August 2026 AIR: KAYLA REEFER
Hi there Kayla! Excited to have such an avid user of the lab in for the Residency. Let’s jump in - you describe the main themes of your work as identity, intimacy, and community, through documentation and photography how is trust built between you and your subjects?
Hi there! Thank you! I’m incredibly excited to hop in the lab. Over the years I’ve grown to understand that this practice, photography, is a collaborative exchange. I think the trust is built there, on the foundation of the responsibility I hold as a photographer. So as the person who is carrying the camera, I’m not entitled to a moment or someone’s essence, but I am responsible for documenting things as truthfully and authentically as they exist. As the sitter i.e. the person in front of the camera, I think their part of the exchange is being present, sharing as much of themselves as they feel safe to, and being open to the process. The beauties and the blunders that come along with it. There’s no entitlement in this practice, or at least there shouldn’t be. So to me, great images come from trust established, given, and received on both ends.
Sincerity and sensitivity are so present in your practice. How do you cultivate those elements?
Well, without sounding too mawkish, I’m sincere and sensitive, so naturally those elements are cultivated in my practice because they are present in me. I’m always mindful of how people feel in front of my camera. Ironically enough, I’m uncomfortable being photographed, so I recognize the vulnerability folks may feel. I emphasize the importance of them feeling like their truest selves, being comfortable, I take time for pauses, make space for lighthearted moments, and to genuinely get to know them, I’ll try and ask some grounding questions along the way.
How does motion and stillness oscillate in your practice?
Hmm, I’m a lover of film, storytelling, and true sentimental moments. I tend to approach photography as though each photograph I make is a still from a movie. And vice versa, in moments when I’m filmmaking I want each scene to hold weight on its own as a photograph. Holding that balance, that’s where the oscillation comes from.
What role does experimentation play in your work?
Honestly, I feel like none at the moment which is why I’m so eager for this residency because it’ll allow me some concentrated time and space to play. I used to experiment at the beginning when I first started this journey and then over time things became so goal oriented. The work had to look a certain way to fit in certain places and I think that took me out of the practice of play. I’d like to bring myself back to the era where I was simply trying things, seeing what felt good to me. Fingers crossed something that feels very specifically me comes out of this month-long period of incubation.
What keeps you inspired?
Lately, it’s seeing other artists in their element, especially the artists in my life. I get a lot of joy witnessing my friends talk about their craft and how they follow through in pursuit of it. I’m inspired by seeing them move in alignment and it makes me want to do the same.