Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kaitlyn Law. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Kaitlyn, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear how you think where to draw the line in terms of asking friends and family to support your business – what’s okay and what’s over the line?

My deep desire to pick up a camera and capture small moments of life started when I had my first son. I was your typical mom who had a bajillion Pinterest boards of dreamy newborn photos I wanted of my own children. My dad gave me his older Canon Rebel and that’s where it started! If it wasn’t for his generosity I probably wouldn’t have put forth the effort and money to buy my own camera.

I feel like all photographers start their business thanks to family and/or friends who believe in them. The people who love them most and trust that they have the talent to contribute something beautiful to this world. Friends of mine noticed the photos I had captured of my own little family and started asking if I could capture a few for them. Once one friend shared the photos I took, others asked for me to photograph their own families.

I truly believe a photographers business can take off and thrive simply by word of mouth. When your friends and family trust you enough to photograph moments of their life and love the outcome, of course they are going to share with others. These are the people who love you most and want to see you succeed! To all my family and friends who have done just this for myself and my business, you are the reason I have the business I do today.

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

In middle school I had this 2005 Kodak Digital Camera that I took everywhere! Looking back I didn’t capture anything spectacular other than some time spent with friends. It was just fun for me to take photos. Fast forward to 2017 when I was about to bring my oldest son into this world.

I’ve always been somewhat sentimental, but oof…becoming a mom makes your sentimental level sky rocket. All of a sudden I wanted to make sure I could capture every moment in time, his sweet little features, his milestones, even his personality. I didn’t want to forget any of it! My dad generously gave me his old Canon Rebel soon after my son was born. From that moment, a photographer was also born.

I started pinning tips on how to use my camera, watching youtube videos, and following other photographers whose style I resonated with. Over the past four and half years I’ve been able to photograph an array of settings including graduations, engagements, weddings, maternity, newborns, families, children’s milestones, portraits/headshots, and military homecomings. I really enjoy capturing families and children. There’s something about the authentic love of a parent for their child that melts my heart. The pure innocence of a child from the moment they are born is another marvel I will always be drawn too. I know how quickly time passes as I watch my own children grow. Being able to freeze those moments for families just brings me the greatest joy.

I am a lifestyle photographer that strives to use these least amount of equipment possible. I really love photographing outdoors during the natural light. This not only allows the photography process to be a little more simple on my end, but allows my clients to be captured in their most comfortable and natural environment. I don’t love posing someone. Different prompts to spark excitement is always way more fun to capture! Instead of setting up a studio, I’d rather just go on an outing with my clients and capture their interactions with one another along the way.

My dream is to develop relationships with my clients. To be able to meet them at the very begging, soon after they have fallen in love. To watch them grow as a couple and commit their love to one another in the sacrament of marriage. Then to watch their love grow as they share it with their children. I have found that getting to watch a friends story unfold from the beginning and follow them along the way is one of the most beautiful rewards to my photography business. Being able to preserve each of those stages of life for them in a photo they can pass on to their children and grandchildren some day is the greatest reward.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

When I was contemplating starting my business, in prayer one day, I opened my Bible to a random page and read,

“NOW THEN, STAND READY TO WITNESS THE GREAT MARVEL THE LORD IS ABOUT TO ACCOMPLISH BEFORE YOUR EYES.” 1 SAMUEL 12:16

It was in that moment that I realized how many beautiful and marvelous people, places, and moments there are that the Lord wants to show me. From this, I decided my goal was to “seek His beauty and goodness through the eye of my lens”.
I had been given a camera for a reason and there are so many stories out there that need to be capture and told.

God’s beauty can be found in a lot of ways. In a sunset, a mountain side, maybe even the flowers blooming in your back yard. But the people He has created…they are the most unpredictable and uniquely marvelous creatures he has created. They each have their own special story and purpose in this world that deserves to be documented and shared with others.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

“Wait until you have all your ducks in a row and everything is perfect to start your business venture.”

I put off living my dream to be a photographer for over 2 1/2 years! I kept telling myself that the timing wasn’t right. That I didn’t have enough experience. That I didn’t have the best camera and equipment. That my photo editing skills weren’t good enough. That I didn’t have the time to for myself to start a business. And the excuses go on and on…

My husband is Active Duty Army. Within the first 6 years of our marriage we have moved four times, lived in 3 different states, brought 3 children into this world (within 4 years of each other), and experienced a 10-month deployment. It was during this deployment, while I was taking care of a 3-year-old, 1-year-old, and newborn baby that I realized…the time is NEVER going to be perfect. The lifestyle we live is so unconventional and unpredictable. But I want to be a photographer. I had this deep desire in my heart to do what I loved and to serve other people in this way. I knew that if I kept waiting for the time to be “just right” and to have all the things I thought I needed in order to create a successful business…I would never even begin!

So while my husband was deployed, I called him and told him what was on my heart. What I really felt called to do, and without hesitation he said, “alright, let’s do it!”.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kaitlynlawphotography.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaitlawphotography/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kaitlawphotography/
• Other: email: [email protected]

Image Credits
All photos were taken by myself, Kaitlyn Law Photography. =)