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

Alright, Kaitlyn thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

Before owning my own business, I had work in the food and beverage industry for 10+ years. A friend had “randomly” recommended a book to me called The Dream Giver by Bruce Wilkerson. If you haven’t read it, it’s the most simple and precious allegory of a young man that grows up in the ‘land of ordinary’. When this man was a young boy the ‘Dream Giver’ comes in the middle of the night, leaving a feather that represents a dream… hence the Dream Giver. :) As the story goes on you find out that the Dream Giver comes and gives everyone a ‘dream’ at a young age but then life gets in the way and most people forget what it ever was. Anyways, as the story went on I remembered that when I was younger I wanted to be a photographer! I was floored that I remembered that because it had been so long since I had thought of it.
The next week my brand spanking new camera came in the mail. I had NO IDEA how to use this complex device but I just went for it. I had three practice sessions within a few weeks and then I started offering sessions for $75… I WAS SO NERVOUS but I went out and conquered my fears.
Within two months I had enough bookings to go full time and I booked my first wedding a week after going full time. It was crazy! I kept increasing my rates (because who can live off of $75 a session, ha!) and people kept paying!
This felt like the most divine gift from God that I could set my own schedule being the creative I was made to be.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Kaitlyn Tomblin and I own Tomblin Photo & Film. My company specializes in photo & video for weddings but love to capture milestone moments for our couples that go on to have families. I believe what sets us apart in this industry is how much we hold space for intimate moments during the wedding. We aren’t interested in rushing from moment to moment, pose to pose, just to “get the shot”. We have the highest value for intimacy and are able to take a step back and see the big picture. The big picture that I’m constantly reminding myself and our couples: “This is literally YOUR WEDDING DAY! All of your favorite people are here to celebrate you, including us!”
I’m most proud of how far I’ve come mentally in regards to bookings. I used to think that if a potential client went another direction and booked someone else that it was a personal attack on my creativity and self. Now I know the truth is that God has already chosen the clients for us long before they ever inquired, and whoever doesn’t book, wasn’t meant to.
Something that I want our current or future clients to know is that I’VE GOT YOUR BACK. Want me to tell your crazy aunt to stop pestering you? Done. Need a reminder to soak in this moment and take a mental snapshot? Check. Need help choosing an outfit for your engagement session? Someone to laugh with you, tear up in the background or hold your dress? Check, check and check.
I will go above and beyond from inquiry to custom album delivery in celebrating and loving on you the way that you deserve. We are more than just a media team, we’re lovers of all things love and quiet moments but will also be the first ones on the dance floor if the vibes are vibin!!

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

Lesson of the day… or year for that matter: STOP GIVING LARGE DISCOUNTS!

I’m going on 5 years in the wedding industry and around 8 months ago it finally clicked for me… If a client is price-shopping or asking for large discounts just to see if they can find the lowest price, they aren’t the client for me! That has bit me in the butt one too many times because I want to help/bless people any way that I can but the clients that get the lowest price are usually the ones I connect with the least.
I’m thankful to finally be learning my worth and understanding that my ideal clients are the ones that are willing to pay because they love my work, not because I’m the lowest price they could find.

Can you open up about a time when you had a really close call with the business?

At the end of 2024, I was honestly ready to give up. Bookings were basically non-existent and I was feeling defeated because I had tried everything and nothing was working. I was feeling pretty discouraged and was ready to throw in the towel. Don’t get me wrong… I love my job and I’m so thankful for all of the people and experiences that I’ve met along the way, but if it can’t even pay the bills then what’s the point? I was feeling the weight of the “feast or famine” money cycle I was trapped in.

I was so disappointed with unmet expectations that I was applying for other jobs that paid practically nothing for the sake of a ‘consistent paycheck’. but literally would’ve only made $30,000 a year in a job that I hated.
As I was praying one day the Lord revealed that I expecting results for a job that I had 10 years from now. He was never the one that told me that I’d be making $300,000 in my 5th year of business… that was me setting my own plans and then being pissed when it didn’t happen.

It wasn’t that He didn’t want to provide.. It was my mindset.

Anyways, I decided to stick it out with photography and trust that the Lord would provide everything that we needed and plus some and that whatever He had for me for the year was exactly what I wanted. I decided I was willing to work to meet my goals instead of just expecting bags of gold to fall into my lap.

That next month all of the bookings started flooding in and we made $40,000 in 2.5 months!! Which is more than I would’ve made in the entire year at that desk job.

I was so close to throwing in the towel and now I’m so glad that I didn’t. I’m completely booked for this year and already have so many amazing weddings on my calendar for 2026.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.tomblinphotoandfilm.com
• Instagram: @tomblinphotoandfilm
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tomblinphoto/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@tomblinphotoandfilm