Her photography has been published globally; at the heart of it is a deep love for Edmonton and a commitment to showing it to the world
Age: 36
Being a bit delusional is Karly Watson’s motto to live by. But when you look at what she has accomplished with business, she seems focused and intentional. “People say, ‘You’re so lucky.’ How am I lucky? I worked my ass off. It’s about creating your own opportunities,” Watson says.
She first picked up a digital camera at 14, not seeing it as a career path because people in her life were encouraging her to get a stable job with a pension. She landed roles with the provincial and municipal governments, but never fit in the nine-to-five world, eventually landing a part-time role at a bike shop doing social media.
Growing up, she felt relegated to the “dumb classes,” but she found her groove in marketing with local companies like Kaden Ave Communications. While Watson’s talent is evident in the photographs she’s taken of everyone from Connor McDavid to Mark Carney to Fefe Dobson, what stands out most is her grit. Getting her business off the ground while working a full-time job took tenacity.
As founder and creative director of Kliquethis Media, she focuses on live music, event and brand photography and videography, working with clientele such as Oilers Entertainment Group, Explore Edmonton and the City of Edmonton. She also joins major artists on tour. While she admits to getting starstruck sometimes, her interest is not in celebrity.
When she’s shooting live music and sports, she loves capturing fan emotion. “Turning around to see what’s behind me, that’s where everything is happening.” Joining touring artists with her camera, she could work anywhere. “But Edmonton made me who I am,” she says, “Hockey playoffs were the springboard for people recognizing my work.”
This article appears in the November-December 2026 issue of Edify
