Deep crimson fabric with elegant tonal floral vine pattern on a rich burgundy textured background.
Smiling female guitarist with tattoos holding acoustic guitar, wearing white tee and jeans, seated against white background.
Woman in blue cap playing acoustic guitar, smiling, wearing white tank top and jeans against dark background.
Female guitarist sits on chair holding red acoustic guitar, wearing black outfit, against dramatic red-lit dark studio background.

There are some people who simply look like they belong in front of a camera. Kayla Daniels is one of them. But what made this session special wasn’t just creating photographs. It was getting the chance to photograph an artist whose personality, music, and story have a little bit of everything — country roots, rock and roll edge, Nashville experience, and a whole lot of authenticity.


Kayla describes her sound in probably the best way possible: “Like if Janis Joplin and Dolly Parton had a baby, it would sound like me.” And after spending time with her, that description makes perfect sense.


MUSIC HAS ALWAYS BEEN PART OF HER STORY

For Kayla, music wasn’t something she suddenly discovered. It was simply always there. Her mom told her she was humming herself to sleep before she was even a year old, and Kayla says she can’t remember a point in her life when she wasn’t planning to pursue music in some way.

Her musical influences stretch across generations and genres, including Dolly Parton, Janis Joplin, Shania Twain, Conway Twitty, Linda Ronstadt, Martina McBride, Bonnie Raitt, Chris Cornell, and Guns N’ Roses. That combination of classic country, powerhouse female voices, and rock influences helped shape the country-meets-rock sound she has today.


NASHVILLE, HARD LESSONS, AND FINDING HER SOUND

Kayla spent part of her music career in Nashville, an experience that helped develop both her musicianship and her perspective on the music industry. Playing alongside talented musicians every day made her a stronger songwriter and guitar player, but Nashville also taught her lessons that had nothing to do with chords or lyrics.

She had to grow up quickly. Kayla learned firsthand that the music industry isn’t always as glamorous as it can appear from the outside, and that there are people willing to take advantage of someone determined to make her dreams happen. Still, she wouldn’t trade the experience. “Nashville and Tennessee in general will always be my second home.”


BETTING ON HERSELF

Kayla has had some incredible moments throughout her career, including opening for country artist Priscilla Block. But when I asked about the moment she’s proudest of, her answer wasn’t about sharing a stage with a recognizable name. It was about taking a chance on herself.

Kayla left her full-time “real” job to pursue music full time again. It was scary and uncertain, but she did it anyway. “I’m proud of myself for betting on myself and I’m very proud of the work that I put in to make it work.”


THE SONG THAT MEANS THE MOST

Of all the songs Kayla has written, “Bus Ride to Heaven” remains closest to her heart. She wrote the song about the Cottonwood bus accident that happened while she was in junior high nearly 20 years ago. Over the years, she has seen the song bring healing to people while also giving her confidence in herself as a songwriter.

That connection is a big part of what she wants her music to do. Whether someone is experiencing happiness, sadness, anger, or something they can’t quite put into words, Kayla hopes her lyrics can provide some comfort. “I hope they listen to my music and don’t feel alone in what they are feeling.”


COUNTRY MEETS ROCK


Ask Kayla who she’d love to collaborate with and her first choice is Conway Twitty. There’s just one small problem. As Kayla put it, “Unfortunately he’s dead. lol”

Among today’s artists, she’d love to collaborate with or open for Avery Anna. Kayla sees similarities between their sounds, particularly that combination of country and rock. That mixture of country and rock was something I wanted to bring into her photo session, too.


CREATING THE KAYLA DANIELS PHOTO SHOOT


Going into this shoot, I didn’t want to create one single look for Kayla, because that wouldn’t really be her. We created everything from clean, simple portraits to darker, dramatic images using smoke, colored lighting, reflective textures, and her guitar. Some photographs leaned into her country side, while others brought out the rock and roll side of her personality.

And, of course, we photographed Kayla the way you’ll apparently find her about 90% of the time: jeans, a T-shirt, and a trucker hat.

When I asked which setup was her favorite, she couldn’t choose. “You captured all my ‘personalities’ perfectly. I got to show the country side and the rock side of me... and also just my everyday jeans and a t-shirt and a trucker hat.”

For me as a photographer, that was the entire point of this session. I didn’t want to turn Kayla into somebody else for a photograph. I wanted to photograph all the different pieces of who she already is.


DIRT BIKES, CROCHET, AND ANGELINA DOUGHLEE


There’s another side to Kayla that might surprise people who only know her through music. She loves riding dirt bikes and watching Supercross and Motocross, but she also loves gardening and crocheting. And then there’s her sourdough starter, which she named “Angelina Doughlee.” That might be one of my favorite things I learned about her.


WHAT’S NEXT FOR KAYLA DANIELS?


Kayla continues to perform and pursue music full time, and she’s hoping to release new music this fall and winter. If there’s one thing that became obvious while talking with her and creating these photographs, it’s that Kayla Daniels isn’t trying to squeeze herself neatly into one box.

She’s country. She’s rock. She’s a songwriter, musician, and performer. She’s also the woman in the trucker hat who likes dirt bikes, crochet, gardening, and naming sourdough starters after celebrities. And that’s exactly what made this session so much fun to create.

Follow Kayla Daniels, listen to her music, check out her upcoming shows, and keep an eye out for new music coming soon.

Smiling woman with tattoos sits on barstool holding acoustic guitar, wearing white tee, jeans, and turquoise jewelry.
Black and white photo of a smiling woman sitting on a stool playing an acoustic guitar, wearing jeans and a white t-shirt.
Smiling female guitarist with tattoos holding acoustic guitar, wearing white tee and jeans, posed against white background.
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Smiling woman in red top and fringe boots plays acoustic guitar while sitting on a Fender amp.
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Woman in red top playing acoustic guitar wearing turquoise jewelry and cowboy boots.
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Woman in red bodysuit and fringe boots sits holding a red Gibson acoustic guitar against white background.
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Smiling woman holding acoustic guitar, wearing blue trucker hat reading All Gas No Brakes, with turquoise rings.
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Blonde woman sitting on a director's chair holding a guitar against a dramatic red-lit background with glowing orb.
Smiling blonde woman holding red Gibson acoustic guitar seated in chair with dramatic red lighting backdrop.
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Female guitarist tips trucker cap beside vintage sunburst acoustic guitar in dramatic black and white portrait.
Smiling tattooed female musician holding sunburst acoustic guitar in black and white studio photo.