Founder Interview With Flee Kieselhorst, FotosByFlee
Photo Credit: FotosByFlee
Flee Kieselhorst is the Founder of FotosByFlee, a versatile photography business specializing in portraiture, events, and commercial shoots, including food, products, and real estate. Her mission is to capture the essence of her subjects, bringing out the vibrant energy of their personalities in each photo. Flee’s work is known for its colorful, clean, and playful style, with each image thoughtfully incorporating the environment to add depth and context.
During the interview, we dove into Flee’s inspiring journey from selling her first photos to fund a European trip to becoming a full-time freelance photographer. She shared her passion for capturing personal connections at events, the unique challenges she faced as a Solo Parent By Choice, and how being openly queer influences her business. We also discussed her favorite types of events to photograph, the importance of work-life balance, and her advice for future LGBTQ+ service providers. Let’s jump right in!
Can you walk us through your professional journey and how you got to where you are today?
My grandfather was a professional photographer, so I got my first camera when I was just a small kid. As a young teen, I wanted to take a trip to Europe, and my dad said I could go if I could "get the money." My grandma gave me a $100 loan, which I took to Thrifty, the store before RiteAid and printed around 10 or 15 of my photos. I sold these to my dad’s friends, my grandma's friends, and my teachers at school for about $50 each, even though they were pretty bad. My aunt eventually matched my earnings, helping me reach my target and fund my trip. That’s when I realized you can make money in photography.
When I went to undergrad, I initially chose biochemistry, but after two painful calculus courses, I swapped to a photography major and never looked back. After getting my BA in Photography, I decided to spend another 3 years in college, completing an MFA in Photography, too. I jumped into full-time freelance photography in 2012 and honestly don't feel like I've ever had a "real" job. I get to do what I love everyday and get paid to do it!
Photo Credit: FotosByFlee
What inspired you to offer the services you provide?
I LOVE interacting with people. While I've done a fair amount of photography without much human element (like product, food, and architecture) I find myself continually drawn to events and portraits. The personal connections really fill me up.
One of my favorite types of events to photograph is birthday parties, especially those for older folks. I often shoot milestone birthdays, like 60th, 70th, or 80th celebrations, and they always feel so tender and sweet. Recently, I photographed an 80th birthday where many guests were in wheelchairs and couldn't hear well, but they all got out on the dance floor. It was so sweet.
I also enjoy photographing events where people might feel awkward or out of place. For example, bar mitzvahs with 13-year-old boys who are unsure how to act in front of the lens. I love bringing out their personalities on camera.
What is one of the biggest challenges you have faced in your journey as a service provider, and what did you do to overcome this?
Several years ago I decided to become a Solo Parent By Choice… this means I used a donor to conceive my kiddo while I was unpartnered. Solo Parenting was a conscious decision, not an accidental circumstance, but it still proved to be the biggest change/challenge to my business. I was pregnant in 2020 and a new parent in 2021, so the various challenges of self-employment + event photography + COVID also played a role. I learned several important lessons:
1) Work/Life "balance" actually does matter. Now that I've put some clear boundaries on my time, I'm able to fully dive into the services I provide with more focus than I was able to carve out pre-motherhood.
2) (Some) clients love kids! My kiddo has been coming to photoshoots since 6 weeks old, when it makes sense. At first I was SO NERVOUS about this. Overall my clients think it's a treat, and some even request that P comes along! I never expected clients to be so accepting of my personal circumstances but getting personal is actually what my photography is all about, so wearing the parenthood badge on my sleeve (literally wearing my child on my back, haha) breaks the ice from the start.
3) My community is my support AND my clientele. I've always been part of the queer community. My mom is a lesbian and I'm queer too, so I've always photographed within the LGBTQ+ community and leaned on them for help too, but it wasn't until I had a child that I realized how much I crave being around others that model different identities and different family structures. I'm working on intentionally bolstering the queer presence in my life and work, rather than just stumbling into LGBTQ+ clientele.
Photo Credit: FotosByFlee
If you could give one piece of advice to future LGBTQ+ service providers within your field, what would it be?
Be a good business owner! So many talented photographers, both queer and straight, don't make it because they are pretty terrible at the logistics of business ownership (insurance, taxes, pricing, billing, turnaround time, etc). I run a legitimate business and that has saved me from tricky situations many times. Being good behind a camera helps, but that's a tiny part of what I actually do as a full-time photographer.
How does being openly queer inspire or impact your business?
I have the luxury of living in the SF Bay Area in California, so no one blinks twice about my queerness, or if they do I'm oblivious to it. Being "openly" queer is harder now as a single mom with a toddler… the immediate assumption is that I had a kid accidentally in a het relationship. Single parenthood definitely made me feel more like an invisible queer than an open queer. As a result, I'm WAY more queer-forward now than I used to be. Queerness used to be one part of my identity, something people learned after they learned that I'm a plant person and a big sibling and a women's college grad. Now I introduce my queerness much earlier in any convo, as a way to form community with potential queer clients or pals. This has led to an uptick in work with other queers and I love it so much… working in your own community is just the best.
Photo Credit: FotosByFlee
What brands or services by LGBTQ+ founders are your go-to's and why?
1) Wildfang. To be honest, I can't afford their clothes. But I love them anyway and one day maybe...
2) Chris Pureka. The most beautiful music you've ever heard. I've been following them since the early 2000s when I saw a tiny show in Pittsburgh PA and have now seen Chris play in several states in the past almost 20 years.
3) Marea Goodman/Restore Midwifery. The kindest soul, and they got me pregnant several times! They were the solid rock I needed in years of fertility challenges and miscarriages.
Photo Credit: FotosByFlee
Who is your favorite LGBTQ+ celebrity and why?
I'll go for another musician, Jill Knight. She used to live in my hometown and when I was a toddler and my mom was just a baby queer we used to go see her play at coffee shops. Her concerts were my very early intro to the LGBTQ+ community and her songs have soundtracked my entire life. My mom also used to groom her dog (Woby) and when she came into the shop my kid brain was totally starstruck… like a real celebrity was interacting with me. As an adult, that makes me chuckle. Jill was just a small-time musician trying to eke out a living, but I thought she was a STAR. I recently took my own kiddo to see her play live and while the three of us were getting an after-show selfie I still felt like I was connected to someone famous. Haha.
Can you share one fun fact about yourself?
It is my goal to spend at least 30 nights in a tent in the woods this year. I'm 16 nights in so far.
