Recently named a Sony Artisan of Imagery, Kesha Lambert is a wedding and portrait photographer based in New York. She’s been in the WPPI circuit for a while, having spoken about how to set and exceed client expectations earlier this year, and we knew we wanted to sit down with her to get her perspective on her craft and how it fits within the photo industry as it stands today.

1. How are you positioning your photography business and brand within the current Black Lives Matter movement? Is that something that you feel a business in the service industry can naturally respond to?

I believe any business with a platform, large or small, is positioned to respond. One of the ways that people, a business or brand can naturally respond is by dismantling intrinsic bias—doing the work to unlearn the internal and sometimes nuanced assumptions being made about an entire group of people based on skin color.

[Read: You Can Confront Racism and Implicit Biases—But Can You Unlearn Them?]

This part is important because those assumptions result in disenfranchisement and can be life-threatening. Another way to respond is by looking internally to see if your brand is inclusive in its voice, its presence, the opportunities it offers and business relationships it maintains. Supporting individuals and organizations that are doing the work is yet another way to naturally respond.

[Read: These Social Platforms Make Diverse Photographers More Visible]

2. Where’s a good place for people to start?

It could mean something as simple as buying a product, using a service or sharing information about that person or organization on your platform.  

3. What do you feel is a key point coming out of this movement that people and perhaps brands in particular are not fully grasping?

Black Lives Matter. Those words and the principles underlying them are not political. If, as a brand, saying that black lives matter triggers debate, rebuttal or anger, it is not because your brand took a political stance; it’s because those that are angered disagree with those three words. Believing that the lives of black people matter should not be a point of controversy.

[Read: 3 Ways Photographers Can Market For a New Reality]

4. In addition to photography, you’ve also practiced law. What kind of law is that, and do you find yourself applying it to your work as a photographer?

I’ve practiced in the areas of commercial litigation and antitrust litigation. I also worked for an investment bank in the anti-money laundering compliance group. I do believe the skill set and mindset that I developed from my years working in a legal field has served me well when it comes to client management and business operations in general.

[Read our 10 Questions interview with Pye Jirsa, the SLR Lounge founder, photographer and lighting legend.]

5. What’s the most surprising thing to come out of the pandemic and self-isolation for you?

The most surprising thing was that so many of the things that I thought were urgent, the things that had to be done or else, the things that made it impossible for me to sleep unless I got them done—those things could wait. It was okay. 

[Read: Photographers, Beware the Productivity Hustle—Especially in Isolation]

6. What’s the most memorable photo you’ve taken?

The most memorable photo for me right now is personal: It’s a photo of one of my sons jumping with his nose pinched into the pool. We were on vacation with the entire family and it was our first time seeing St. Martin. That photo just warms my heart. 

7. Where did your love of hats come from, and what’s your favorite?

I love hats because they’re a fun addition to any look. This all started for practical reasons—it was a cool way to disguise a struggle hair day. Now it’s a full-blown obsession. My number one favorite hat right now is my black wide-brim bolero hat. I’ve replaced it twice and wear it often.

[In this edition of 10 Questions, get to know photographer and entrepreneur Daniel Kudish, who speaks on how he’s diversifying business.]

8. What is something that few people know about you?

I can give a decent haircut. Admittedly, my only “clients” are my sons, and on occasion my husband—but only if he’s in a bind. Another thing that people don’t always realize about me is that my disposition is really calm. People have expressed surprise after spending time with me about how completely even-tempered and chill I am, even in the midst of high energy or chaos.

9. What’s your secret to taking a killer group photo?

Observation. Beautiful light and a great setting are components of a killer group shot, but the people, the willing participants, are the secret ingredient. So the moment I show up on the wedding day, my crash course on the group dynamics begins. The group chemistry, their style, their relationships with each other, the things that they say to each other, the individual personalities are all full of clues and inspiration. 

[Read: Reimagining the Aesthetics and Logistics of Formal Family Wedding Portraits]

10. What words of wisdom would you impart on your younger self if you could?

There are achievements you’ll aspire to, and in pursuit of those goals, there will be a few disappointments and missteps along the way that will feed doubt. Give yourself grace, find the lesson you can take away from each experience and push through those tough parts. There is something good on the other side of that experience if you just push through. There is a win, there is perspective, there is preparedness and there are new tools in your arsenal on the other side of those missteps. There is ultimately a better version of you. You just can’t see it yet.