Today we’d like to introduce you to Katlyn Reilly.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Katlyn. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
A lot like other photographers, I’ve loved taking photographs since I was a little kid. I drove my family crazy at gatherings because I was always snapping their photograph. In high school, I took a Photography 101 class and I was hooked. I used a 35mm SLR and used my friends as my models. I loved developing the film and using the enlargers in the dark room. In the class, we shared our cameras and film rolls. I saved up money from my job and bought my own Vivitar 35mm camera. I brought it everywhere. Going into my senior year of highschool, I took a class titled Photographing People in the summer semester at a local community college. I went on to attend college in Worcester. After two years of community college, I went on to get my bachelor’s of science in photography. During my time in college, I photographed my first wedding, in 2009 and I’ve been a wedding and portrait photographer ever since.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I wouldn’t say the road has been entirely smooth. While I had a lot of great professors during my college years, learning the business side of things has been a struggle over the years. Almost all of my photography professors were fine art photographers. I remember wedding photography being shunned by my classmates. I didn’t care though – I love the challenge of photographing such important moments for my clients and their families, all the while being creative for 8 to 10 hours on the fly. Luckily there’s plenty of online communities and resources to learn the things my college experience was lacking. I’ve also had quite a few amazing photographers teach me the ropes as I started second shooting and building my own business. I would advise any young woman starting their journey to NETWORK. If you’re like me, this is a scary thought, putting yourself out there – but I promise, you will find like minded people and your network will flourish.
Please tell us about Katlyn Reilly Photography.
One of the things I love most about photography is the value it has as it ages. The value increases! When I was a little kid, I used to go into my mom’s closet and leaf through boxes and boxes of photographs of friends and family. I still do this! It takes me back to different time periods. It shows me moments I wasn’t even around for. I like to call myself a nostalgia hoarder, and this plays a huge role in my photography process.
My ultimate goal is for my clients to have these photographs of whatever time period they hire me to photograph for them – be it a wedding, a birth or that year’s family portrait. I want them to be able to look at them and remember how it felt on their wedding day when they were walking down the aisle, or the day they gave birth to their child and how their partner rubbed their back through a contraction. I want them to see their family portrait from a certain year and laugh about their silly haircut- which was a totally trendy haircut that year!
I want to and strive for my clients to get authentic and creative imagery- and I want it to be as stress-free and as fun as possible. I’m proud to say that a lot of my clients say that I made them feel comfortable and that I feel like a friend of theirs. I feel this for them, too!
Are there any apps, books, podcasts or other resources that you’ve benefited from using?
I love the Planoly app! I used to go and post on Instagram every day one by one. I was listening to The Business of Photography Podcast and they mentioned this. It’s so clutch! Now, I can post every day on Instagram, even if I’m too busy shooting a wedding to do it myself. Another resource that I love is Dubsado which is a client management system. I have no idea how I ran my business before it! I can send clients invoices, contracts, and up even set up client portals so everything is in one place. I remember that when I got married five years ago, everything was on paper and I definitely lost a few things. Everything being digital makes it so much easier. As for keeping my mind and body on the right path, I love love love yoga or a good book!
Pricing:
- Wedding packages start at $3,000.00
- Portrait sessions start at $425.00
- Birth photography starts at $1,000.00
Contact Info:
- Address: 131 Lincoln Street
Office Number 1
Worcester, MA - Website: www.katlynreilly.com
- Phone: (774) 276-9070
- Email: katlyn@katlynreilly.com
- Instagram: @katlynreillyphotography
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/katlynreillyphotography
- Twitter: @KMReillyPhoto
Image Credit:
Katlyn Reilly Photography
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