Inspiring Conversations with Portia Kohls of Truly Grace Photography

Today we’d like to introduce you to Portia Kohls. 

Hi Portia, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I always had an interest in photography since I was a little girl following my mom around to her photoshoots. She was diagnosed with a rare form of multiple sclerosis which partially took her vision, so she had to stop her photography business. I was inspired by her and wanted to carry on her beautiful vision as a photographer. I first picked up a camera my freshman year of high school. I would take pictures of friends, sports games, and other high school events just for fun. I was constantly practicing, watching videos, reading books, and following other photographers to learn all about the art of photography. As I grew, I discovered my passion for wedding photography, especially elopements. I love to travel and have been a major adventurer since I was a little girl. I have also grown up watching every Nicholas Sparks movie, so I am a bit of a hopeless romantic, so being a wedding photographer was meant for me. I booked my first wedding in my junior year of high school and totally fell in love. I officially opened my business shortly after. I began to niche down to a destination wedding and elopement photographer and participated in a photography workshop in California with Grit Education, which gave me a huge jumpstart into the wedding industry. Now, I am currently a senior in high school and have booked several weddings, including an elopement, and I still love to shoot senior sessions. 

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?
I began niching down to being a wedding photographer right before Covid, so it was very difficult to get a good start when all weddings were being canceled. I had to take it slow the first year and often was a second shooter for smaller weddings to gain experience. I am still thankful for this time because it helped me perfect my editing style and market my brand for more weddings in the future. My age has also been a bit of a stumbling block because some people would not take me seriously at first. I quickly gained respect for my business as people saw my work and my passion for my work. Honestly, now I feel like my age gives me a bit of an advantage because I bring a fresh and young vibe to my wedding and senior clients, making both my photos and poses young and stylish. 

As you know, we’re big fans of Truly Grace Photography. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
If I could choose three adjectives that describe me and my business best, I would choose adventurous, personal, and passionate. I live to travel and try new things. I have tried a little bit of everything, but some of my favorite hobbies include longboarding, surfing, skiing, and hiking! I am passionate about seeing and protecting the world. I started photography when I was 16 and I immediately fell in love. Two years later, I now have my own wedding photography business and I am SO thankful. Being a younger wedding and destination photographer has been a huge help and has set me and my business apart from others as I have a unique insight into creative, unique, and trendy ways to capture my client’s day. I love to be my client’s best friend and I want to make their wedding day exciting, fun, adventurous, and a stand-out memory for them and their guests. It is so important to me that I have a relationship with my client because who wants such a HUGE day captured by some stranger?! I specialize in weddings, destination weddings, and elopements, but I still do senior sessions because I love building confidence in young adults and teens. I am most proud of the lifelong relationships and adventure my brand offers. 

If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
The quality that has been most important to my success is my passion which inspires a hard work ethic. My whole life, I have put all of my efforts into everything whether it was school, sports, my business, etc. I am willing to work hard to make things I am passionate about happen. I have always been passionate about photography, so I spent hours watching, practicing, and learning so I could create a photography business in high school. I have always been passionate about travel and adventure so I began to market myself as an elopement and destination photographer. I began learning the best places to travel and how to take care of the world around me. I have explored several national parks in order to supply my clients with the best knowledge of elopement locations and the process that goes into it. My passion for adventure has led me to spend hours on the slopes or taking surf trips to California. I continue to pursue and work hard for my passions and it reflects in the success of my business. 

Pricing:

• Senior Session: $215
• Basic Wedding Package: $1800
• Essential Wedding Package: $2150
• Deluxe Wedding Package: $2670
• Elopement: $1500 + travel expenses

Contact Info:

• Email: trulygracepics@gmail.com
• Website: https://truly-grace-photography.showit.site/#cincinnati-wedding-and-elopement-photographer
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trulygracephotography/?hl=en

Image Credits
Truly Grace Photography