Today we’d like to introduce you to Kyle Gordon.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I always loved art growing up, and I have wanted to be an artist ever since I can remember, but I never really found my niche or a particular art form I excelled at… I was just a little good at them all. Around 2010, I somehow talked a church into hiring me as their creative artist… a job I basically made up that entailed doing whatever creative work they asked me to do. One day, they asked me to make a video… a video I am sure was awful, but from that moment forward, I was hooked. I finally found my calling in art; a camera in my hand felt better than any pencil or paintbrush ever could. So I started making lots of videos, and that became my primary role at the church. I soon found myself making videos for people outside the church as well, dabbling in commercials and music videos, but I eventually became primarily a wedding videographer. I went full-time as a media company in 2019, with my primary focus being on video, but I would also take pictures if asked. I didn’t consider myself a photographer until 2023, when we opened up Best Dad Studios. I started focusing on portrait photography and felt that fire again, just like when I first picked up a camera. Today, I consider myself equal parts photographer and videographer.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It hasn’t always been a smooth road working in the media industry. But in the beginning, it sorta was. I was following my passion and making art. It wasn’t until I went full-time that I also ran into my first set of significant hurdles. I was primarily a wedding videographer, having my biggest season of my career… but I was also going through a divorce. Shooting weddings every weekend while your marriage is coming to an end was challenging. To add to the hardship, about half of the weddings I was contracted to work with my ex-wife. I had to start moving away from weddings and started focusing more on small businesses and music artists. Then the following year, COVID happened… messing up every event I had scheduled and stopping most of my work. I had to pivot again. I completely left the wedding industry and shifted how I was shooting content. Learning portrait photography was also a struggle. I actually invested in a mentor to help me learn strobe lighting and editing. But today, our biggest struggle, like many businesses, is acquiring new clients.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I would consider myself a portrait photographer and videographer specializing in a more documentary style. I am known for being authentic and raw in my work. I don’t over-polish or over-edit, I prefer handheld over gimbals, and I want my subjects to show up 100% as themselves. Since going full-time, my life has been pretty wild, with ups and downs and everything in between. I have traveled the world creating content, worked with many notable clients, and even won a few awards, but what I am most proud of is helping others show up and tell their stories. We have been able to work with countless individuals who have never been in front of a camera or never thought they would be able to share their story. It’s a beautiful thing to watch someone open up, possibly for the first time, and share what’s on their heart or what makes them light up. This applies to both video and photo work.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
My family makes me happiest of all. I have the privilege of working with my partner in life as business partners, and our studio and offices are in our backyard. Family is ingrained in everything that we do, and family literally saved my life. My company’s name is Best Dad Media, named after the hat I wear almost daily now for the last eight or so years… the hat that’s a daily reminder to me to be the best dad and best me that I can be.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://bestdadmedia.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kylegordon18/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BestDadMedia
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bestdadmedia/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Bestdadmedia
