10 Things You Didn't Know About Kate! - Boston Family Photographer

Happy Friday, y’all! Since I’m often hiding behind a camera or a computer, I thought I would share a few things you might not know about me…

1) I used to photograph weddings!

I found my first-ever wedding job on Craigslist, and I truly lucked out because it turned out to be the coolest wedding ever! They ended up getting cast on Style Network’s “Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?” Love you guys, Molly + Phillip!

I ended up narrowing my focus to specialize in families, but I love that I met so many fun couples through wedding photography!

2) I opened my business when I was 17.

I was always meant to be a photographer and a business owner — even as a child, I used to stage “photo shoots” for my Beanie Babies, and I was obsessed with opening lemonade stands! In my senior year of high school, I was lucky enough to find a family photographer in Austin who took me under her wing and taught me how to legally open my business.

I continued to run KLP part-time throughout undergrad and grad school, often working until 3 a.m. to keep up with my studies and serve my clients at the same time. When I graduated with my master’s in 2014, I rented an office and jumped straight into photographing full-time. Best decision of my life!

Here is my Beanie Baby photo shoot from 2001! I nailed those details, right down to the American flag! LOL!

3) I’ve wanted to be a mom since I was in middle school.

After photographing so many moms, it’s crazy to think that my husband and I are right around the corner from starting our own family! Our kids are probably going to be the most photographed children of all time!

4) I went to school for a completely different career.

Throughout the first seven years of my business, I also seriously trained to become an orchestral musician (here’s proof on YouTube!). My family, friends, and mentors pulled me in two different directions (flute and photography). By the end of my master’s, it felt like I was only giving half of myself to each career, and I knew I needed to make a choice in order to reach my full potential. I had to turn off every outside influence in order to listen to what I knew I always wanted — to give my photography business everything I had. I still occasionally perform with local orchestras for fun, but I’m so glad that I’m now able to dedicate 100% of my work hours to running the business.

5) Sometimes I walk around Target just for fun.

I often detour into our neighborhood Target on my way home from work just to look at all the pretty things! It’s so bright and colorful and happy in there…please tell me I’m not the only one who does this! We don’t have any spare space in our 440-square-foot apartment though, so I’ve gotten really good at self-control. 😉

6) My first official date with my husband was to the Panama Canal.

We met in 2013 while training in an orchestra that toured Central America for six weeks. At the end of our residency in Panama, we hopped in a sketchy cab to see the canal…best date ever! Later that summer, we found out that we shared the same birthday, which serendipitously brought us back together on November 25th. We realized that it was more than just a summer fling, so he packed up his life in Ann Arbor, moved to Boston, and the rest is history! Our first wedding anniversary is only a couple of weeks away!

7) Growing up in Texas, I knew I wanted to get to the East Coast.

I always dreamed of living in a place that bustled with lots of people, where you could walk to everything and create your own adventures! In 2008, I visited a friend who lived in Boston and I absolutely fell in love with the charm and energy of this place. I knew I would end up here someday, and luckily grad school brought me to Boston in 2012!

I do miss my family in San Antonio, and going home feels so peaceful, but for day-to-day life, Boston feels like my utopia. 🙂

8) I’m a little obsessed with Hamilton and got my husband hooked too!

I can rap most of the lyrics, and I’ve blasted the soundtrack in our apartment so many times that now E is starting to learn the words too! Our neighbors probably think we’re crazy. 😉

I was so far into my obsession that one time I alllllmost paid $700 for a ticket in NYC, until I snapped out of it and asked E to hide my credit card…ha! We are counting down the days until the show comes to Boston! #helpless

9) I’m from a family of public school teachers.

My mom teaches K-5 music, my dad teaches high school history, my husband teaches high school band, and my grandma used to teach 3rd grade. I’m so proud of them for supporting their communities and pouring their hearts into what can often be a very thankless profession. They taught me that work is so much more than a paycheck — it’s about making a difference, even when it feels like nobody is paying attention.

10) I’m ambidextrous (and that’s also one of my favorite words).

I write and edit images with my left hand, but I throw and use scissors with my right hand. I guess it makes sense, since I have both the Type A qualities of being left-brained and the creative qualities of right-brainers!