Originally from Quincy, Illinois, I spent eleven years in Los Angeles, where I pursued acting and modeling, finding myself especially drawn to comedy and improvisation. Somewhere along the way, I began photographing the food I prepared for friends. What started casually at home grew into shooting for local restaurants, creating and managing their social content, and eventually working across commercial food photography and styling.

My work has included photographing celebrity talent for Meta at events such as the Golden Globes and the Oscars, photography for the Food Network and styling for Fox and Playboy productions, as well as brands including Imperfect Produce.

Film and storytelling are my first loves, and they continue to shape the way I approach photography and video. I’m interested not only in how something looks, but in the world surrounding it…the light, atmosphere, movement and small details that make an image feel like a moment pulled from a larger story. That instinct finds its way especially into my work with food, interiors and hospitality.

I’m a collector of vintage clothing, furniture and objects for the home. I find myself perpetually looking back in time for inspiration. Much of what I create is an attempt to pull a little of the past into the present to make something feel lived-in, cinematic and perhaps vaguely familiar, even if you can’t quite place why.

I'm currently based in Illinois and available for projects throughout the Midwest and beyond.

Contact me at kmahair@gmail.com