Meet Katie McCarthy of Little Moments by Katie

Today we’d like to introduce you to Katie McCarthy.

Katie, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
How did I get here? It’s like a dream! Sometimes I don’t even know how I got here. It took me a long time to decide what I wanted to be when I grow up. Photography has always been a passion of mine.

When I was in high school I was on the yearbook staff, I loved writing and taking photographs. I never considered that these interests could become a career. When I thought about what I wanted to be, I really wasn’t sure but I knew I wanted to help people. I graduated from Bridgewater State with a bachelors degree in psychology. At Bridgewater State, I worked as a news editor on the campus paper. I could never put aside that passion for the arts and I lived for the late nights of editing and writing columns. from there I went to Brockton Hospital school of nursing and earned my nursing degree. While in nursing school I got married and had my first baby, my son Mikey. When he was born, my husband Brian, knowing my love for photographs, invested in camera equipment for me. Every single minute of my spare time was spent with my little baby boy and learning how to use my camera.

That’s when it all started. I would post photographs of my son and as my knowledge grew and my technique improved, friends started asking me to photograph their children. My first official Photo shoot was for a friend. I refused to accept money, but they gave me a card with money that said put this toward a photography class and go for it girl…. so, I did. I signed up for some online classes and took a beginner’s class with Kjeld Mahoney in Scituate Harbor. And this is when my career blossomed.

I’ve spent the past 7 years building a client base, and this past March I teamed up with another very talented photographer, Courtney Mandeveille, and opened the doors to our very own studio Darling Chic Photo Boutique.

The story of how Courtney and I met is kismet. Ask me about it sometime 😉

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Challenges are a part of every journey. The bumps in the road are what make us push harder and discover what is worth fighting for. For me, the biggest struggle was overcoming self-doubt. Until now, I had a really difficult time deciding which direction I wanted my life to go in terms of happiness and financial stability for my family.

I was accepted to Brockton Hospital school of nursing in 2009 and graduated in 2011. In those two years, I got married, and had my first baby. I worked extremely hard to earn my nursing degree, and after passing the boards I set my sights on my first nursing job. I worked as a pediatric nurse for a few years before moving on to my current position at Brockton Hospital in the adult acute care setting. I truly enjoy nursing, and caring for people in their time of need, yet something was still missing.

I spent all of my spare time learning photography. It was my zen. My happy place. A rough night at the hospital was instantly a distant memory the moment I took my camera out and began photographing my family and friends. I knew I was on to something.

In 2014 Little Moments by Katie officially became a business. I was working full time at the hospital and running this little side business that was growing before my eyes.

I constantly struggled with balance. Was my photography distracting me from my nursing career, or was my nursing career distracting me from this business I started? Which was better for me? Which was better for my family?

I finally figured it out! Life is all about balance. Little Moments by Katie was growing and in hopes that it was only the beginning, I decided to cut down my hours at the hospital and dedicate a little more time to my business venture. Cutting down my hours at the hospital was one of the biggest decisions of my life. My nursing career that I worked so hard to achieve seemed like something I just couldn’t let go of, so I didn’t. I cut back and found that happy medium. I embraced both choices and stopped doubting my decisions. Photography is my passion. It is what makes me happy, so I went for it. Little Moments by Katie has become my full time career, and nursing part-time. It’s what works for me. So far, so good.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
Little Moments by Katie creates custom photography experiences. I consider my specialty to be maternity, newborn, children and families. I dabble in many areas of photography but these are the fields where I have focused my education.

I love children. I have always had a way with interacting with children. I like to be goofy. I like to get down on their level. I like to put my camera down and just play. Those are when you get the genuine emotions. I think if you asked many of my clients what I am known for, it would be my down-to-earth attitude and the way I interact with children and families to make them comfortable in front of the camera. I like to hope that every client that walks through those studio doors will become a friend. There is no better feeling than to see clients come back and watch their families grow over the years. I truly value the relationships with my clients and I think that us what sets me apart. It’s not just about business and income for me. It’s all of it. I really really love what I do.

Like I mentioned previously, in March 2017, I teamed up with Courtney Mandeville of Smooth Sailing photography and together we opened the Darling Chic Photo Boutique in Plympton, Ma. THIS is what I am most proud of as a company. The moment I met Courtney, we just clicked. I could see from the get-go what a hardworking and passionate photographer she was. When the idea of sharing a studio came up, I didn’t hesitate for a second. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made. We combined our resources and have created a studio space of our dreams. You should come check it out! I really can’t put into words how awesome it is!

What were you like growing up?
My childhood was pretty awesome. I have my parents to thank for that because they always supported any opportunity that came my way.

I was pretty outgoing and I always kept busy. I don’t really know how to sit still. Never have.

Always going from one activity to the next. You name it, I’ve probably tried it! I was very involved in many different programs in school. My high school years are chalk full of memories of sporting events; softball, soccer, basketball, cheerleading. I was always a part of the non-sports related activities as well such as student council, national honor society, yearbook committee, theater, chorus, band (played the saxophone but that definitely wasn’t my calling, Ha!). I was kind of one of those people who didn’t have a clique. I mean I had a group of friends, that I was closest to and still am today, but I was always very independent and kind of did my own thing. I grew up in Holbrook, Ma. and went to a very small junior-senior public high school. I think we graduated with under 80 people in our class. I love being from a small town. I love staying in touch with classmates, teachers, and all the people who helped shape the person I am today. This photography business has really allowed me to get back in touch with former classmates and watch their families grow. It’s amazing.

Pricing:

• Clients tend to invest between $250-$900

Contact Info:

• Address: Little Moments by Katie
  Darling Chic Photo Boutique
  266 Main St.
  Plympton, Ma
• Website: www.littlemomentsbykatie.com
• Phone: 617-833-2478
• Email: Littlemomentskm@gmail.com
• 

Image Credit:
Personal Photo: Smooth Sailing Photography
Little Moments by Katie

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