Featuring! Kathryn

Hey folks! Today I have the pleasure of introducing you to my fellow photographer Kathryn of Kathryn Grace Photography. I first met Kathryn when I was about eight years old. We attended the same church for a number or years and I even remember several months when we were recipe pen-pals!:) It has been so neat to watch Kathryn over the years as she has grown into the amazing and talented photographer she is today. Today she'll tell you about how she started her journey into photography as well as the photo shoot that was a big break through for her in getting where she is today. If you love pretty pictures, this is a post for you and if you're just starting out as a photographer make sure to read to the end where she shares some encouragement just for you!

Hi, there! I'm Kathryn, and I'm a portrait and wedding photographer based in northern Illinois. Thanks to Moriah for featuring me today!

Moriah asked me how I decided to become a photographer... but the thing is, I didn't. It just sort of happened! As a kid I absolutely loved shooting flowers and nature with my mom's DSLR. I had enough of a prolonged interest in it that my parents got me my own camera when I was 16, and you don't want to know how many flower pictures I have in my archives. After a while, I branched out and started enjoying food photography. I never thought I would end up shooting portraits, much less weddings. A pivotal point in the switch from shooting mainly inanimate objects to people was a just-for-fun shoot my photographer friend and I did with our sisters. We had a great location, great light, and photogenic models, and I just fell in love. Fast forward a few months and friends started asking me to take their pictures, and it has blossomed into the flourishing business I have today!

I love being a photographer because I have the privilege of freezing a moment, an emotion, and preserving that for my clients and for their children and grandchildren. I like making people feel beautiful. :-) I want the couples that I shoot to look at their pictures and fall in love with each other all over again and remember why they married their spouse. One groom-to-be told his fiancé after their engagement shoot, "I will always look at these pictures and remember how happy I was to be next to you." I love shooting, I love taking pretty pictures, but most of all, that matters. Preserving something special for my clients.

Featured on: Classic Bride Blog

Moriah also asked if I had some encouragement for other photographers. Always keep learning and challenging yourself to improve and be creative. When you get busy and you have also found your groove and what works for you, it's easy to settle into that and get stale. After a busy season of lots of client work, it's often really refreshing to do a personal project, just for fun. Think of a situation you would love to shoot in and make it happen without the pressure of having to deliver for a client. Most people aren't photographers because it's the best paying job in the world, we do it because we love it... so make sure you keep loving it. :-)