I hope I’m not the only one who thinks like this…. but as a photographer, who has had several EPIC years in business with so many shots that are still in my “Top 100” folder… sometimes I worry that I won’t be able to top them!! Sometimes I think “When will it truly be my BEST season? Will I always get better?! Will I be able to create images that I LOVE every single season?!”. I think those thoughts at the beginning of EVERY single new wedding season, and I’m happy to say, not one year has past when I haven’t ended my wedding season with images in my portfolio gallery that make me fall more in love with my job!
That fear is real though. Every year I think about it and worry a little bit, but then I get back into the swing of things and I wonder what I was worried about in the first place!! I think it’s natural to have a fear of losing your skill… and honestly, I think it’s part of the reason I continue to grow. It’s almost like that FEAR is what drives me to push myself, even in the hard situations!
This year wasn’t the EASIEST wedding season. I shot a wedding 8 weeks after delivering Evy, and then two weeks later we flew her to Italy and shot another wedding. I will say though, Evy was the EASIEST part of that trip!! I highly recommend traveling with a tiny baby to shoot a destination wedding, and not a 10 month old!
Pumping during the wedding day wasn’t a problem at all… but it’s definitely a learning curve. Michael and I adjusted our system, and we made it happen while not changing the experience for our couples!! Woohoo! I’m proud of myself for continuing to blog all of our weddings the Tuesday after we shot them…. even during Evy’s hip dysplasia phase and traveling. Some other things got put on the back burner this year in the business, but I think it was important for me to pick certain things that I wanted to continue to be consistent with and stick with it!!!
My first year as a momma and business owner wasn’t always easy…. but as I look through these wedding images, I’m reminded of just how understanding, gracious, and kind our 2017 brides were as we navigated the new waters of parenthood!!!
This post is longer than I anticipated. I thought “Surely this post will be under control because I shot way fewer weddings this season!” but no, I still have a million favorites, and I tried my best to pare them down!!! Enjoy a visual recap of 2017!!!
I’m starting off with this gorgeous Pippin Hill Farm wedding in Charlottesville, VA! Loved working with Cody from Amore Events, Caleb from East West Productions, Southern Blooms and so many more!
This gorgeous Seven Springs wedding was near to my heart because these are close family friends!! Welcome to the family, Ashley!!! Their day couldn’t have been more perfect! Thanks to Keneil Rainey of Wood Grain and Lace Events!!!
Oh man. Lake Como….. What a dream! This post is saturated with shots from this amazing wedding!!!!! 
This Mayflower Hotel wedding in the heart of DC was just stunning!!!! Thanks to Jillian Jenkins of Elle Ellinghaus Design for making this day absolutely perfect! She’s a joy to work with!!! 
This OBX destination wedding had it all. A gorgeous venue, perfect clouds, glowy skies, but overcast when we needed it! I’m partial to my redheaded brides (for obvious reasons!) and so I just love so many of their portraits!!! 
This shot was taken in the midst of a massive rain storm and you would never know it!!! Derek and Kerri win “The most Joyful Couple” award for 2017 …. even in the RAIN! We love them so much! Their NY wedding was a destination for us, and it was a gorgeous way to end the season! 
This is my beautiful new sister! Morgan and Corey’s day will always be my FAVORITE from 2017! It was one of the greatest highlights of our family’s year!!! This shot was taken under a car port in the rain and the white background was actually the train of her DRESS being held up by Corey and Michael! Magic!!!!!
My sweet brother and my momma. I love this so much it makes me tear up! Her last baby is married!!! 
Oh Lake Como…. no words.
Oh Nick and Katherine! Where do I begin! This gorgeous wedding had so many favorites!! Thank you Kat from Dear Sweetheart events for being our best friend on wedding days!!! We love our dream team! 
John and Kaylie’s Big Spring Farm wedding at golden hour!!!! 
Ryan and Britney’s wedding experienced intense rain, but this AMAZING glowy light at sunset!! That was a trend this year and I’m not complaining, because we captured so many images that I just LOVE! This was shot at the Berkeley Plantation!
This Bluemont Vineyard wedding was the first wedding I photographed after having Evy, and these two could not have been more gracious to us! They are just the sweetest couple! I loved meeting their amazing families!
This shot is from Chris and Abby’s October wedding at Big Spring Farm!!! We worked with It’s Your Day Events!!! You can’t go wrong with Big Spring and amazing vendors!!!!
Katlynn and Michael are dear friends of ours!!! You’ll see several of my favorites from their day scattered throughout the rest of this post!!! 
Ben and Kitt!!!!! We love them! They would do ANYTHING for us on their day! They trusted my crazy ideas and made so much time for portraits! What a dream couple! 
My brother watching Morgan come down the aisle! Cue the tears!!!
Daddy hugging Corey right after he married them. :) 
Thanks for reading!
— Katelyn
MORE RECENT POSTS
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I had the pleasure of chatting with Erica and Jon, two incredibly talented photographers and educators who have redefined their business and life by embracing change. From leaving a corporate career to transforming their wedding photography business into a thriving brand photography venture, their story is full of inspiration for anyone looking to take bold steps and live life on their own terms.
I run a Facebook group with over 20,000 photographers, and something I see constantly are people sharing their editing struggles, asking for critiques, or seeking advice on how to fix issues in Lightroom.
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