We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Katrina Murphy a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Katrina, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

Moving to California has been a childhood dream of mine. It started with my obsession with The Beach Boys in 4th grade, and escalated into having a California themed bedroom painted bright yellow, filled with palm trees and surfboard decor. Although I am Wisconsin girl at heart and will forever be deep-rooted midwestern girl, my dream never faded and I decided to move post college graduation. Well, in terms of launching a career and moving cross-country, the timing of it was not necessarily ideal as this so happened to be in 2008 during the economy crash. While I ideally was hoping to continue my education and get my Master’s in Art History and teach, these jobs were being cut left and right and I needed to find a new path. Moving to California not knowing anyone was a risk in and of itself, but I knew it was something in my heart I had to pursue.

While I landed amazing jobs at both a non-profit music museum (MoMM) and a photography museum in the heart of the infamous Balboa Park (MOPA), the positions only served short-term career goals for myself. Not to mention, the commute was eating away at my soul. Fast forward to one night while I was playing soccer on an adult league, and a girl on my team mentioned she was a “destination wedding photographer.” My heart literally skipped a beat as this sounded too dreamy to be true and I immediately asked if we could grab a cup of coffee so she could tell me more and how she made this happen for herself. Well, the rest is history. Having received my BFA in film photography and graphic design, I knew this was my calling and the career risk that I needed to take. The potential growth, flexibility, opportunity to travel, endless creativity, and connecting my love for people, I went and purchased my first digital camera that week. Entrepreneurship was an extremely scary and risky move, but I loved the idea that I could be in control of my own destiny and freedom.

The risks I took moving to California and starting my own photography business are both moves that I am incredibly proud of. I definitely had a lot of naysayers, and friends and family who wanted to support me, but thought these moves were too outlandish and encouraged me rather to play it safe. While none of these moves were easy, and my photography business took a few solid years of building, they have all paid off in endless ways. When a dream or passion is deep-routed in your soul, you do what it takes to chase it and make it happen.

Katrina, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Hello! I’m Katrina, a lifestyle Family + Wedding photographer based in north county San Diego. I am a Wisconsin-born girl with a deep-rooted love for the Midwest. However, after obsessing over the Beach Boys in 4th grade, moving to California was a dream I could not shake, so it is of no surprise I packed my bags post college and headed on my adventure out West. I graduated with my BFA in film photography and graphic design with the intention of pursing my Master’s to teach Contemporary Art History. However, I shifted gears as I graduated and moved during the economy crash in 2008. I landed some amazing jobs in San Diego both in the non-profit realm at a music museum (MoMM) and photography museum in the heart of Balboa Park (MOPA).

However, after meeting a girl on my adult soccer league who was a “destination wedding photographer”, I shifted gears again and knew this was something I had to pursue. Photography is not only a passion of mine, but it merges my love for travel, people, being outdoors, and endless creativity. While I was love the craft of film photography, I was inspired to purchase my first digital camera and dive into the world of entrepreneurship. It has been the most rewarding and fulfilling path and I am forever grateful for the photography business I launched. Now, as a lifestyle photographer, I primarily photograph families and weddings, but also never pass up an opportunity to document a lot of events from anything from backyard birthday parties, to large conferences or even concerts. Now, as a mother myself, I have developed a keen gravitation towards getting mothers behind the lens and photographing those organic moments between them and their little ones. I am a queen of nostalgia, and no matter what or who the subject is that I am photographing, I believe in documenting genuine moments in a creative artistic light and using the camera as a tool to tell unique stories.

Overall, I have a passion for the arts and outdoors. I love being on the water, and will never pass up an opportunity for some live music. Escaping to the mountains for a morning hike or ski trip is something that fuels my soul. As a mother to three little ones, Silas (6), Sienna (3) and Sage (1), and a very active Labradoodle (Stella), my hands and heart are full as navigate the balance of entrepreneurship and motherhood.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My dad was one of those unique souls who had this contagious charismatic positive energy to him. He was a chiropractor and not only believed in people’s well-being, but their overall happiness. I was in constant disbelief for his incredible dedication to chiropractics and the impactful ripple effect he served to his local community and beyond. When I often asked my dad what he thinks attributed to his success, he always mentioned, “I never chased money, I don’t care about money, I care about people’s happiness.” My father passed away unexpectedly this last Fall from a heart attack, and I am on a deep-rooted mission to keep his Spirit alive and spread his mindset to those around me.

For years and still to this day, I have had my dad’s favorite quote pinned to a mood-board that I have placed in our garage, so it is the first thing I see every time I step foot into our home. I live by this quote as an inspiration not only for my photography business, but life in general; “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you mad them feel,” – Maya Angeloul

I hope to instill this mindset and belief in every aspect of my life, and photography business.

Have you ever had to pivot?

After moving to California after I graduated college in Wisconsin, it so happened to be during the economy crash in 2008 where jobs were being cut left and right. While I had full intentions of pursuing my Master’s to one day teach Contemporary Art History, the economy told me otherwise and I landed some amazing career opportunities at a non-profit music museum (MoMM) and photography museum (MOPA). However, wanting the opportunity for more growth, flexibility and to pursue my passion for the arts, I purchased a digital camera and launched my wedding and family photography business.

I started growing my photography business right after I got married, and shortly after growing our family. There were so many moments where success was starting to snowball and things were moving and jumping and I was struggling to keep up, and then moments where I swear I could hear crickets and my heart was pounding as to how I could find clients and become a successful entrepreneur. I feel this is partially expected when starting a business, but while you’re in the thick of it, is is definitely exhilarating and nerve-wrecking all encompassed into one. Also, my vision for entrepreneurship and motherhood took me for a spin. You often hear about the struggle of balancing motherhood with your career, but little did I know what I was in for. I knew I was a highly energetic person and visioned myself working well through any pregnancy, in hopes I could be one to hold rockstar status of photographing an 8 hour wedding while waddling around with a baby in my belly. And post baby, I figured I would just work when the baby napped, no big deal. Well, my pregnancies through me off my feet as I was incredibly sick the duration of my pregnancies (with hyperemesis gravidarum to be exact). I could barely look at a screen for more than a few minutes and had to put my business on hold. While I had incredibly understanding clients, it was still crushing as I had built up such a momentum and was enjoying the rewards of having repeat clients I had built a strong relationship and trust over. And let’s just all say, even post-pregnancy, some babies are easier than others…and nap longer than others. While I picked up work just a few weeks after delivering, I was so excited to dive back in and get my business running, but neglected a healthy balance and burnt myself out.

Now a mama to three amazing children; Silas (6), Sienna (3), and Sage (1), while I do not have the entire “balance” game figured out entirely, I have a much more solid flow of expectations between family time and pursuing my passion with photography. Not to mention, so many of the activities and schools my kids are involved with have connected me to so many wonderful families and have naturally and organically rebuilt my business from all the times I have had to hit pause while growing our family.

Also, let’s not forget the elephant in the room with the pandemic we have all been experiencing these last few years. Just when my business was starting to grow like crazy and I was tapping into dream clients and gigs, bam…the pandemic hit and we had to shut it all down together. However, I took that time to really reflect on “balance” and “intention” and am so excited to see what this next year brings with all these insights, moments to pause and now it is time to rebuild.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.katrinamariephoto.com
• Instagram: @katrinamariephoto
• Facebook: @Katrinamariephoto
• Linkedin: Katrina Murphy

Image Credits
@greta_d_photography