To hone my skills, I asked friends to let me photograph them and trained as a second shooter with other photographers, developing my style along the way. Now with 40+ weddings under my belt, as a wedding photographer, I portray the candid, in-between glances alongside more classic portraiture in a way that forever preserves your love. I understand the deep impact that photos can have because I feel it every time I flip through my childhood scrapbooks. I’m humbled by the opportunity to create these cherished images for couples and families to look back on for years to come.
There’s nothing more fulfilling than to connect with couples who love the great outdoors and value emotive, timeless photographs that portray them genuinely. I love witnessing couples come together with their friends and family– hugging, crying, laughing, dancing, celebrating love in its many precious forms. I am honored to have the opportunity to photograph your wedding with intention, care, and a heart of service, always.
Photo by Kasey Smith
Some of my most treasured memories are shaped by the beauty of the outdoors. There is nothing more authentic or intimate to me than the natural environments that surround us. But as I grew up, I leaned into other interests and pursued a BS in chemical engineering. As an engineering consultant in the pharmaceutical industry, I developed a knack for problem-solving, working with people, and adapting to challenges—skills that surprisingly translate well to my work as a photographer.
It wasn’t until my husband and I traveled to Banff on our honeymoon, armed with a 35mm film camera to document the journey, that I rekindled my love for photography. I captured everything—the breathtaking views, the thrill of our first trip as newlyweds, and the little moments that filled each day. When I received the film scans, I was struck by how the nostalgic tones and soft grain made our memories feel even more magical. Seeing these moments captured on film, alongside our wedding photos, brought back memories of family adventures and reminded me how photography had always been a part of me. I realized, then, that photography was what I was truly meant to pursue.
I always tell people that my photography is inspired by nature because that’s what first drew me to the craft. Growing up in Raleigh, my family filled our childhood with adventures to national parks, hiking through epic forests and climbing to summits—always with a camera in hand.
Flipping through our family scrapbooks today, you’d find scenic vistas alongside classic family group photos, the funny faces my brother and I made for the camera, and my mom’s notes scribbled in the margins. At the time, I didn’t fully appreciate the opportunity we had to connect with nature, form core memories, and fill our home with framed memories of those adventures. It’s funny how, when moments happen, we often don’t realize how much they will mean until we look back on them much later. Childhood memories, like wedding photos, are priceless as they are often the only things we have to look back on life’s precious moments.
HEY, I’M KATIE, A NORTH CAROLINA WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER WHO LOVES NATIONAL PARKS, FILM CAMERAS, AND GREEN TEA.
Meet Your photographer
"When people look at my pictures I want them to feel the way they do when they want to read a line of a poem twice." — Robert Frank
I’m Vietnamese and Chinese. I love sharing my culture, traditions, and food with others. Some of my most cherished memories are sitting around the table with my family talking, laughing, and eating hot pot.
03.
When I’m not photographing weddings or editing galleries, you can find me curled up on the couch next to my dog reading a fantasy romance. I’m obsessed with Sarah J. Maas and would do anything to read ACOTAR and TOG for the first time with fresh eyes.
02.
Yosemite and Mt. Rainier are among my favorite national parks. So far, I’ve visited 15 parks in total and have a ways to go until I hit all 63. I am constantly summiting new mountains, hiking trails with my husband, and trying out cute local bakeries wherever we go.
