a job with a local lifestyle magazine, Birmingham Magazine. It was a dream come true and I learned an endless amount from working there. I met so many people, attended so many fun events, and grew as a designer and photographer immensely. I also continued to do freelance design work for some Nashville companies such as Williamson Medical Center.

In 2016, I met the love of my life (as cheesy and cliché as that sounds), Craig Justice. I honestly never thought I would find that. He is a Marketing Manager for a soccer retail company but is also a killer second shooter for my photography business. We were married a little over a year of dating via an epic elopement on the coast of Ireland. That experience was unbelievable and sparked a new passion in me to capture more weddings and elopements. While working my full-time job, I started capturing more weddings all over the south.

In 2020, Craig and I welcomed a special little girl, Windsor Clare. I have wanted a family for years, so having her meant everything to me. She is now two years old and completely lights up our lives every day.

I moved on to another corporate job that I thought was going to bring me more success, but after being there for four years, I decided it was time to finally start my own business, which is what I have wanted since college. In January 2022, I became an LLC and now get to photograph people and help brands be successful every single day.

It truly is a dream come true. I still have so many ties and relationships in Nashville that brings me back there at least twice a year. Nashville will always hold a piece of my heart.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has most definitely not been a smooth road. I have gone through so many things to get to where I am right now.

To be frank, I have been underpaid for almost every job I have had. I have fought against sexism and biases in the workplace. I have been body shamed in the workplace. I have had male bosses who have been fired for sexual harassment. I have battled depression and anxiety most of my adult life. And now, running two businesses, there are of course stresses about if I will make it.

But regardless of all of this, I remained strong, I rose above, and I learned from every single one of these. They made me who I am and lit a fire in me to create a better world.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I currently own two businesses. Kelsey Justice Photography is a lifestyle photography company that specializes in weddings, elopements, families, and portraits. I have been photographing people since I was very young and shot my first wedding in 2007. I would say my work is known to be authentic, artful, real, and natural. I am most proud when I make people feel comfortable in front of the camera, so I can capture their most cherished memories.

Justice Creative Co. is a full-service marketing agency specializing in graphic design, branding, and social media services. I have a passion for helping people understand the importance of marketing their business and how to implement simple, effective changes.

If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
My parents would say I never met a stranger and am full of life. Ironically, I would identify as an introvert, but I know how to turn on my outgoing side when I need to. For most of my life, I have been told I have a large capacity for compassion and empathy (type 2 enneagram). It is really hard for me to put myself above others, even when I really need to.

Art and music have always been my love since I was very small. Instead of reading books before bed, I would want my mom to sing with me. My dad and I would go to breakfast on Saturday mornings and either be blaring Aretha Franklin or Johnny Cash.

Pricing:

• Wedding packages start at $3100
• Family Packages start at $300
• Design Services start at $150/hour

Contact Info:

• Website: www.kelseyjustice.com | www.justicecreativeco.com
• Instagram: @kelseyjusticephotography | @justicecreativeco
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kelseyjusticephoto

Image Credits
Kelsey Justice