the end of an era; bright new beginnings

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~

 

May 8, 2012 - 3:02 pm

Ainsley and Charles - Good luck Cheryl ! Charles and I adore the day after photos you took in downtown Vancouver in January 2011. You are very talented and it was a pleasure to work with you. We really treasure the photos and get nothing but praise from the friends we show. We wish you all the best in your career !

May 8, 2012 - 3:25 pm

trinh - Congrats to Cheryl and her beautiful new baby girl!!

And also congrats, best of luck and continued best wishes to my amazing sister Kat in continuing to grow Katch Studios into an even more amazing company. When I think back to the day you told me you were going to start your own photography studio I was so proud and excited for your new passion. I can’t believe what you have achieved in such a short amount of time!! Your work is amazing and you are so inspirational! I love you so much, and I know the future for you and Katch will continue to exceed expectations, because your work is SO beautiful!!
xoxo – Trinh

May 8, 2012 - 4:04 pm

Katryna - Congrats Cheryl and good luck! Thank you for the beautiful engagement pictures you took for me and my husband Tyler in April 2011. We had so much fun with you and wish you all the best!

May 8, 2012 - 4:37 pm

Kat - Thank you SO MUCH friends! Your comments mean so much to us!! Cheryl is currently at home getting acquainted with her new bundle of joy but she appreciates all your super sweet words.

May 8, 2012 - 6:16 pm

Sharon - Awww!!! Such a sweet post Kat, and yes, totally bittersweet!! There is no doubt in my mind that Katch studios will continue to be one of the most sought after studio, and I trust that this change will be better for both you and Cheryl in the long run. Congrats Cheryl!! Wishing you both nothing but the best :) *heart*

May 8, 2012 - 6:35 pm

Miranda - Bittersweet indeed! I cannot even imagine how hard this was for you both. You both are beyond amazing – I wish you both the best and know that you both will be successful in all that you do. Congrats to Cheryl on her new little baby!

May 14, 2012 - 10:06 am

Kelsey - How beautiful! Good for the both of you. And Kat, I’m so excited to see what you have planned!

Vancouver holiday

So we just got back from a little holiday in Vancouver– not for work at all– this trip was purely for fun and to visit with the family:) It’s been pretty non-stop busy around here as of late so I really welcomed the chance to just relax and recharge with my husband and kids.  We also managed to leave right before that last unpleasant dump of snow and lucked out with some incredibly warm and beautiful Spring weather.

I’ve been obsessed with my iPhone’s camera lately and decided not to bring my SLR for this trip.  With the great quality of the phone’s camera and the all the rad photo editing apps that are out there now, I just love it!  Here’s a sampling of our trip with photos all taken with my iPhone~

 

We spent one lovely afternoon at English Bay hunting for baby crabs and it was so beautiful and fun!  We spent tons of time with Cheryl and her family too which was great.  She’s expecting her second baby in just 6 weeks and we’re so excited!!  Here, her son Dax makes his appearance with my kids Aaliyah and Kai.

If you’re looking for some new shots of actual clients that’s coming soon!  Until then, hope you enjoy this glimpse into our personal lives:)

xoxo

iPhonography

Sorry for the absence of posts lately on this blog.  As wedding season winds down, and boudoir season picks up– I’ve been updating more regularly over at our other blog.  To check out those pictures just visit our Boudoir Blog by clicking on THIS LINK.  I haven’t been shooting much as far as weddings and engagements over the winter, but with my trusted iPhone always on hand, I’ve managed to capture a lot of what life has looked like behind the scenes.

Here’s a little collage I put together with pictures from my Instagram account.  If you’d like to follow my personal pictures on Instagram, here’s my username:  ”@katgill_”

 

michelle & dan: married | vancouver wedding photographer

We’ve been so busy around here lately that we haven’t had a chance to blog all of our weddings from this past year.  Today, we’re sharing one that we LOVED!

It was a beautiful autumn day in Vancouver for a wedding~ no rain, beautiful leaves, and one lovely and unique venue!   Michelle and Dan’s wedding was absolutely gorgeous from start to finish, and we felt so lucky that they chose us to capture it.  I first met these two when I shot their engagement session last Spring in Edmonton, and right away we all hit it off.  They’re warm, sweet, laid back, and have fabulous style/taste.   Then when we met their friends and family, it all just made sense.  These are truly quality, wonderful people.

Cheryl and I started off the day with Michelle at the ultra modern Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel.  She had a ridiculously cool (and huge) suite  to get ready in!  Talk about an amazing view of downtown Vancouver!

Isn’t Michelle just gorgeous?  Those blue eyes are stunning.

Dan and his guys got ready at another beautiful hotel– the Westin Grand  (this is actually the same hotel I got ready in too for my own wedding 6 years ago– I got so nostalgic shooting there!)  

When we found out that they had booked Brix Restaurant for both their ceremony and reception, Cheryl and I were SO excited!  We’d never shot there before, but knew that in was not only a beautiful place to get married, but incredibly intimate and romantic!  It definitely didn’t disappoint.  From Michelle’s dramatic entrance in, to the lovely courtyard where they exchanged their emotional vows– it was all so perfect.

We basically strolled around the Yaletown area to take their photos.  There were so many sweet little spots that were perfect, and Michelle and Dan really just made every moment special.  It’s so apparent that these two love each other so much, and we loved just hanging out with them!

There’s nothing more beautiful than autumn leaves!  Such an amazingly romantic setting.  And really, Michelle and Dan looked so elegant and perfect together.

Then when it was starting to get dark out, we snuck inside a cool lounge for a couple quick shots with some fun lighting.

Finally, we headed back to Brix Restaurant for their reception, where their guests had been hanging out and enjoying cocktails after the ceremony. You know what my favorite thing of all was?  All the gorgeous candle light everywhere!  A photographer’s dream!!  Ultra romantic.

OK so those that know me, know I’m kind of a foodie.  One of the perks to our job for me, is that I get to eat such good food all the time!  And let me tell you, the food at Brix was some of the best I’ve ever had.  Not only delicious, but so pretty too! haha.  I don’t often blog wedding food pictures– but I just couldn’t help myself in this instance;)

And one last bit, that was SOOO awesome.  Their super talented videographers from Capture the Moment Media snuck away with Dan and Michelle towards the end of the night to shoot a little special moment between them.  We tagged along and wound up getting some of our favorite shots from the whole day.

All in all, it was really just a perfect day~ everything a wedding should be.  And the kind of couple Cheryl and I absolutely love to work with.  To Michelle and Dan~  thank you for choosing us to photograph your day!  Cheers to the start of a beautiful life together.

XOXO

February 24, 2012 - 10:23 am

Lauren - great work! The final few nights are wicked cool!

February 24, 2012 - 6:17 pm

Sharon - Such a beautiful wedding girls! Love it!!

happy valentine’s day!

Had a fun day of baking and card-making yesterday with the kiddos.  Funny how I never used to be into most of these holidays until I became a mom– now it’s just fun to have any excuse to do something sweet and watch them get excited;) Today Aaliyah brought them to her preschool class and they loved em!

And thanks Pinterest for all the great ideas!  Being crafty was a LOT harder when I had to actually come up with these things myself!  hehe.   If you haven’t already joined, DO IT.  It’s fabulous!   Find me on Pinterest HERE.

February 14, 2012 - 6:05 pm

Davina - Forget about pinterest,I want the actual cupcake!! Love them! Did you make the icing too?

February 14, 2012 - 7:28 pm

Kat - store bought icing- easy peazy! For the pink one I just mixed in some red food coloring :)

f a c e b o o k