Who is Kayla & What is KCP
Hi there!
Welcome to one of the many exciting things to come in 2026 at Kayla Colwell Photography. Starting this year, each month a new blog post will be released talking about anything and everything KCP. To start, let’s get to know the woman behind the camera and the business I’ve created.
I’m Kayla Colwell McGee. I grew up in a small little town in northern Illinois. (Shout out to Franklin Grove) My dad was a farmer so I literally grew up in the middle of the corn field for half of my childhood. Perks of a small town, it’s pretty easy to be involved in a lot of things. In high school, I was a 12 sport athlete, playing volleyball, basketball and softball. I was involved in Girl Scouts, earning my Bronze, Silver and Gold Award.
My passion for photography started at a pretty young age. I remember being excited for vacations and my weeks at Girl Scout camp because I would get a disposable film camera to document the trip. It was always such a joy to get the developed photos back. I received my first DSLR (Canon Rebel T3i) when I was 16 and never looked back. My first big dive into the photography world was on a Girl Scout Destination trip out to Yosemite where I was taught all the foundations of photography. After that, my camera went most places with me, continuing to build skills.
Enjoy some early KCP photos from that Girl Scout trip.
Despite the passion for photography, it wasn’t initially my goal for a career. I came down to Saint Louis to major in Communication with a focus in Advertising with the goal of landing something creative to utilize my video and photo skills. After 5 years in marketing, I was laid off. I decided it was time to pursue an idea I had been tinkering with, making a photography business real. Over the years, I had been asked to do a few sessions, mostly senior and family sessions. I even second shot for a wedding or two. At the time, it seemed like too impossible of a thing to me, run a photography business that was enough that didn’t revolve around capturing weddings. I enjoyed my second shooter experiences at weddings, but quickly realized that wouldn’t be my niche.
However, as I had those other photo sessions, I realized how much I enjoyed it and more than I was enjoying my marketing jobs. A tiny voice was wondering, “Could I make this happen? Is there a world where this works?” Then, I discovered newborn photography and quickly fell in love. From there, it fell into place how I could make this happen and function for the future I wanted and hoped for. From there, Kayla Colwell Photography was born.
From the first newborn sessions to the most recent newborn sessions… the difference a few years can make.
So KCP, what’s the point? What’s the goal?
Ultimately, I want to help you capture those big moments in your life, those sparks where life is happening. These moments that you want to remember. Life can move fast so it’s important to capture those moments before they are gone. At the end of the day, these photos are a way to freeze time and hold on to those little hands, tender moments, the frames that mean the most to you. I want to make this process easy for you. Life can be hard enough, getting photos shouldn’t be. I aim to make the process as stress free as possible. I want to make shoots fun. Yes, we will do some posed photos, but we also will do photos that are more candid and capture personalities. I’m here for every step of the process and questions you may have. Overall, my goal is to create amazing photos you love in a process that makes it as easy and fun as possible. Give me those babies to create snuggly, timeless photos, those toddlers that even when it seems like we won’t be getting good photos, but with a little magic, we still get those moments. Give me the families in any phase to capture those tender moments. Give me those seniors ready to capture those final chapter moments before discovering what’s next. I love it all, all those moments in life. They are all important and worthy of freezing that moment in time.
Outside of building this business that I’m excited to share with you, nowadays, life looks a bit different from that small town life in Franklin Grove. I’m now based in Collinsville, IL with my husband and 2 pets. I’m a proud Auntie and love spending time with my four niblings. I’ve always been a big book worm. Right now, thrillers and fantasy have my attention. Shout out to Riley Sager and Freida McFadden. My Nintendo Switch also helps me unwind. Give me Mario and Link and my favorite indie games, Hollow Knight and Dave the Diver. Ultimately, I’m just over here trying to live life the best I can while creating an intentional life I love that supports the ones I love. I hope you join along the ride, as KCP is a big part of that. ❤️