hi! so glad
you're here
I’m Kathryn -- closer to 30 than I’d like, growing more extroverted by the day, and quite convinced that beauty will save the world.
I get really animated when I’m passionate about anything (which is often), and when I laugh I laugh out LOUD.
The human person will always be my biggest inspiration.
Brewing kombucha, naming my houseplants + hiking in the sunshine give me life. If I could wear Birkenstocks or go barefoot the rest of my life, I would. If it’s crunchy or natural or non-toxic, I’m in!
Thrifting is my greatest weakness, and C.S. Lewis’ Till We Have Faces is my favorite book.
When I sit down at a piano there is a 90% chance I will play “Reverie” by Claude Debussy, and a 100% chance I will blush.
I’m conversational in Spanish and working towards fluency. Mariposa is my favorite Spanish word -- butterfly. Coincidentally, it’s also my favorite animal.
I’m Catholic and love the tremendous beauty I’ve found in this faith. I 1000% would love to have coffee with you to talk about prayer, or the Eucharist, or why I even bother believing in God, anyway.
I’ve lived in all four continental US time zones in the last five years, but the Kansas plains will always have my heart.
about me
I grew up with five siblings on five acres in the best state in the union (Kansas, obviously.). My fondest childhood memories include haggling for bargains at garage sales with my mom and grandma, dressing up as Catholic saints for Halloween each year with my siblings, and getting lost in the worlds of Laura Ingalls Wilder or the Boxcar Children.
History is fascinating to me, and I’ve been inspired by Ancient Egyptian, Native American and Hispanic cultures since before I lost my two front teeth. My earliest dreams were to live off the land in a log cabin or teepee, and to photograph for National Geographic.
I picked up my dad’s film camera when I was eight. Photography was one of the first things I wasn’t very “good” at, consistently achieving low-ranking ribbons at the local county fair. It’s also the very first (practically only) thing I stuck with once I realized it was hard. My life goal for a long time was to “take photos with those blurry backgrounds.” (!!!... Y’all, I did it!)
Over the last ten years I’ve traveled to El Salvador, Spain, Italy, Ecuador, Mexico, France, Chile, Canada, and Bolivia in that order. I want to add another country every single year. So yes, I will travel to shoot your wedding. The answer is always yes!!
my story
In my heart there is a direct correlation between photography and receptivity to goodness and beauty.
Photography has never been just a “job” -- it’s a mission, a calling, something I can’t not do.
I am an artist, and with my camera I hope to remember and convey the truth of who we are: we are beautiful, even (especially!) in the midst of the chaos and messiness and imperfections of life. And even more so, I strive to communicate Whose we are: His. The God Who created the mountains and valleys and beauties of the earth -- that God created you and me. And He is good.
I experience God through mountains and babies and music and wildflowers and Scripture. But I experience Him in a unique way through photography. For me, photography has always been about wonder and awe at the majesty of God and His creation.
Behind a camera, I experience the world with child-like wonder.
It is my great hope that the people I photograph experience this same freedom and joy.
what is a Missionary of Beauty?
Beauty is the lens through which I see the world.
My camera helps me share the beauty I see + feel.
“Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; the neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory was arrayed like one of these.”
Matthew 6:28-29
“God Who made the sun, also made the moon. The moon does not take away from the brilliance of the sun. All its light is reflected from the sun. The Blessed Mother reflects her Divine Son; without Him, she is nothing. With Him, she is the Mother of men.”
Ven. Fulton Sheen
I have a stick-and-poke tattoo on my ankle of a crescent moon. Maybe one day I’ll get some wild flowers on my arm. These symbols remind me of who I am, and who I strive to become. I am like a little wildflower, poor and in need of a loving Father to care for me, yet simultaneously oh-so-beautiful. He provides for all my needs. And I strive to imitate Mary in her femininity, docility, and reliance on the Son.
These symbols illustrate the depths of who I am, which seemed fitting since my brand is so much more than what I do.
Other pieces you’ll find throughout my work include images of creation: both in nature and its pinnacle, the human person.
You’ll find light + shadows, the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, the moon + sunsets + the deep blue sky. You’ll occasionally find intentional negative space, blur + grain, and even some film.
You’ll experience an emphasis on reverence both in the Catholic Mass as well as towards the human person. You’ll find intentional imperfections, movement, joy.
Ansel Adams and the Traditional Latin Mass remain two huge inspirations, and I hope this shows in my work.
Most of all, woven into the depths of my work you’ll find beauty. I invite you to keep looking until you find it. There is so much beauty.
Photography and my brand express integral pieces of my heart -- I am truly in awe that I get to share these glimpses with you. I hope you’ve found them beautiful.
If what you’ve found resonates with you, please reach out! I’d be honored to hear your story and capture this portion of your life. Because life is beautiful, and beauty will indeed save the world.
my brand
maddie + nick
"the photos kathryn took of our family were fantastic!"
“I literally put her photos up against catalog mailers we get, they’re the same quality. She has such an amazing gift. She took wonderful head shots that I am going to use for my professional website. It feels great knowing I can put a good professional picture on my site.”
"Kathryn captured us so well, and it’s so hard to pick just 1 or 2 for our save the dates!!! "
“We will definitely be making a photo book because they are GORGEOUS!! I appreciate all the time she spent with us that day and for making sure we were happy! Some of our favorites come from the “ok we’re done…wait just one more over here” they are so good!”
bernadette + ben
