“I don’t think women should be afraid of showing their true selves. When we have the space to be who we really are, and we are not afraid, we flourish. I hope that someday we can shape our society so that women don’t ever think twice about their appearance or behavior – we have the right to act however we please.”

Kayla Varley is an American fashion, lifestyle and beauty photographer and director who is currently based in Los Angeles after moving from Bakersfield where she was born. Varley started her photographic journey at the age of 13 when she was given a tiny camera which she used to document her teenage life. Varley worked to develop her style even though she was restricted in options for creative outlets in her small town. In 2010 she moved to LA where she attended an Art Center College of Design. This also became the place where she began her professional photography. Varley’s recent work focuses a lot on fashion, beauty, lifestyle and motion. Her work explores the intimacy and connection with other people and looking in on emotions through colour, expression and kinetic movement. Varley’s work focuses on finding the joy in the unexpected and the playfulness that people can sometimes lose in life.

Kayla Varley’s Work

Above are some of Kayla Varley’s images that I have taken the most inspiration so that I can incorporate similar images into my project. I feel that these images help to show and convey a similar message that I want to send and the same aesthetic I want to explore.