Why not combine two things I was good at and enjoyed doing?? The true turning point was in 2015 when a friend asked me to photograph her wedding. I rented equipment, studied pictures from every wedding photographer I could find, even took a few courses on wedding photography. And when the wedding day came, I dragged my husband along with me to help. In one day, Katie James Photography was born. All of the pieces fell into place as Blake and I worked side-by-side to capture that first wedding. It truly was love from that very first day!
Fast forward to now, almost ten years later, and I still have just as much passion for weddings and couples as I did from that first wedding. I find so much joy in forming genuine relationships with each of my couples and capturing once-in-a-lifetime moments for them. I love knowing that I am documenting every laugh, smile, and happy tear for them, their children, and their grandchildren to look back on forever. It seriously is just the BEST!
So how did I end up running a wedding photography business?? When I was younger, I was always that kid selling lemonade on the corner or trying to figure out the next best business idea. When I went to college, I chose to study Advertising simply because I felt that it was a good combination of business and creative - two things I enjoyed - but I never truly felt passionate about it. Unlike how I felt every time I was behind my camera.
This is the part where you might be expecting me to talk about how I first picked up a camera in elementary school and always knew that I wanted to be a photographer. Well, my story doesn't quite look like that. I did start taking pictures of friends while in high school, but I never imagined it being my job when I got older. To be completely honest, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life besides being a mom. I never had doubts about that one!
Our family was completed in June 2024 with the addition of our precious little girl Maddie.
We love traveling and try to go on at least one big trip a year. This was snorkeling in St. Thomas.
In addition to ten human feet, our house is home to 12 furry ones. 1 cat and 2 dogs - it's a tad crazy!
Before becoming a photographer full-time, I was the marketing director for an IT company.
"From the beginning, Katie and Blake made us feel like our wedding day was a priority. They were personable, fun, and made us feel comfortable in front of the camera. They captured our wedding day so beautifully. I look back at the photos and feel like I can perfectly relive each moment of the day. We absolutely loved our experience with Katie James Photography!"
— Sarah and Justin
"Katie and Blake are the epitome of perfect. From the moment we met the two of them, I knew they were going to capture our love in the most amazing way possible. One of my favorite things about them is that they constantly kept us smiling and laughing. Our pictures were one of the most important things about our wedding day, and I could not have asked for more than what Katie and Blake did for us."
— Kaycie & Will
"Not only is their work phenomenal, but they both are very personable and fun to work with. They both make you feel very comfortable when working with them, and will do anything to get the perfect shot. They love what they do and and they are a phenomenal team. No matter how stressful the situation can be, they are always calm and collected."
— Hannah + Blake
"On our wedding day and all the days leading up to it, Katie and Blake were so amazing! They checked in with us, sent questionnaires, gave us a sample timeline. I am so happy we found them and were blessed enough to work with them! The pictures turned out gorgeous! And they definitely know how to capture the sweet moments and know how to make you laugh so you can get good, sweet pictures with each other. "
— Kelly and Zach
kudos
next
James joined our family in May 2019 and changed our lives in the best way possible. Charlie made life twice as sweet when he joined the fam in June 2021. And Maddie was the exclamation point to our fam in 2024.
The best husband and friend, Blake is full of useless facts and dad jokes. Fun fact about Blake: in 2021 he set a goal to complete an Ironman before turning 30. In 2023, he finished Ironman Maryland just 10 days before his 30th birthday!
instagram
the office
cookie dough
take out & a movie
carmel latte
Sparkly Rings
MARGARITAs
roller coasters
sandy beaches
fall
mint ice cream
falling snow
christmas in nyc
the office
baby giggles