Kaitlyn Joyner is a teen sensation with her photography. Being one of the smaller accounts on Instagram doesn't stop her from sharing her massive talent with people online! Her photos bring a sense of serenity and tranquility that we usually don't find in our daily routines filled with hustle and bustle. She spreads her kindness through comments on Instagram that instantly make people feel much better about life itself.
Kaitlyn's use of landscapes and nature bring about a person's love, hidden or blatant, for the things in our world. She makes her audience remember to stop rushing, to slow down, and look at the beauty around them that they would otherwise miss. Kaitlyn's photography is elegant in its simplicity and refreshing from the constant stream of urban life.
Where do you draw your inspiration from?
My inspiration is mainly derived from nature
and people. The passion of other people and the passions I have set alight
within myself are my main muses (however odd it seems, given I am usually a
nature photographer.) Inspiration can be found wherever you look, if you look
hard enough. Being an author, musician, and photographer means I'm constantly
searching for things that make me want to create. That also means I have to
subject myself to all sorts of environments and emotions in order to get the
best, most diverse results.
When and how did you first start doing photography?
My dad has been the family photographer ever since I was born - it was his side hobby. When I was little, maybe seven years old, he gave me a cheap, plastic, pink digital camera. Ever since then, I've never been able to go anywhere without a camera in my hands. At first I was unsure of myself, trying to mimic my fathers actions, but I soon learned we found very different things worthy of capturing. There are many memories that linger of trekking in the woods behind my house in a futile attempt to take artistic photos. I have these old photo albums of blurry pictures I took when I was young - they're horrible, but it's mind blowing to look back on them to see how much I've grown. I take comfort in knowing that when I'm eighteen, I will look back at the photos I'm taking now at age fourteen, and see how I've developed. Sort of like knowing I have the rest of my life to delve deeper into my art. Back when I was seven, photography wasn't a passion yet, but it flourished and came to be one (with time, experience, and travels, of course.)
What is your favorite 90s movie?
I haven't watched any 90's movies lately.....you've intrigued me, I think I'll go watch one. Probably Forrest Gump. It demonstrates how anyone can love anyone, it's a classic, and I adore how it defies what characteristics movies usually portray in the protagonist.
What do you want to be when you grow up?
I'd like to be a photojournalist, most definitely. Recently I mentioned this to a friend, and she said that it was the perfect job for me. She talked of how she could see me developing the photos I took and leaving notes on the back of them for foreign friends as I adventured. Meeting new people and traveling is a dream come true. I don't want to settle down, so that's not a problem - there are so many things that I want to do. My soul has an abundance energy; I'm just getting started right now. No other job would suit me better, and at this point, it's the only thing I can see myself doing.
What do you want to say to young artists out there who are still trying to find themselves?
Art is a growing and changing thing. Never hold yourself to one way of doing things. Try all different forms of art, even if you "suck". Don't let other individual's talent discourage you; find possibilities everywhere. Day to day, what your hands and mind create will differ. Don't ever think for one second that you need to find "your style" and stick to it. Your style does not exist. As people, we grow and change, and our art changes with it.
Here is a sample of Kaitlyn's beautiful work:
The dragonfly kept
moving as I attempted to take this photo; there are 30 pictures in a row of
this tiny blue creature. This required crouching uncomfortably in tall grasses
of a windy field. I finally captured it in a state of rest. Patience is always
necessary within a wild passion that seems impossible to tame. This
demonstrates how patience pays off, but work is necessary to see it through. My
love for nature is widely shown through the things that I photograph.
This photograph has
incredible significance to me. I took it as my best friend looked out upon a
lake. She was so full of wonder and raw emotion that it was unable to be fully
captured in a photo. However, I think this picture demonstrates the natural and
harmonic ways that life tends to unfold. Her hair is askew, branches obstruct
the view, and she isn't even aware of me taking her photo. I could not have
asked for a more breathtaking moment. A lot of times, we are so busy looking
for pristine lines and conformity that we forget to appreciate clutter and
chaos that is most commonly blatant. As a photographer, I have always been
drawn to scenes that are often labeled as distasteful or unphotogenic. The word
does not exist in my vocabulary.
I would like to let
this photo speak for itself. I was inside a slick rock cave about twenty feet
above the water, attempting not to slip. I was speechless at the way the ferns
grew up the walls and floors, acting like a wallpaper, catching stray sunlight.
Sometimes, there are no words, and there doesn't ever have to be. Never dull
down a moment and reduce it to words that do not apply.
This photo pulls my
heart strings and reminds me of all the places I've gone because of my
passions. Tapping into what I love has allowed me to expand upon horizons I
never knew existed. This photo of the Rocky Mountains exemplifies all the paths
I've not yet taken, and reminds me that uncharted territories are meant to be
explored with care and regards to mother nature. The world is not a possession,
but a privilege. Tread lightly and do not forget the steps of those before you,
as well as those who helped to show you the way.
Follow Kaitlyn on Instagram to see more of her marvelous work: @km.ej
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