We recently connected with Kate Toney and have shared our conversation below.

Kate, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Parents play a huge role in our development as youngsters and sometimes that impact follows us into adulthood and into our lives and careers. Looking back, what’s something you think you parents did right?

At the young age of seven, my parents got divorced, and my father moved to New York, where his family lived, my mother and my two siblings stayed in Ohio and she raised us all on her own while working and going to school. I think, growing up and watching my mother struggle gave me a new appreciation for women and single moms everywhere. It also gave me the freedom to believe that I can be anything that I want to be, that there is no hurdle I can’t overcome. Outside of my mother working in healthcare and continuing her education even still today she has always had a very artistic side to her. Finding her up late at night, playing music by herself, and watching how she created beautiful music with her voice, and a guitar gave me all of my artistic inspiration. From a little girl I always knew that I would do something creative someday and I have my mother to thank for that.

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

I first picked up a camera sometime in high school and I realized it was some thing that I genuinely loved doing but never imagined that I could actually have a career doing something like that. After I had my daughter I was so struck by her beauty that I needed to capture her tiny features on something other than an iPhone. She became the backbone of The Citrus collection. Being a wedding photographer is so much fun, but there is a lot of hard work and discipline that Goes into running that business. Doing it as a mother of three can almost seem impossible sometimes. flying out of state, driving hours away to other locations, the endless hours of editing up late at night, only to go to bed with a newborn who is waking up every hour truly takes the kind of grit I didn’t know I had. Although I wish I would’ve started sooner I will forever be grateful for starting when I did, because I prove to myself that I can do impossible things.

Currently, I feel like I do a little bit of everything however, my main focus is on wedding and elopements. I find such an outlet getting to know my couples, and finding a way to photograph them in their space. I offer a variety of packages a little something for everyone I believe that everyone deserves beautiful memories captured.

I’m not sure what sets me apart from other people I honestly think photography is so personal It just depends on if our energies match. I don’t think my photos are better than anyone else in my area, but I do think the experience and the connection I have with my clients is so special and that’s such a huge part of returning clients and creating a little family. I have always loved the human connection and people in general. I love, love and I think people feel that when they talk to me.

Businesswise I think I am most proud of being published in a People magazine article twice now (Thank you Sydney & Nick Wehby!!!) hands-down probably the coolest thing I’ll ever accomplish. As a whole, I think I am just super proud of the business in general, like the fact that people book with me year after year, I get busier and busier and I honestly just can’t believe it. It’s truly all word of mouth and I can’t thank my clients enough for that! I’d love for future clients to know that you’ll be getting photographs that feel like you but you’ll also be gaining a friend! I see you on your wedding day, your maternity session, when your baby is born and it’s impossible to not build a friendship after all of those major life moments spent together!

To the girl/boy questioning themselves and their future, do whatever gets you excited, nervous & uncomfortable. Usually those things develop into a burning passion and life is real boring without a little change!

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

I definitely had to unlearn the dangerous cycle of comparison. It’s really easy to see all of these amazing business owners and influencers doing incredible things while you feel like you just can’t quite get there yourself. I had to take a huge step back and focus on small goals that were realistic for my surroundings. I always celebrate my small victories, and I am always pushing to accomplish more, but I am only competing with myself. I will always cheer for the other local photographers around me who are doing incredible things, things I couldn’t even imagine doing myself the talent that just flows out of the photographers. I see in Cincinnati and the surrounding areas are so inspiring.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Although I don’t have a huge following, I am very proud of where I am today. Every single follower of mine is extremely organic. I feel like I built a lot of my audience via word of mouth and tagging specific details in my photos I think the best advice for building an organic audience is to just show yourself and who you are authentically. There is only one you. In a world where trends rule everything and the same sounds and pictures are being shared. It’s so refreshing to see someone just being themselves.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.thecitruscollection.com/
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/thecitruscollection?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/thecitruscollection

Image Credits
@thecitruscollection @sydneylotuaco @njw_0401 @kelleymedley_ @caithunting