Today we’d like to introduce you to Katharine Schooler.
Hi Katharine, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I started getting interested in photography when I was in 6th grade but never really pursued it fully until I was in high school. I took a photojournalism class my junior year of high school after deciding that I wanted to get more serious about photography, and from there my love and passion for it really grew. For the longest time, I didn’t really know what kind of photography I wanted to do so I dabbled around in a little bit of everything before finding out that I really liked shooting people over nature. I remember going to a yearbook convention my senior year of high school and I sat through a photojournalism class and fell in love with that. For the longest time, I wanted to be a photojournalist but once I got into college that changed and I just wanted to be a portrait/studio photographer.
When I finally decided what I wanted to do I thought it would be easy just having photoshoots with people, but I found out quickly that that was the most difficult part. Trying to find people to take photos of when you’re just starting out and haven’t really grown your name is difficult. I was constantly asking friends and family if I could take pictures of them, and thankfully most of them allowed me to, which not only helped me grow my portfolio, but it also helped me grow in my camera skills.
I was a freshman in college when I decided to start my photography business so trying to get my name out there while also being a full-time student was not easy. I was also new to the area so I didn’t know anybody that I could ask to take pictures of and I was pretty shy still about being a photographer. I also wasn’t confident in my skills so I felt embarrassed to tell people I was a photographer. It was only recently, in the early part of 2021 that I started actually charging for photoshoots, before that I would just do them for free because I didn’t feel like I was good enough to charge people money for me to take photos of them.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
It’s definitely not been a smooth road. I would say it’s been a very start-stop progression. When I had just started thinking about doing more exploring with photography, covid happened which then made me stay inside for months and not even pick up a camera for almost a year. Before covid, I would say the most difficult part was finding people who wanted their pictures taken and would allow me to do photoshoots with them.
Almost everyone I was asking had never been in front of a camera before so they were really awkward with their body and posing, and that was a little difficult because trying to explain poses to new models isn’t always the easiest. Aside from the actual photography part, editing the photos was another thing that was a challenge because I didn’t know how I wanted to edit them or really how to edit in general.
When I took my photojournalism class, there is a specific kind of editing that you do for those photos but it’s very different from feature magazine style photos, which is what I was mostly shooting. I’d say only recently has the road smoothed out.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m a photographer who specializes in portrait/studio and magazine-style photoshoots. I love working with people and bringing out their model side and just having a fun, relaxed photoshoot. I almost always only use a 50mm lens so my photos are always closer to the subject and always has a blurred background and I think that’s what I’m known for.
I’m most proud of the way I’ve grown in my style of photos as well as my editing, and I think that’s what sets me apart the most. There are very specific poses and shots that I always take that I feel like if someone saw it across their social media page, they’d know it was from me.
What does success mean to you?
Success is about working hard and doing what makes you happy. It may seem trying at times and it may feel like nothing is happening in terms of progression, but I always believe that if you’re trying your hardest and you’re happy with what you’re doing then that’s the most rewarding thing. I also think that success isn’t about wanting to make it big but more so about wanting to share your passion with the world. I think that’s what really brings on success and makes everything worth it in the end.
Pricing:
- $50 per hour
- An additional $10 per location
- $20 more for gas expenses if it’s more than a thirty minute drive to meet up
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://katharinebellephotography.squarespace.com/
- Instagram: @katharine.bellephotography
- Facebook: Katharine Belle
Image Credits
All pictures of me were taken by Nicole Reed. All other pictures were taken by me.
