There’s a certain arrogance that can creep up within a photographer. You capture an amazing wedding, start to finish and all of a sudden, for a short season, you think you’ve mastered every aspect of photography. It’s similar to riding a bike. You just get the feel for it and you GO! However, you don’t […]
There’s a certain arrogance that can creep up within a photographer. You capture an amazing wedding, start to finish and all of a sudden, for a short season, you think you’ve mastered every aspect of photography. It’s similar to riding a bike. You just get the feel for it and you GO! However, you don’t know everything. You’re not 100% sure of how to handle the turns or how much to slow down in loose gravel (I understand this all too well. I have dozens of bike accident stories from my childhood, just ask Michael!… actually, don’t ask, they’re so embarrassing!)
.
Once a photographer gets the feel for something, it’s so easy to believe that you’ve learned all you can, you’ve mastered it. I mean, just look of those images! How much better can they get? Right? …. Wrong. So so wrong. This moment came for me after I shot Kenny and Christy’s gorgeous wedding last spring. It went beautifully and some of their portraits are still some of my most treasured shots. I remember thinking that I had captured everything that way I had envisioned it. The ceremony shots were on point, the details were fun and creative, the portraits.. oh man the portraits!!! I LOVED this wedding! But for a short period of time, I lost the balance between confidence and my willingness to learn.
.
If I can offer any tip, any word of advice to other photographers that we just starting off, it would be this : You will NEVER master EVERY aspect of photography! (Encouraging right?) The point is that you will NEVER stop learning. The moment you think you know everything is the moment you stop growing and that is an extremely dangerous place to be if you’re serious about growing your business. For me, I keep this in check by constantly evaluating my strengths and weaknesses. My strengths right now would be portraits. I LOVE them! My weakness right now are Macro detail shots. I’m just not that amazing at them and I don’t totally understand how to get the shots I realllllly want. So I practiced! and practiced and practiced! I still haven’t mastered details but every time I try, I get a little bit closer to achieving the shot I want!
.
I practiced with my ring…. of course. Maybe I wanted to do a helpful post or maybe I just wanted to show my ring off! ha! Whatever the case, I hope this was helpful for at least one person! So practice! Believe in yourself, but continue to be humble and you’re GOING to grow! Goodluck!
Thanks for reading!
— Katelyn
MORE RECENT POSTS
Have you ever tried to sit down with your spouse to talk about dreams, goals, and vision—only for it to turn into frustration or misalignment? If so, you’re not alone. Vision casting in marriage is hard because it brings up deeper fears, beliefs, and unspoken dynamics that many couples don’t even realize are at play.
Success—it’s a word we hear all the time. But what does it really mean? Is it about financial security? Status? Owning a dream home or taking extravagant vacations?
When you think about your business, do you see it as simply a job—or something more?
Today, I’m diving into an experience that was nothing like I anticipated: my digital detox in December. If you’ve ever considered taking a break from the noise of the online world, you might relate to my journey—the good, the surprising, and the, well, completely unplanned.
The wedding industry has faced unique challenges recently, with inflation affecting budgets and couples cutting costs. If you’re a wedding photographer feeling the pinch, don’t worry—2025 doesn’t have to be a slow year.
Life has a way of surprising us, doesn’t it? Over the last few months, I’ve been on a medical rollercoaster that I never saw coming.
Top Personal Posts
Have a little time to read?
"Best money I have EVER spent on education! ... and I've spent a lot!”
"I love all the lessons I'm learning from KJ All Access! Thanks Katelyn!”
"I find very few educational resources worth it ... this one is!”
"Being able to see behind-the-scenes of Katelyn interacting with her clients has been SO impactful!”
"SO worth it! It's amazing the amount of knowledge you get out of them!”
"I learned just as much in one All Access as I did in a whole course! SO GOOD!"
The KJ blog
must-reads
YOUTUBE
The KJ Learning roadmap
