When I decided to take the leap and begin focusing my full attention on building a photography business, I jumped in headfirst: with little to no business experience or acumen, a couple of old film cameras and a slightly newer DSLR and a drive and a passion to pursue the career of my dreams. 

Over the past year, as things have taken shape, I have relied on the most extraordinary community.  I have joined local Facebook groups for industry professionals, UK-wide groups for storytelling photographers.  I have met makeup artists and magicians and illustrators, florists, event planners, wedding dress designers, stylists, venue coordinators, musicians, boutique owners, bloggers...dozens and dozens of people working at the top of their game in an incredibly competitive industry but all with the same goal: to help contribute to making someone's wedding day the very best it can be.  In many ways, my theatre degree has been far more instrumental than I have originally thought.  Because weddings, like theatre, are a collaborative art.  We all are constantly striving for better and more and to stand out but perhaps even more importantly, to use our talents and our creativity to produce a day like no other. 

I'm in awe of the skills I've seen in my very short career so far, the dedication and time people put in, all in the name of a wedding.  I've been to tiny family-filled civil ceremonies in backyards and huge blown-out celebrations in stately homes but they share one very major commonality: everyone involved has a part to play and they work their asses off as if it were the first and last time they ever played it.  As the photographer I'm archiving all of this work, I'm catching those quiet minutes before the band begins to play and the guests are milling around the edge of the dance floor, I'm capturing the carefully chosen details, the reactions of the bride & groom to a trick played just for them.  I'm the luckiest of all because I get to see it all again, first.

I have a point here, stay with me! Squid & Pearl was started with the idea of creating beautiful work but keeping a bit of distance.  As a new mom, I'm fiercely protective of my personal life and was nervous to share too much.  But over the past few months I've realised that that distance was holding me back from truly becoming an amazing archivist.  I'm emotional and messy and I laugh too loudly and hug too much for most English people's taste but these qualities that I worried would hold me back are what make me, ME.  I want to join the ranks of those professionals I've been lucky enough to meet, and I can only do this by getting a bit more personal and allowing that emotional sensitivity to resonate through my work.  I want to get to know you and I want YOU to know ME.  Because if you decide to welcome me into your homes to photograph your families and into that bridal prep room where only a handful of people get to go, if you allow me to capture the looks on your faces as you walk towards your new life together, I think it's fair for us to be pals first. 

So goodbye Squid & Pearl, what an amazing run we've have.  For those of you that have followed me from Squid & Pearl Photography and to those of you just joining me, welcome. 

My name is Kate, I can't wait to get to know you!