Julia runs Austin Women's Boxing Club, a women-only gym in Austin where real boxing gets taught and the vibe is nothing like a traditional gym. She built it from scratch, coaches there herself, and has spent years creating a space that women actually want to be in.
For a long time, she did what most small business owners do. She figured she could handle the photos herself. She had volunteers, a few aspiring photographers, scheduled shoot days where everybody showed up ready to go. One time the whole gym showed up in black. Another time the lighting was off. Most of the pictures just didn't work. And every attempt cost her more than she'd planned: her time, her staff's time, and then hours more sifting through hundreds of shots looking for the few that were usable.
Then a member who happened to be a professional photographer gave Julia a gift. She came in during a regular class and shot some photos. When Julia saw them she thought, I want this all the time! Unfortunately that member moved away, but that was the moment Julia understood what she'd been missing. Not just better photos, but what it feels like when someone who actually knows what they're doing shows up.
When she finally booked a shoot, she didn't have to think about a thing. No lighting instructions, no dress code to communicate to her members, no prep work. Kitty came by the gym beforehand, took a look at the space, and figured it out. On shoot day she moved through the class without interrupting it, catching women hitting bags, working combinations, and laughing with each other between rounds.
Boxing is a hard sport to photograph. Things move fast, and beginners don't always look polished. That's just the nature of learning something new. Julia noticed that every single woman in those photos looked good. Confident. Like they belonged there. Even the newer members, the ones still finding their form, came out looking exactly like the athletes they're becoming.
On shoot day, Kitty moved through the class without interrupting it, catching women hitting bags, working combinations, and laughing with each other between rounds.
The photos are all over the gym's website now, after a full redesign. They show up on social media, in newsletters, in promotions. Julia's staff member Alex pulls from the library regularly. Sits down to write a newsletter, opens the folder, and picks the one that fits. Every photo in there works. It's just a matter of choosing. That's a very different thing than what she was doing before.
Julia put it simply. She said having a solid library of photos is like finally fixing your roof. You put it off, you work around it, and then one day it's done and you wonder why you waited so long. It just brings peace of mind. You can leave the photography to the professionals and focus on everything else.
She sends referrals now because it's an easy yes.
Kitty does good work, theres no hand holding, and her staff gets their time back. That's worth telling people about.
If you're wondering what professional photos could do for your business, start here: Kitty Bird Photo
