Hey Pretty

When I started Kleos Captured Photography, paid opportunities started flooding to me immediately, something I am regularly grateful for. My own history as a photographer predates the Kleos Captured brand, but a lot of my projects aren't things I've shared publicly. With a lot of attention and money coming from photographing other people, I’ve put off all of my own personal photo (and other art!) projects for way too long.

A lot of things have happened in the last few years that I need to talk about,and frankly, I wanted to create a space to do so where I don’t have to think about censors or algorithms. I gotta say what I’m gonna say, and I will. Some of these projects have been in the works for a while because I’ve spent a lot of time with this project. Pretty Personal Mythology is going to have many evolutions and stories to tell— and I’m not completely sure where either of us are going just yet, but that’s part of the fun.

This year has been exceptionally difficult and I've been more drawn to make my own art than I have in ages. The only thing keeping me from losing my mind has been creating beautiful things again, and I'm going to create many more beautiful things while I find my way back to my self again. My optimism is entirely rooted in stubbornness: I don't have a sense of hope for much these days, but I got lost and then found the light at the end of the tunnel once before, so I know that means I can find it again. Heavier pieces will have TWs, but I'm too bored of being sad for everything to be a bummer on this page.

In mixed groups, people might call me Emily (my given name, which is fine), Kleos (which I hate), or, depending on how long you’ve known me, Pretty. It’s been a while since I’ve introduced myself as Pretty for reasons I’ll tell you about later, but for now, consider this your casual introduction to the first part of the creative name I’ve finally chosen. (Or rather… I chose it in November 2019 with plans to debut in March 2020 but we all know how that went.) Finally, let this be my one warning: don’t say I didn’t tell you all the art I’m writing about on here is pretty personal.

It’s time for me to start telling stories again.

PRETTY PERSONAL MYTHOLOGY is the only way I know how to start pulling the ideas I have out of my head.

May 2022

March 2023 in Singapore, photo courtesy of @nellapuddin

December 2019, self-shot in Oakland