my approach to wedding photography
Capturing the emotion of a moment is my passion. It has been since I was four years old, when I first answered the question “What do you want to be when you grow up?” with “an artist!” At first this passion came through in my drawings, then paintings, and then evolved into my love of photography. When I first had the opportunity to photograph a wedding, I never looked back. I had found my dream job.
I enter every wedding day full of excitement, bringing my enthusiasm and expertise to make sure you feel confident and at ease. Part of a photographer’s job is to make their subject feel comfortable in front of the camera. This has always been easy for me – I love the people I photograph and believe in renowned photojournalist Alfred Eisenstaedt’s words, “It is more important to click with people than to click the shutter.” I try to radiate positivity during every shoot, knowing my attitude can be reflected in my subjects. That being said, for a large part of weddings I go unnoticed, quietly searching for the fleeting moments that I know you’ll want to look back on forever. This is your day, and I am there to document it. To make sure that you end up with photographs that serve to bring back these wonderful memories for years to come. After all, wedding photos are often those that are passed on through generations. Keeping this in mind, I strive to take photos that will withstand the test of time, hundreds of small works of art that can stand alone, or be pieced together into the story of a beautiful day filled with love.
For me, nothing beats the rush that I get while shooting a wedding, except maybe the response clients have for the photos afterward. I put my heart and soul into every love story that I capture, and I want you to be able to really feel that when you look through your photos. I make sure to capture all of your friends and loved ones, the beautiful moments, the powerful emotions, and the obvious and not-so-obvious details to tell the timeless story of your wedding day.
I'm based in Buffalo NY and primarily photograph weddings in Western NY including Rochester and the Finger Lakes Region, but am also available for weddings throughout New York State, and for destination weddings worldwide! Please don’t hesitate to contact me! We can get to know each other and figure out if I’m the right photographer for you.
Katie, I wish I could put into words the emotions I feel every single time I look at the photos you took of our amazing day. You have this incredible ability to capture every small moment with the most perfect details and let us relive them over and over again. I think back to our big day and how organized yet flexible you were - how professional yet it felt like I had known you for years - how so many of our guests came up to say how much they loved how non-intrusive you were and still captured every important moment. Katie, you are truly incredible and so talented. Riley and I are so very lucky to have had you as our wedding photographer!
F.A.Q.
What type of equipment do you use? I use all top-of-the-line Nikon Equipment, and always come with backups of everything and PLENTY of extra batteries! It’s really important for your photographer to have backups of equipment - if anything breaks (knock on wood) while I’m photographing a wedding it’s no big deal because I have something on-hand to compensate for it.
How did you get into wedding photography? Did you go to school for it? I’ve been into art for as long as I remember, so I’ve enjoyed taking photographs as a hobby for many years. My bachelors degree is in Studio Art, (and I have a second degree in Psychology for no good reason other than that it’s fascinating). When I got the opportunity to work alongside a professional wedding photographer I knew right away that this was the career for me, (where else could I create art and combine my love of photography, emotion, and people?!) and shortly after started my own business.
Do you work alone? Do you work with a second shooter or an assistant? I used to frequently shoot on my own, but the more I did it the more I realized how crazy it is not to have a second photographer! Now all of the packages I offer do include a second photographer because of all the advantages that brings for both me AND my clients! Having another photographer there means there is a completely different set of eyes capturing your wedding, often documenting same moment from a completely different perspective, or capturing a moment that I might have completely missed while photographing something else! There's endless possibilities when you can be in two places at once!
Do you shoot with film or digital? Digital.
Are you insured? Yes.
Will my photos be in black and white or color? About 95% of your images will be given to you in color, the rest in black and white. I’ll also provide a black and white copy of the color images that I think will look fantastic in B&W.
Will you edit my photographs? Yes. After your event I will go through all of your photographs and edit each image for exposure and color correction, and do some basic retouching on a few of them.
How long until I see my photographs? You will have your images within six to eight weeks from your wedding date at the latest.
What do your services cost? My wedding packages begin at $4,000. If you're interested in having me photograph your wedding once you've learned a bit about me and looked at my work, I'm so glad! Please send me an email or submit an inquiry and I will be happy to share more detailed investment information with you!
Have you shot at my venue before? To be honest, I really don't think this one matters all that much! I frequently shoot at new venues and find it inspiring to do so - I do some of my best work at venues I've never been to before! That being said, I've listed a bunch of venues that I've shot at (and loved!) in the past.
Buffalo, NY: Park Country Club, Hotel Lafayette, The Foundry, Asbury Hall, Becker Farms, Freedom Run Winery, The Avanti Mansion, Templeton Landing, Riverworks, The Curtiss Hotel, The Sterling at Arrowhead
Rochester, NY: The Strathallan Hotel, The Wintergarden by Monroes, The Arbor Loft, The Inn on Broadway, Casa Larga, Monroe Golf Club, Deerfield Golf and Country Club, The Memorial Art Gallery, Irondequoit Country Club, The Rochester Airport Marriott, The Webster Arboretum, The Rochester Radisson Riverside, Cobblestone Creek Country Club, The Burgundy Basin, Rochester Wedding Barn, Twin Silos Barn, Eagle Vale Golf Course, Sodus Point Yacht Club, Terry Hills Golf Course, The Harro East Ballroom, Penfield Country Club, Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School, Shadow Lake, Sodus Bay Heights Golf Club, Midvale Country Club, Durand Eastman Clubhouse, Glendoveer's, La Luna at High Falls, The Genesee Country Village & Museum, The Rabbit Room, Ravenwood Golf Club, Cobblestone Wedding Barn, Hurd Orchards, The Century House, The Hyatt Regency Rochester, Oak Hill Country Club, The George Eastman Museum, The Jackrabbit Club
The Finger Lakes Region: Bristol Harbour Resort, Belhurst Castle, Crispin Hill, The Inn on The Lake, Silver Queen Farm, The Genesee River Restaurant, Sonnenberg Gardens, Canandaigua Country Club, Glenora Wine Cellars, Geneva Country Club, Normandie Orchards, Heron Hill Winery, Ventosa Vineyards
Albany / Saratoga / Lake George Region: The Sagamore Resort, Erlowest, Saratoga National, Fort William Henry, The Glen Sanders Mansion, The Hall of Springs, The Crooked Lake House, Key Hall at Proctors, Franklin Plaza, The Lake George Club, The Gideon Putnam, Wolferts Roost Country Club, Canfield Casino, The Desmond Hotel, The State Room, 90 State Events, Jimbo’s Club at the Point
Central NY Region (Syracuse, Skaneateles, Etc.): The Sherwood Inn, The Otesaga Resort Hotel, The Lodge at Welch Allyn, Traditions at the Links, The Dibbles Inn, Hayloft on the Arch, The Skyline Lodge at Highland Forest, Blenheim Hill Farm, Gilbertsville Farmhouse, Syracuse Marriott Downtown, The Sinclair of Skaneateles, Emerson Park Pavilion, Owera Vineyards
Long Island, NY: Lombardi’s on the Bay, The Ocean Club, Mansion at Timber Point, Fox Hollow, The Crescent Beach Club, The Bourne Mansion