After having four of her own, Karyn Flett has discovered the indescribable beauty of children
KARYN FLETT IS TRULY captivating. Using the lens the
Waikato-based photographer is serving her community by offering free sessions for terminally-ill children and their families. Karyn came to photography in a 'typical' way … aspiring
photographer in her youth, a subdued stint in an office for nearly a decade (all the while feeding her passion, taking photos of her growing brood) and finally throwing herself into it totally to learn everything she could. "When I had the first two [children] I had a nice camera
and always enjoyed taking pictures of them, but it wasn't until a friend was getting married and didn't have a photographer and I offered to take some pictures for her that I thought about making a go of this. I studied all these shots and planned out exactly what I was going to do and the photos didn't turn out too bad at all. "My interest became my addiction, as I slowly gained
more knowledge and subjected my camera phobic kids to hours of practice." Friends and friends-of-friends quickly caught on to
Karyn's blossoming talent and before long bookings for her services were rolling in. With very little planning and the encouragement of
many admirers, Karyn transformed from snap happy amateur to professional photographer, although her dream career didn't come without its share of road bumps. "I didn't go in with a proper business plan so was
constantly overhauling my pricing to ensure I wasn't working all these long hours at a loss. If I was to do it all again I would establish my prices from the outset instead of having the 'build it and they'll come' mentality." For the past eight years 'the girl no one thought would
Lens
turn country' has based herself and her business between Te Awamutu and Otorohanga with her dairy farmer husband, Craig and four children; Jacob, 15, Sophie, 12, Joshua, 7 and Blake, 4. After the birth of her fourth child Karyn decided
newborn photography would be her point of expertise. "I love babies. I guess that's why I've had four of them.
If I wasn't doing this I'd be a midwife. "Having had four of my own I've acquired a skill for
making children relaxed and naturally happy-looking for photos. I think it's because that's how I am. I'm
HER MAGAZINE | December/January 2012 | 103
Karyn Flett Photography
