Most teenagers spend their weekends at the mall or the movies with friends, but for Kailsey Cheves she spends her time running her own business.
Kailsey, 16, started Cree Photography in March. “Cree” being Kailsey’s middle name.
“I have been taking photos my whole life but I started taking photos professionally in January after I got a Canon Rebel T3 for Christmas,” Kailsey said. “It’s fun, I like it.”
Kailsey (Osage/Seneca Cayuga) is a self-taught photographer who started taking photos of friends and family for fun. But, once her mother Heather Cheves realized she had a talent behind the lens, she told Kailsey she should start her own business.
“She is learning and is really good at teaching herself,” Cheves said. “The local photographers are impressed.”
Kailsey doesn’t limit herself to one medium and dabbles in a little bit of everything. Since the starting of her business she has taken an array of portraits from newborns to cheerleaders. She also takes photos of landscapes and scenery.
“I like taking photos of children because they are so happy and I like capturing their happiness on camera,” she said.
Kailsey said she gets a lot of her ideas from simply browsing the Internet and Pinterest, a content sharing website. Not to mention, she has a cousin, Leah Taylor, who is a professional photographer in Colorado.
“Leah is Kailsey’s role model and Leah will send Kailsey ideas whenever she can,” Cheves said.
Kailsey has always been a shy individual but since she started her photography business she has flourished, Cheves added.
“She’s shy but this is changing her and she’s growing up,” Cheves said. “I couldn’t be more proud of her.”
When she’s not taking photos, Kailsey is teaching herself how to edit photos in Adobe Photoshop.
“I just try different tools in Photoshop and if I can’t figure something out then I look up tutorials on YouTube or ask local photographers,” she said.
Recently, Kailsey’s parents have helped her purchase a backdrop and lighting tools.
“We are very supportive of our children,” Cheves said. “We are helping her as much as we can.”
Also, since Kailsey doesn’t have a driver’s license, her mom drives Kailsey to all her photo sessions.
“I not only drive her but I help hold lights or whatever she needs during her photo shoot,” Cheves said. “It’s the only time she gets to boss mom around.”
She does most of her photo sessions on the weekends and occasionally on weekdays after school.
“My parents are awesome and I am glad they are helping me because otherwise I probably wouldn’t have pursued photography,” Kailsey said.
Kailsey is the oldest of six children. Her siblings are Kiean, 13, Kaylor, 8, and triplets Kane, Kayden and Kinlee who are 5.
Her parents are Heather (Osage/Seneca Cayuga) and Aaron Cheves. Her grandparents are Barbara Pease (Osage/Seneca Cayuga), George Pease, Sandy Morris and David and Teresa Cheves.
Kailsey grew up in Fairfax before moving to Pawhuska at age 11. She is a junior at Pawhuska High School and is a photographer for the Pawhuska High School newspaper. Also, she occasionally takes photos for the PHS Yearbook.
She wants to pursue a profession in nursing and keep doing photography on the side.
Kailsey’s grandmother, Barbara Pease is beyond proud of her granddaughter.
“I think my granddaughter is going to be famous someday,” Pease said. “She has an artistic talent that shows through her photos … I can take photos for five months but they will look nothing like Kailsey’s.”
Pease said Kailsey was born talented and is happy to see she wants to do something with her life unlike other kids her age.
“I’m trying to help her thrive and succeed on her own so she doesn’t have to depend on anyone,” Cheves said.
“She’s lucky to have two parents and grandparents who stand behind her,” Pease added.
By
Jacelle Ramon-Sauberan
Original Publish Date: 2012-11-16 00:00:00
