Today we’d like to introduce you to Catherine Threlkeld.
Catherine, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I started to love photography during a college study abroad trip to Italy. I was there on a multimedia journalism program. Going into the program, I thought that writing was my strong suit, but my photography professors quickly made me realize that my talents and interests were in visual storytelling. I returned to the Louisiana State University and began a series of internships and jobs in photojournalism. I worked full-time for 2 years at a daily publication in Baton Rouge, LA. I met my boyfriend during this time, and moved with him to his hometown – Peabody, MA.
I continued to do newspaper freelancing in the Boston area, but quickly turned my attention to the business of love. I worked for several years under some prominent wedding photographers before starting my own business. I have since moved to Salem, opened an office just down the street from my apartment, and book weddings all over the northeast. My photojournalism career has created such a solid platform for me to create meaningful, documentary images for my clients.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The biggest struggle with starting my own business is creating a substantial local network. I knew almost no one in Massachusetts when I moved here, and have since expanded my market through networking and social media marketing. My new friends and my boyfriend’s family have been so instrumental in getting my business where it is today. They are my biggest cheerleaders and supporters. I worked a nanny job for several years when I moved to Salem, but was able to go full-time in August 2016, in large part thanks to my friends’ and family’s efforts.
Please tell us about Catherine Threlkeld Photography.
My business is wedding-focused, but I also love to photograph families, newborns, seniors and maternity sessions. I really enjoy documenting big moments and capturing photos that will go in family scrapbooks and albums. Maternity sessions bring me so much joy. Pregnancy can make a woman feel pretty huge, but all I see is a glowing superwoman that’s about to bring a new life into the world and it is magic to my camera.
I also dabble in fashion and food photography. These are both passions of mine, so it’s a natural thing for me to love to photograph. I work with several local fashion bloggers that have massive social media followings. This is also a primary way that I have grown my social media presence. By photographing fashion bloggers that have 10k, 30k, 70k followers on Instagram, I have my name and work shown to thousands on a daily basis. Instagram brings me business every month, so it’s such a worthwhile time investment.
I am so proud that I have been able to grow my business quickly while maintaining the highest quality, great customer relationships and the best customer service. My clients know they can receive consistent quality work and a kind, patient photographer. I love my clients, and they know it!
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
If I had to press the restart button, I would start my networking processes immediately. It took me a while to start networking and put myself out there. I think I was afraid that I wasn’t good enough or that other photographers were so much better. All businesses start somewhere and continue to get better, but networking and meeting other creatives helped me grow and learn faster.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1 Derby Square, Suite 1
Salem, MA 01970 - Website: www.catherinethrelkeldphotography.com
- Email: catherinethrelkeldphotography@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/catherinethrelkeldphotography
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/catherinethrelkeldphotography
Image Credit:
Photos by Catherine Threlkeld Photography
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