Today we’d like to introduce you to Kate Pease.
Kate, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My heart has always been drawn to imagery and photographs. I recently heard a quote that said “Commit a memory to eternity through a photograph” and that is what I strive to do for my couples, families, and my own personal work. When we had our first child in 2008 I immediately saw the value of committing memories to eternity through photos because my daughter was growing and changing each day and I wanted to remember her in each particular age and stage.
This passion blossomed into the desire of capturing other people’s vital memories through photographs. As one says, it snowballed from there! I started Kate Pease Photography in 2010 in Salt Lake City Utah. My husband got a job relocation to the Dallas area in 2014 and life has never been better. We get to live near our family and work in the best metro in the whole country. The clients I’ve met and friends I’ve made have made life so sweet.
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?
Any successful business owner can tell you that no road to any amount of success is smooth! I started Kate Pease Photography in 2010 in Salt Lake City and built it to a level of success I was happy with. My husband got a job relocation to Dallas in 2014 and I was very nervous about relocating! I would have to start all over from scratch with no network and no clients. Talk about a huge risk! I was so nervous to leave all that I had built in Utah but looked forward to Texas with optimism. I was born here in Grapevine and my family is from here so I was very excited to come back. I owe my success in Dallas to the genuine and amazing wedding industry we have here.
I was able to quickly build a solid network and start acquiring referrals from other vendors, which is what has gotten me to the place I am now. Surprisingly, I’ve never paid for advertising. The quality of work I provide as well as the experience from start to finish has stood on its own well enough that my business is mostly referral based. That really means a lot to me to have other trusted wedding professionals and clients refer my work for capturing the biggest milestones and memories. I’ve always said the thing I love most about Texas is the people. Everyone is so genuine, kind, and inviting.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Kate Pease Photography story. Tell us more about the business.
I specialize in wedding and family photography. I shoot both digital and film photography to be able to capture my clients in the best light with irreplaceable tones and colors. I strive to capture each client as their authentic selves. I always say “When you’re in front of my camera, I’m not going to make you look awkward or do anything you wouldn’t normally do, I’m just going to make you look really good while doing it!”
My style can be categorized as joyful, timeless and authentic. Although I am mindful of wedding and photography trends, one of my main goals is to give clients timeless images they are going to enjoy with their grandchildren one day. My grandparents just had their 62nd wedding anniversary and I am so grateful for the photos we have of that special day. My grandmother wore a beautiful tea length dress and my grandpa in a tux with a dapper haircut.
You can really feel what that day was like for them just with that one photograph. I want to give that joyful experience to my clients now and decades from now, which is why I approach each wedding with heart and mindfulness. There is no do-over on a wedding day. You leave your reception at the end of the night with your spouse, your memories, and your photos. It’s vital to nail it each and every time for every couple to best tell the story of their day.
What sets me apart is the quality of experience from the first meeting through to the delivery of the images or album. Being a great photographer is so much more than showing up to an event with a camera. I make sure each of my clients is comfortable, trusting, and well informed before each portrait session and wedding day. I get to know my clients well to be able to capture their love story as authentically as possible.
My clients get to fully relax and enjoy their wedding day knowing that all the important moments are being captured because we prepared well beforehand and I know exactly what is most important to them. Not only are their important memories being captured, I will curate my client’s experience being photographed to make sure they are in the best light and angle, and ensure that their details are thoughtfully styled and captured.
My clients get a specialized selection of little surprises throughout the duration of their time with me which enhances the experience even more. With me as the photographer, my clients can feel confident that their priceless moments and memories are being captured in a way that they can enjoy for many years to come. Your photographs are a tangible legacy for your posterity, and it’s an honor to be given that opportunity to provide that level of quality and experience.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I thank my lucky stars daily for my blessings! I would definitely say that my luck has been divine and someone upstairs has looked out for us. After many years away, I am so lucky to be back in the place of my birth and to live near my family again doing what I love most as a wedding photographer. It was very lucky for my husband to get a job relocation here. We are SO lucky and fortunate to have such an amazing wedding industry in DFW, I’ve truly never seen anything like it!
Everyone is very supportive and relishes in other’s successes. Some of my very best friends are in the industry and could even be seen as “direct competition” to me, but we don’t see it that way. There is enough love, goodness, and weddings for us all to be successful! I’m also very lucky to have my work featured in many national publications and magazines, as well as have my work featured on TV!
Most of all I am SO lucky to have my clients in my life. I don’t know how, but truly the best people in the world choose me to be their photographer. My clients are so genuine, grounded, fun, and joyful. They understand love, the meaning of family and understand the big picture. I get to see them commit their love to marriage and watch over the years as their families grow. It is the biggest honor to get a call from a past bride asking for maternity, baby, and family photos. Getting to know my clients and having their trust in life’s biggest moments is near and dear to my heart. The people who get brought into my life are the biggest blessing.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.katepease.com
- Email: katepeasephotography@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/katepeasephotography
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/katepeasephotography
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