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

Katelyn, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

To be successful in the photography industry, I think it takes remaining true to your own unique process and style. It’s so easy to rely on Pinterest, Instagram, or other sources of inspiration to dictate the constraints of your work. The most successful photoshoots- and the happiest clients I’ve had- derived from a deviation from the plan that resulted in a more unique direction. Being successful takes believing in your own vision and trusting your own taste, especially when artists are hiring you for YOU, not for someone else’s work they saw on Pinterest.

Katelyn, 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?

While I have been a portrait photographer since sophomore year of high school (7 years ago), I got into concert photography just over a year ago. I DM-ed Marlon Funaki on Instagram asking to shoot for his SDSU house show, which he replied yes to. That night changed the trajectory of my creative career, and I am so incredibly grateful for the opportunities Funaki and his team have created for me. I began working with local media and magazine companies, such as Jampak and The Luna Collective. Recently, I’ve been loving using multimedia in my work, such as writing on a coffee sleeve and applying that font in photoshop over my images, or taking pieces of tour posters to use as backgrounds in my work. The most important thing for artists to know about my work is that although I have my own ideas for how a photoshoot should go, my priority is creating a shoot based around the artist’s vision for their music. I think the music an artist creates is so personal to their own stories, so I enjoy reflecting that story in my work for cover photos, promotion material, and concert photos.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

One of the resources I wish I knew about earlier in my creative journey is local media outlets and magazines. Working on a team alongside creative individuals, as well as gaining access to far more concerts and venues was a major part of reaching a larger audience. Yes, providing media coverage is an unpaid labor, however the rewards greatly outweigh any costs. I have shot for Flipturn, Gallant, Jordana, Two Friends, and others simply from media coverage opportunities.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

One lesson I had to unlearn, that I am still unlearning, is to not sell yourself short. Charging artists and peers for your creative work sometimes feels illegitimate, especially when it’s something you love doing so much that you truly don’t mind doing it for free. There was a specific incident that really stuck with me regarding this topic: I had decided to sell my images to an artist for a ridiculously low price. A friend of mine in the industry told me point blank that I had “just valued myself at thirty dollars”. When you think about it through this lens, it’s easier to grasp just how short you sell yourself when you under-value your work. Of course, there may be instances where you’re working for experience or whatnot, and while I’ve done my fair share of that and have found it to be so valuable, don’t sell yourself short when you don’t need to!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.katelynberberichphoto.com/
• Instagram: katelynberberichphoto
• Youtube: KatelynBerberich

Image Credits

Katelyn Berberich