We recently connected with Mckenna Putnam and have shared our conversation below.

McKenna, appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

Last year, I was contacted by a sweet family who had lost their beautiful little boy in a tragic accident at just two years old. The mother shared before her session that it would be difficult to take photos with their newest baby, while also knowing that she’d never be in a picture with the little boy they’d lost. She brought a photo of their son and his favorite stuffed bear, and wanted to include these in a few photos.

There was a moment during the session where I took the framed photo, and the bear, and set it out on a picnic blanket – gently arranging flowers around it so their little boy could still be honored and remembered individually. My eyes filled with tears as I worked, and the small park where we were working grew silent and still. After snapping the photos, I turned around to the family, and my husband who was there helping, all crying silently behind me.

I have a lot of goals as a photographer, but I don’t think there’s any higher calling as a creative than documenting the love and legacy of families like this one. That quiet moment has been the most meaningful project of my career. Now, as I write this a year later, having lost my own son, I have an even deeper understanding of the meaning that just one photograph can hold for someone.

For me it will never be about making the most money, booking the “dream” destination wedding, having magazines feature my photos, or gaining the most instagram followers. To be given the honor of telling stories through photos, to document such love and grief and joy simultaneously, to be trusted with such fragile and beautiful truths, and creating something with so much meaning for people…that is the most meaningful thing I can do with photography.

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.

Hi! I’m McKenna. I’m 26 years old, and I live in Austin, Texas with my husband, Alan. We live in a tiny home that we built ourselves (with our adorable cat and dog) on a 25-acre pecan farm! It’s a dream. I’m a part-time photographer, and a full time videographer and editor for a non-profit organization. Safe to say I’m always editing – but I’m deeply passionate about both!

My mom often tells me the story of how she knew I would be a creative individual from a young age… one day as she was cleaning out a closet she gave me some old tissue paper to “keep me busy” and I came back a few minutes later wearing my new “dress.” While I didn’t go into fashion, to this day I love finding beauty in the ordinary – taking something simple and making magic with it. I picked up a camera at a young age and started dressing up my little sister for “photo shoots.” In high school, my parents gifted me with my first mirrorless camera and I never looked back. As a person with many interests, trying to choose a career path was often overwhelming – I just wanted something that was meaningful, creative, and allowed me to be present as a wife and mother one day. I believe photography and videography has opened the door to all of those things in a myriad of ways.

I now specialize in serving families and documenting intimate weddings through visual storytelling. With over 9 years of experience in photography, and 4 years of professional experience with videography, I’m proud of the art I create and give back to people.

I’ve worked hard for my photos to reflect a timeless but slightly filmy style – giving a sense of nostalgia but warmth and modernity too. I love being in nature and would say that all my favorite photos play with the light, trees, flowers, or natural elements surrounding my subjects. My approach to photography is never “smile and look at the camera” or stiff poses – but I’ve learned how to help guide families and couples into natural movements and interactions so their photos feel authentic, and they feel natural taking them. While I still pose and prompt at times, I also give people the space to interact with their environment or loved ones. I believe this kind of approach delivers a final album with a blend of photos you want to hang all over your house but also snapshots of the candid, silly, and unscripted.

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

I have two primary missions driving my creative journey:

In September of 2024, we lost our little boy after a horrible bacterial illness took over my body and caused me to go septic at 17 weeks pregnant. The near-death experience and loss of our son has given me a new purpose and perspective on the time we have with loved ones and how more of it is never promised. There’s times where capturing families and little ones is still challenging for me, but it’s always overwhelmingly replaced by gratitude for the short life of my son, all the things he’s taught me, and how I can use his life to touch and impact others. I believe documenting love and life in all forms and stages is a beautiful way to keep remembering him.

Secondly, as much as I love photography and videography – they will never be the end-all-be-all, but rather a vehicle to spend more time with the people I love and be more present in other facets of my life. While being fully committed to the clients I serve is so important to me, I chose this career because it will eventually allow me to be home more, tied to a desk a little less, and able to have an incredibly fulfilling job serving others without sacrificing my relationships and service to the Lord.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

My favorite part of this whole gig is after an album is delivered and clients share with me how much they love their photos and how much they mean to them – bonus points if they send me pictures of their photos printed or hanging in their home. It’s the bee’s knees getting to document families as they grow and add new kiddos. It’s rewarding when someone tells me they felt confident or beautiful in the photos I took of them; when I get to watch the start of someone’s love story unfold. There’s some days where owning a small business feels like it takes more than it gives but it’s the people who make it rewarding, fulfilling, and keep me coming back to photography even when it’s hard.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.mckennaputnamphoto.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mckennaputnamphoto/
• Facebook: McKenna Putnam Photography
• Youtube: @mckennajaneputnam