This is a very bittersweet blog post for me to write. In fact, I’ve been putting it off for weeks now, trying to find the words that would sum everything up just right. I give up though and have decided to just shoot from the heart.
It’s with lots of sadness that I officially announce Cheryl’s departure from Katch Studios in 2013. It’s been an AMAZING ride full of learning, laughter and love, but Cheryl has decided to bow out of the professional photography world so that she can focus more on her demanding full-time career in law, and on her growing family (in fact, she just welcomed her second baby yesterday!) She’s already been quietly transitioning out of our company over the past year, taking on less bookings, and she’ll be shooting her last wedding with me in September of this year. It’s been a really difficult decision for her to make, but one that we both feel will be better for her in the long run. We’re obviously going to continue to be the BEST of friends (going strong since we first met in grade 9!) and we look forward to seeing what the future holds for the both of us.
We started Katch Studios back in 2008, having no real plan at all besides wanting to share something cool together. Neither of us had any professional training in photography, just a little bit of working knowledge, and a ton of passion. Two years in, I quit my day job as a makeup artist and focussed my attention full time on photography. I handled about 80% of our business (everything from photo-editing, book-keeping, emailing, blogging etc) while Cheryl did double duty as a full-time lawyer in Vancouver who moonlighted as a wedding photographer part-time. Seeing how far we’ve come over the last 4 years, looking back on all the beautiful weddings, couples and families we’ve photographed– it’s crazy to think back to those early days when we were just crossing our fingers that enough people would trust and take a chance on us. I’m so proud of what we’ve built together, and I’m both sad to see Cheryl move on– but also, really excited for what’s to come.
So what does this mean exactly? Going forward, Katch Studios will be rebranded with just me as the primary photographer and sole owner/operator, and I will shoot weddings with a second shooter. I will be working with only experienced professional photographers that meet the standards and style that you’ve come to expect of our work. When you book a wedding for 2013 with Katch Studios, you will get me and another photographer that I trust. There should be no worry that the quality of our work will suffer at all, seeing as how I’ve shot a number of weddings in the past with a second shooter that wasn’t Cheryl. I’ve even shot a couple of weddings on my own, and these weddings ended up being featured in print publications. As for the boudoir branch of our business, that won’t change at all, since I already currently run that on my own.
With all of these changes in the air, I’ve decided to also take this as an opportunity for me to refresh in general! I’m excited to announce that I’m working on 2 new websites (one for weddings/lifestyle and one for boudoir) which will be launching very soon. I’m thinking that a draw/giveaway will also be in order, so definitely stay tuned for your chance to win!
But for now, I’d just like to take this chance to wish Cheryl only good things for the future. We’ve been best friends for 17 years. We’ve seen Katch Studios go from nothing to something we’re both so proud of. Thank you for all the love you poured into our business, and for always being the most amazing friend and partner. We may not be working together anymore after this year, but we both know our friendship will carry on as always~ strong and loyal.
XOXO
And because no blog post is ever complete without a picture, here’s one of Cheryl and I while shooting a wedding and enjoying some fun in their photobooth~
*heart*
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