We were lucky to catch up with Catie Eovaldi recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Catie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s the kindest thing anyone has ever done for you?

The kindest thing anyone has done for me on a wedding day is be a gracious host. I was working alongside a large Italian family hosting a backyard wedding. If you’re from an Italian family like I am then you know that good food and hospitality is like a love language. While capturing the groom and his guys getting ready, the groom’s parents made sure to include me in their lunch plans. They kept my water bottle full of cold water all day long in the hot summer heat. The grandfather, who flew in directly from Italy, brought me dessert and a cappuccino after dinner and spent my break time telling me stories about his childhood.

They were all little moments throughout the day, but it meant so much that they took the time out of celebrating to keep me hydrated and fed.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m Catie Eovaldi, a wedding photographer who’s based in Southeast Michigan. Documenting wedding days as they authentically unfold is my specialty, and I love working with couples who are unafraid to be themselves. Focusing more on the candid moments and connections between people, I capture days with a blend of digital and 35mm film imagery.

My favorite thing to do for my couples is to give them photos at the end of their wedding day. Printing a Polaroid album on-site, I provide a mini, instant gallery by the end of the day for couples to look at while I go through the editing process for their full gallery.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

I feel so good about the current team I work with. My best advice is to never stop communicating. I believe in having open and honest conversations with them and through doing this we’ve earned each other’s trust. I listen to them when they speak, I give them room to be creative and problem solve, and I cheer them on in their own separate businesses. We lift each other up and are there for one another when we’re down.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Starting my photography business was a huge pivot for me in my career. I moved full time into photography after being let go from a large insurance firm. It was quite sudden and unexpected. The company had just gone public and was telling us how successful the transition was and how amazing things were going- and I had been promoted recently for my high sales. Then, one day I logged into my laptop and saw a meeting on my calendar for 9:00am that wasn’t there the day before. An email was waiting in my inbox and it said due to massive budget cuts, anyone with a meeting with HR at 9:00am was being let go.

I went full time with my photography when I was let go- I always thought I’d go back into insurance, but I gained enough traction in the photography business that I pivoted away from it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://catieeovaldiphoto.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/catieeovaldiphoto
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/catieeovaldiphoto